Years ago when I was living in Chennai’s Mylapore, there was a neem tree in our compound, its branches abutting the window of our bedroom. Its medicinal smell was refreshing. Every time the leaves touched the window, I felt that the bond I had with the tree got strengthened.
I often wrote sitting in this bedroom and would feel the tree nod in encouragement of my creations. If trees could talk, perhaps this neem would have some nice anecdotes to tell. And when I moved to my own house, I was filled with melancholy. It was as if I was leaving behind my close family member, whom I could not see anymore. It may sound weird, but trees speak, and speak constantly, even if quietly, communicating with sounds and scents. They are naturally networking and are connected with everything that exists.
My son, who is studying in a city college, is an active member of a Chennai-based NGO that is involved in tree planting and restoration. The NGO, in the last few years, has planted around 3,000 saplings in private and government schools, and in orphanages.
Recently I attended a wedding reception of the daughter of a good old school friend. During the function, there was no ear-splitting music programme. Instead, my friend had arranged a wonderful video presentation on the significance of growing trees: how they improve our life and fulfil the essential needs of mankind. Everyone liked the presentation and welcomed it.
Puns on trees add to the fun. Consider these: “Where do saplings go to learn? Ans: To an elementree school”, and “Why did the tree need to take a nap? Ans: “For(r)est.”
Trees are crucial to our existence not only because they produce paper and lumber, but because they serve an important role in the carbon cycle. Planting trees is one of the most affordable ways to make a difference to the environment. Trees reduce global warming and create a habitat for thousands of species. It is a pity that despite their cardinal importance to human life, we continue to keep felling trees.Trees and humans have intimately connected through the ages. No wonder trees have captured the human imagination since the beginning of time. Said the renowned writer and poet Khalil Gibran, “Trees are poems that the earth writes upon the sky.”
Ranganathan Sivakumar
Email: siva19kumar@gmail.com