Did you know that tree houses have something to say? According to professional tree house creator Pete Nelson, they speak in an ancient language and the message is universal: climb up and be in harmony with nature. Let go of earthbound encumbrances and be free. Tree houses possess a transformative power and as soon as you climb through their threshold, you re a changed person. Being held up by the trunk and branches of a tree, surrounded by the raw energy of nature, the soul is inevitably rejuvenated and the spirit lifted.

Nelson shares his tree house creations and stories at the Denver Botanic Garden, 1007 York Street, Denver, Colorado, May 24, 2012. A reception with goodies prepared by Slow Food Denver begins at 6 p.m., followed by the presentation and a book-signing. Tickets are $20 (but they can sell out, so if you’re sure you’ll be in Denver then, buy one in advance online).

He has traveled the world creating masterpieces of arboreal architecture, sharing his deep-felt passion and training with a new generation of tree house builders and dwellers. Nelson designs and builds tree houses as Nelson Treehouse and Supply. He is the co-founder of TreeHouse Workshop, started in 1997, that teaches hands-on tree house design and construction. He is also the co-founder and host of the Global Treehouse Symposium. His most recent undertaking is Treehouse Point, an environmental tree house hotel and retreat center in Issaquah, Washington. Nelson is the author of several books including his newest, New Treehouses of the World.