Essay on Importance of Trees

Trees are the green wealth of the earth. They take in carbon dioxide and give out oxygen, without which we cannot live. They give us fruits, nuts, wood, paper, rubber, gum and medicines. Their shade cools us in summer, and their roots hold the soil firmly and prevent floods and landslides. Trees help to bring rain and are home to birds, squirrels, monkeys and countless insects. In India, trees such as the peepal, banyan, neem and tulsi have been respected for ages. Sadly, forests are being cut for roads, buildings and factories. This is leading to less rain, more heat and more pollution. We must stop the careless cutting of trees. Each of us should plant at least one tree every year and look after it until it grows strong.

Trees have been on the earth far longer than human beings. They ask for nothing and give everything. Indian tradition treats trees as sacred; people have worshipped the peepal, the banyan and the tulsi for thousands of years. Science now tells us how right this respect was.

The first gift of trees is the air we breathe. Through photosynthesis, the leaves take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen. In this way trees work as the lungs of the earth. They also trap dust and smoke on their leaves and so clean the air of our cities.

Trees feed us. Mangoes, bananas, apples, coconuts, almonds and cashews all come from trees. Spices such as cinnamon and cloves, and drinks such as tea and coffee, come from plants and trees. They give us timber for houses and furniture, bamboo, paper, rubber, gum and fuel. Neem, amla, eucalyptus and many other trees give us medicines.

Trees protect the land. Their roots bind the soil and stop it from being washed away by rain or blown away by wind. Forests soak up rainwater and release it slowly, which keeps rivers flowing and reduces floods. Trees release water vapour through their leaves and help in forming clouds. A place with many trees is cooler than a place without them; anyone who has stood under a neem tree on a June afternoon knows this.

Trees are also homes. Birds, bees, squirrels, monkeys and many other creatures live on them. When a forest is cut, all these lose their shelter.

In spite of this, trees are being cut at a fast rate to make way for farms, roads, mines and cities. The results are serious: less rain in some places and floods in others, rising temperatures, loss of wildlife and more pollution.

What can we do? We can plant trees on birthdays and festivals and, more importantly, water and guard them until they are tall. We can save paper, because paper comes from wood. We can protect old trees in our street and speak up when they are cut without need. Van Mahotsav, the tree-planting festival held in India every July, reminds us of this duty.

A person who plants a tree knowing that others will sit in its shade has understood life. Let us plant trees and save trees, for in saving them we save ourselves.