Plant a Tree - Save Our Future

I remember growing up in a time where the forest was my playground. The trees were climbing apparatuses that had arms to lead me from one tree to another. I was free in a world of lush greenery, swinging and swaying  with the breeze.

To my brother and I, and our tree-climbing friends, the woods was a  place of peace and serenity. It was a way for us to express our connectedness to nature, to bond with the trees and animals. Also, it was a way of leaving behind a hurried life filled with disappointments and grief that many children endure.

Although I am grown and have little time for climbing trees, I still enjoy the majestic beauty of a red maple or the feeling of awe when I am looking up at a redwood. My childhood feelings come back to me as I take a breath, remembering the peacefulness that surrounded the stress-free environment that a forest of trees offer.

Trees offer much more than just a peaceful atmosphere, and a way to escape reality; they offer life. Without trees, life as we know it could not exist.

Why are trees important?

Trees emit the oxygen we breathe. One tree can supply a person with enough oxygen for a day, as he or she needed. Trees also filter pollution out of water and air, they provide food and shelter for mammals, birds, and insects. They also prevent flooding and soil erosion, give us shade, and block the wind.

Trees are a very important aspect of living, which is why we need to protect them from danger. For hundreds of years people have been cutting down trees for building, and clearing of forests for agricultural use. Our own needs have come before the land and the animal species who occupy it, perhaps not realizing how important the balance of nature is to our own sustainable living. Even so, money continues to be the motivating factor in the lumber industry, and even in the Forest Service, who manages "multiple use" areas, which  includes logging, of our national forests.

"Thank God, they cannot cut down the clouds!" ~ Henry David Thoreau

How can we help save trees?

There are many ways an individual can help save the forests, or the future of a particular species of trees:

- You can educate your children on the importance of trees, after all, they are the future of all generations to come.

- You can start your own group and plant trees throughout the cities and forests. Make an effort to replace native trees in your area.

- Have a tree planting party for your child. Every year, starting at birth, plant a tree in the name of your child at his or her birthday. If you plant a tree at your child's birth, think of how wonderful it will be to compare the growth of your child with the sapling. A bond will surely develop between your child and the tree as they get older.

- Join an organization. There are so many organizations that you can  belong to. Here are a few to start you on your way in helping the trees, the animals, and the planet:

Trees for the Future- www.treesftf.org

Trees for the Planet- www.goodwoods.org

National Audubon Society- www.audubon.org

Sierra Club- www.sierraclub.org

Tree people- http://www.cyberjava.com/earth/tree/tree1.htm

Trees give us life, as our mother did. Help save the trees.