Here, in an idyllic setting, is a manifestation of man at his most territorial. The owners of this land along the banks of the Cosumnes River obviously want to keep others from setting foot on their land. An ancient tree, burdened here with strident warning signs, seems indecently dressed. We see nature out of character here due to the selfish territorial imperative of man. The tree plays the role of an innocent bystander, made to carry a message it can never understand.