This tree has been with me, I would say 23, 24 years.

This is a boxwood.

Probably about six, eight years ago.

I was approached by someone up at Northridge Treatment Program, which is a program here in town for young adolescent boys and girls.

They were needing to get into a safe setting.

So a friend and I said, well, we'll bring in some trees.

We'll have a demonstration tree for them so that they can do their own bonsai.

One of the things that you'll notice is there's a hole right here.

I showed it to a number of people and this young boy said, “Mr.

Severson and Mr. Severson, if you had a squirrel, a little squirrel, I bet you he'd want to go, like, right in that hole.” And then another young man said, “I have another idea.

And this is if it was in my backyard, this is I would be putting a tire swing right off this branch and it would be swinging right in this area.” But that was an example of the evoking imagination and being in the presence of this real piece of nature that has been miniaturized.

The Slice from PBS North,