Charles Darwin Tree of Life: Reason’s Greetings ceramic ornament

This holiday tree is inspired by a sketch from Charles Darwin’s journals from his time on the HMS Beagle. The voyage set off on December 27, right around Christmas. The tree also includes decorations that honor Darwin’s work and observations:

Look for:
tortoise: Darwin observed the variety among tortoise shells while visiting Galapagos. This also contributed to his theory of natural selection. He may have even had had a pet tortoise called Harriet!

birds: Darwin’s Finches on the Galapagos Islands display varied beaks based on the seeds available on each island.

monkey: Darwin believed that monkeys, apes, and humans shared a common ancestor. This was reproached at the time as the godless monkey theory.

ladybug: insects fascinated Darwin, even as a child. Darwin collected and catalogued beetles throughout his life.

sphinx moth & Darwin’s orchid: Darwin predicted the existence of this moth based on only the discovery of the flower. The sphinx moth has an incredibly long nectar tube.