The Redwood Tree - A true marvel of nature!!!
Native to coastal California, the redwood is the tallest tree on earth, reaching up to 379 feet in height (equal to a 35-storey building!) and 26 feet in diameter. It has been around since the Jurassic era (160 million years) and lives for 2,500-3,000 years or more.
What's the secret behind the redwood's growth and longevity? Well, over the millions of years of it's evolution, the tree has slowly but surely developed built-in features that help it fight against its natural enemies such as insects and fire. While the high tannin content in its wood keeps it away from diseases and pests, its foliage protects itself from forest fires by resting high above the ground. The species being monoecious also gives the tree its unique ability to regenerate by itself - which means that new sprouts can grow directly from a stump or a downed tree's root system rather than rely solely on sexual reproduction.
But what is most inspiring about the Redwood Tree is that the tallest tree in the world starts its life from a seed which is the same size as that of a tomato seed!!! Only proves that where one starts in life has no bearing whatsoever on where one can ultimately reach!
The Redwood Tree is a giant not only in terms of size, but also in terms of character and spirit. It epitomises all that a winner stands for - passion to survive and grow, ability to adapt and innovate, capability to maximize potential, and the propensity to conquer weaknesses by focussing on core strengths!
C2 Workshop's annual "Redwood Awards" is inspired and named after the indefatigable Redwood Tree. The award recognizes employees who stand tall in terms of their ATTITUDE. This year's awards were presented on 18th June 2010, and the winners were Thanigaivel, Vijay Anand, Thamizh Selvi, Jayaprakash and Devendran. Congrats, guys! And thanks for inspiring the rest of us!!!
