Just Trees, Nothing Special. Or Is It?

by Syahida Alis A1

Assalamualaikum W.B.T and hello everyone :)

How is everyone doing on this fine day? I hope you all are having a nice day. If you aren't, well here's a joke for you. 

Police: Where do you live?
Me: With my parents.
Police: Where does your parents live?
Me: With me.
Police: Where do you all live?
Me: Together.
Police: Where is your house?
Me: Next to my neighbor's house
Police: Where is your neighbor's house?

Me: If I tell you, you won't believe me.
Police: Tell me.
Me: Next to my house.

 What happens next is up to your own creativity.

All jokes aside, I would like to share with everyone a few, maybe more, facts that you may or may not know about trees. 

Trees, we see them everywhere, everyday. We all know trees are important because they produce oxygen. As human beings, we need oxygen to breathe and stay alive but do we really know the true value of a tree? A tree not only provides a home to animals but is also their source of food. Let's take an trip down imagination lane. 

Oh Spongebob

Imagine that you went for a long holiday trip. You left your house and bid goodbye to your loved ones. By the time you came back, your house was gone and your family was no where to be seen. How you would feel at that time?

This sad koala had returned to it's old home after it had been clear for logging.

Animals are sentient beings too. They may not be able to express their feelings as well as we can but they can feel just as much. There are many inspiring stories about animals with human-like behaviors out there. Try to read a few. Who knows, you might learn something from them. 

Back to the main topic, how much do you really know about trees? Are they really are just shelters and supplies for humans and animals? Read these facts and count how many of them you might already know.

• Well-maintained trees and shrubs can increase property value by up to 14%.
• Trees properly placed around buildings can reduce air conditioning needs by 30%
• A mature tree removes almost 70 times more pollution than a newly planted tree.
• A healthy tree can have a value of up to $10,000.
• The shade and wind buffering provided by trees reduces annual heating and cooling costs by 2.1 billion dollars.
• A single tree produces approximately 260 pounds of oxygen per year. That means two mature trees can supply enough oxygen annually to support a family of four!
• One tree can absorb as much carbon in a year as a car produces while driving 26,000 miles.
• Over the course its life, a single tree can absorb one ton of carbon dioxide.
• The average tree in an urban/city area has a life expectancy of only 8 years.

Interesting, isn't it? Who knew something so common can hold so much value? Then again, we humans tend to forget and when we forget, we often tend to take things for granted as well. This is usually the logic behind every tragic tale.

Plant a tree. It may seem like a simple act maybe even meaningless to some cynics but every big achievement starts with a small step.