The Joy of Planting Trees

There have always been things that define our childhoods. For me, one of those things were trees. I lived in a rural area, and spent much of my off school time running around with my friends. What was great about where we lived was that there were plenty of neighbors, but we had a sprawling forest behind us. We lived at the base of a mountain, and felt very safe in that area. To this day, those memories always make me want to go about planting trees so there are always plenty of them around.

The trees I remember were all around me. I always loved them because they were a form of entertainment all in their own. We didnt have to have a lot to be lost in play all day long. We could climb them, build forts near them, and pick up the nuts some of them dropped on the ground. They were useful for everything a child could imagine. Planting trees was never something I thought about, as there were plenty where I lived, but I would soon learn how important planting trees really is to our environment.

The only time I thought of planting trees back then was when it was done as a memorial. There is one that was planted in the memory of my cousin when he died. It is a pine tree located near his elementary school and is growing strong today. It is a nice reminder of a life that was way to short. There are many people who choose to go planting trees in the memory of someone that they lost. This works better if you own the land, but there are alternatives that work well so the tree can remain without being bothered or cut down.

When I got older I became friends with a boy who was to inherit his fathers logging company. I learned that they were planting a few new trees for each one that was cut down. At the time, I dont think this was a requirement as much as it was a suggestion, but they did it anyway. They were a small family business and they appreciated that the trees they cut down should be replaced, and felt lucky that they had the supply that they did. Planting trees was just something that they did, without or without the need to do so.

Now that global warming is on the minds of more and more people, we can all think of small things that we can do to make the world a better place. Simple things like energy efficient light bulbs are great, as are things like planting trees. Some people think that just doing one small thing wont make much of a difference, but it adds up when everyone does something. Planting trees on your property or on community land (with permission, of course) can go a long way towards making a difference. Not only do they take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen, they are beautiful and peaceful, which is always welcome.