Our lovely planet. Episode 3 - Trees

Welcome back to a new episode of this series about the nature surrounding us. Today we are going to talk about those silent guardians that live among us. They provide shelter for the birds and squirrels and also provide us with a comfy shade when we need to hide from the sun. Some of them are a supply of lovely fruits and nuts, they may blossom in Spring and suffer the Fall while losing all their leaves, looking like a naked wooden skeleton. They can be hundreds of years old and have very different dimensions, colours, scents or even wood types. But this one thing we can apply to all of them - they are beautiful beings. They are our good friends, the trees.

Every one of us now one thing or two about trees. We see them pretty much every day as we may find them on the street, in that park we walk or cycle by when commuting to work, or even you might be lucky enough to have some in your garden. I love all of the trees but I find especially amusing those which change their leaves every year. They can look a bit sad when naked during the winter but once Spring comes by, the fresh green of their newly born leaves is something that always brings me a great deal of happiness at first sight. And what can I say about those colours in Autumn time? Just gorgeous!

I don’t know about you but when I happen to walk in the woods, I’m always losing myself in that velvety sound of the wind running through the trees leaves and branches. It’s something like the waves of the ocean - relaxing, peaceful, and a natural blessing to my senses. Catching the scent of the many trees surrounding me during those walks is another of my favourite things to do. You can pick up so many different and yet lovely smells around, that sometimes is just overwhelming.

Now, apart from all those lovely features, we all need trees to survive. It may sound a bit dramatic, but that’s the ugly truth. Without trees, life on Earth would be pretty much impossible. And why is that? As we were told back in school years ago, thanks to the sunrays, trees and plants use photosynthesis to keep themselves alive and healthy, but even most importantly than that, they inhale CO2 and exhale O2 and vapour water. As you know, CO2 is the devil, making up most of that highly polluted air we are breathing in many different places around the world, while O2 is the component we need the most to stay alive and well. But even though that’s already an amazing well-done job by the trees, there’s more. During the photosynthesis process, trees release the CO2 caught from the air into the ground, where thanks to the vast ecosystem living within the soil, it’s broken down into carbon and O2. And carbon, ladies and gentlemen, in case you don’t know, is food. Not just for the soil, but also the trees, the plants and...yes, for us too!

See, trees feed on the ground, absorbing water, vitamins, minerals and carbon through their roots. All these components will end up in the fruits, nuts and seeds they produce and we feed on. The same thing happens with the plants producing the lovely vegetables. This is the main reason why trees are so important to every living thing. Not only because they are beautiful but also because they provide such an important role to supply the entire planet with clean air, also providing at the same time with vegs, fruits and nuts so rich in nutrients and minerals. And one more thing. Trees also play a vital role within the global water cycle as they also release vapour water to the atmosphere, which will end up falling again at some point in the shape of rain. Isn’t it amazing?

While all this data is already fascinating, let me share with you some more extraordinary facts about trees that will blow your mind.

Trees talk to each other and share vitamins and minerals. All this happens underground, through a large network of roots and fungi. That’s why we can’t hear them whispering to each other. Learn more about that in the video below.

I’m sure you have heard about animal migration like some birds and other mammals do. But, did you know that trees do migrate as well? Check out this video to find out how they do that. Spoiler alert - no, they don’t grow legs.

Day by day, major cities around the globe try to include nature and trees in particular into the urban environment by introducing some remarkable green touches on their buildings. Take a look at this video and see by yourself some great examples of this amazing and beautiful trend. Let’s hope it takes off so we can see green everywhere within our cities.

Trees are also great just to keep them on the streets and near our houses. They keep the neighbourhood cool when it’s too warm and also supply the area with clear and fresh air. Check out this video to see a good example of this.

Last but not least, one of my favourite videos about trees. We talked about how wonderful trees are while they are alive. But what happens when they die? You won’t believe it. They keep helping the environment for years and years until they completely vanish. Watch the video below to find out. The whole clip is extraordinary but if you want to go straight to the point when they talk about trees, skip until minute 14 approx.

So, did you enjoy all that piece of goodness? I guess you are going to start looking at the trees differently now that you know so much about their private life, aren’t you?

Please, spread the word and share this post with your friends and loved ones. Not for me to have more visits -I don’t get any benefit from that- but to teach everybody out there how important trees are for all of us and the whole planet. Let’s not forget that this is our home so we need to take care of it every day.

See you on the next episode 😉