“What we are doing to the forests of the world is but a mirror reflection of what we are doing to ourselves and to one another.” -Chris Maser-

Did you know every year 15 billion trees are cut down all over the world?

BUT Around 1.6 billion people depend directly on forests for food, shelter, energy, medicines and income.

In the modern urbanized Earth green is not the very first sight as in the past. Massive destructions of forests and trees are happening every minute in each end of the world due to the rapid increase in population and the greed for a world of concrete. Little we know is how destructive our actions are; not just for us but for more and more future generations in the future.

Chopping down the green is chopping off the base of our lives. Forests play a major centered role in ecology balancing bio diversity, water systems and sustainable environment. With the enhancement of deforestation water springs were found to be drained, there were lesser and lesser amounts of oxygen to breathe and the carbon dioxide level has increased massively. Global warming, Glazier melting started becoming major environmental issues to be concerned.

Deforestation, has led all these destructions to us. Not just humans but more and more species of animals and plants were found to be endangered and eventually lead to extinction. Bio diversity was collapsing. A world without forests and trees lead to a world that pays for fresh air and water.

The United Nations proclaimed the 21st of March as the International Day for Forests in 2012. For many years now, this amazing global celebration has been creating awareness all over the world about the importance of forests.

This year the UN has themed the Day for Forests which is on the 21st, the Sunday as ‘Forest restoration’ concerning the deforestation happening every minute all over the world.

Forest restoration focuses on bringing back natural processes that contribute to the forest’s productivity, like how water interacts with soil, streams, and plants. It is the restoration of a sustainable eco-system.

Sri Lanka, a tiny land with many indigenous forests with a vast bio diversity is now facing deforestation as any other country. As Sri Lankans it’s the responsibility of all individuals to protect and restore our forest systems. Gift the nature with a simple gesture of a plant and gain more rewards back from it.

BECAUSE it may be just one tree BUT it matters A LOT

Let’s unite together this 21st to shield our base of life, the precious forests.

By Rtr. Ishini Suriyarachchi