I have always had a passion for nature. It brings me a sense of calm, reason and wholeness. For the last fifteen years of my life, I have had the privilege of sharing my knowledge and love for the environment with others, which I believe in my heart of hearts to be one of my vocations.
Today I want to talk on behalf of the trees and plants. Some of you may have an area at home, which you have been trying to clean up for the longest time. You have good reasons why the bushes need to be removed - it is getting to tall, or it is too hard to maintain, or just simply there are too many leaves on the ground. Do you know that the trees and plants are responsible for keeping us alive? They help supply our daily needs.
Stop for a moment and take a deep breath. Where did the oxygen you just breathed come from? Do you think that it exist in the air naturally? Trees and plants make their own food through a process called photosynthesis, during which they take in carbon dioxide from the air, water and nutrients from the soil and release oxygen into the atmosphere. This process is powered by the energy of sunlight, which is trapped by chlorophyll, the green pigment in the leaves.
What did you have for breakfast this morning? What are you planning to have for lunch, or dinner tonight? Think of that juicy hamburger. How about that lovely slice of pizza? Or, as you know, we are a nation that “runs on KFC”! From where does most of our food originate? Have you figured it out as yet? Yes, it all traces right back to our green friends, the plants! For example, the burger patty is made from beef, beef comes from cows and cows eat grass.
You know how we love to look at television, or how we like to entertain our friends and family members in our homes. I know you may be thinking - so what does this have to do with the trees and plants? Well, how do we accommodate people in our homes? We must provide furniture e.g. couches, chair, tables, space savers and beds. As a matter of fact, some of our homes are made from the trees!
These names should ring a bell among some of you, if not, ask someone from the older generation - Vervine, Fever grass, Bois Canot, Shinning bush, Chandelier, Zeb a peak, Wonder of the world, Christmas bush. So what do these bushes all have in common? Each has some bit of medicinal value to it, for example, from healing an ear-ache, to reducing a swelling or a fever, to helping with coughs and colds, or simply making a good tea. I am sure some of you may have heard bush medicine stories from the good old days.
We are still in the rainy season and there are a number of areas that are prone to flooding. Trees can help to prevent flooding since trees help to absorb a lot of the water and their roots help prevent soil erosion.
Trees are the homes to countless species of animals, some of which are becoming extinct as we speak because their habitats are being destroyed.
So the next time you want to chop that tree or cut down the plants, please remember all the great things trees provide for us. Too often we are all guilty of taking things for granted, especially the simplest and most important things around us. Hopefully one day we will learn to be thankful for everything since they all have special roles to play in the environment.
Be good!
© Denise Etienne
