Tree Hugger's special connection to the earth and all things living gives her unique insight into the spiritual lives of ponies everywhere. Back on her commune she used her talents to help jaded ponies reconnect with their lives, and her work follows her to Ponyville.
Her admiration for Applejack as a pony who lives simply but fully is disturbed by an unexpected development, leading Tree Hugger to believe that Applejack is undergoing a spiritual crisis. Meanwhile Tree Hugger is also interested in meeting the human that has settled in town, for she's worried that his spirit may be forever damaged by his separation from his home world.