Arbor Day, as it is commonly known today, is of American origin and was first observed in Nebraska, USA on the 10th of April 1872. Now it is always observed on the last Friday in April. Arbor Day in different forms and names is now observed in more than fifty countries. Arbor in Latin means a tree. The spirit of Arbor Day is to plant trees and care for them and help them grow strong. It is what we give back to nature. If we think about our ancestors, we can imagine the dependence on trees in those times. Trees were widely used for wood, fruits, flowers and the shade a tree gave. The earliest humans derived tremendous benefits from the trees. We are all obliged to trees. Can birds survive without trees? Think of a tree. Most of the trees grow from a small seed. Let us become a little philosophical. The seed makes a tree and the tree gives so many more seeds, who in turn give so many trees and in turn more seeds. How many trees does a seed contain? Infinite. Is this not an exciting thought? The trees stand alone on a piece of land. The roots go deep down the earth and hold the soil strongly. The tree gives leaves, wood, bark, fruits, flowers, sometimes different types of gums and shade for the tired souls. A tree gives all that it has got back to the animal world. In deep jungles, so many animals rest below the trees in the afternoons, and the birds make countless nests on the trees. Can one imagine the importance of trees in the ecological balance? It can not be measured. The butterflies know about that than many of us humans. Many of us have seen so many trees since our childhood that we never give a thought to them. Visit a desert and you will realize the blessing that are trees. The desert looks so desolate without any growth, without the trees. Where are the singing birds in a desert? Where are the fruits, the flowers, and the shade? Trees are necessary for our growth, and they tell us about a selfless life. After you plant a tree and help it grow, it asks nothing from you for its lifetime. It only gives. That is the selflessness of trees and that is how a life must be lived by all of us. Give more and expect less in return. |
