Trees play a vital role in enhancing human life and the environment. Trees provide mankind with fresh air to breathe, food to eat, shelter to rest and other benefits without which we cannot even think of a life. Imagine how many trees are used all over the world. People cut down trees to make room for new farms, housing developments, highways and cities. Despite knowing the importance of trees, human beings are still cutting down the trees and destructing the forests for their own personal gain.

As trees have started depleting from this beautiful earth, there are high possibilities of poor rainfall and natural calamities like floods, land sliding and soil erosion. So in order to maintain the ecological balance to safeguard the well-being of our environment, Unnal Mudium has introduced a concept called Protect the Green which insists on the fact that we should plant more and more trees which will render healthy and safe lifestyle for us and even for the generations to come. Thus planting and caring for trees would cause environmental as well as economic benefits for the upcoming years, it is much essential for every one of us, to be aware of how planting trees and conserving forests are crucial for our better living.

Benefits of Planting Trees:

Trees provide oxygen

Trees take in carbon-di-oxide and releases oxygen which is very essential for all living creatures in the universe. In a year, an acre of mature trees can provide enough oxygen for 18 people.

Trees clean the air

Trees purify the air by absorbing odours and pollutant gases (nitrogen oxides, ammonia, Sulphur dioxide and ozone).

Trees conserve energy

Trees reduce cost of using our resources. For example, shade trees save money and energy. Trees act as natural air conditioners. Three trees placed around a home can reduce the usage of summer air conditioning needs by up to 50 percent.

Trees combat the greenhouse effect

Global warming is the result of excess greenhouse gases, created by burning fossil fuels and destroying tropical rainforests. Heat from the sun, reflected back from the earth, is trapped in this thickening layer of gases, causing global temperatures to rise. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a major greenhouse gas. Trees absorb CO2 which is toxic in nature by removing and storing the carbon while releasing the oxygen back into the air. In one year, an acre of mature trees absorbs the amount of CO2 produced when you drive your car 26,000 miles.

Trees save water

The process of water cycle is maintained with the great help of trees only. Most of the newly planted trees need only fifty six litres of water a week. The roots of the trees absorb moisture from the soil and in turn provide the moisture in the form of water vapour to the air. As trees transpire, they increase the chances of cloud formation which will result in rainfall.

Trees help prevent water pollution

Trees reduce wastage of water by breaking rainfall thus allowing the water to flow down the trunk and into the earth below the tree. This prevents water from carrying pollutants to the ocean.

Trees help prevent soil erosion

On hillsides or stream slopes, trees slow down the run-off and hold soil in place.

Trees shield human being from ultra-violet rays

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer. Trees reduce UV-B exposure by about 50 percent, thus providing protection to mankind as they wander out during the day time.

How to conserve Forests:

Forests play a vital role in preventing global warming and building sustainable societies. Whenever large parts of a forest are cut down, animals lose their homes and everything. So the need for conserving the forests is of utmost importance to maintain the ecological balance. Forest conservation is the process of planning and maintaining forested areas for the benefit of future generations.

“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.”

– Mahatma Gandhi

Educate Yourself and Others

People who are familiar with the facts about destroying forests can easily spread awareness among others to turn green. If not try to learn more about it, read books, magazines, web sites, and collect as much information as you can. Very few people on this planet care about the forests, so you will do a great job if you manage to make someone else care as much as you do.

Use Less Paper

Since most paper comes from trees, you can imagine how many forests have been destroyed for paper production. Try to reduce the use of paper as much as you can or, at least, use recycled paper. Another good option is the tree-free paper, which production takes plants such as kenaf, a plant belongs to hibiscus family and farmer’s leftovers like corn stalks and dried stalks of grain. You can read on the package if the paper you buy is tree-free or recycled. If there’s no such mark, then you can be sure that the manufacturer participates in forests destruction.

Use Less Gasoline and Plastics

A large amount of oil comes from the forests through the extraction, so it’s very harmful. Since both gasoline and plastics are made that way, reducing their use can bring good impact to the forest. Using bike instead of car, using reusable aluminium bottles instead of plastic one, not using plastic bags are just a few of the ways to save the forests.

Buy Locally

Buying locally leads to sustainable economy, but it also prevents deforestation. You can always check if the food that you buy has been produced on forests expense. That’s easier when you buy food produced by local farmers sold in local groceries. So buying locally contributes to conservation of forests.

It is clearly understood that trees are of great value and importance which makes world a better place to live. Now it is hard to imagine a world without trees which would affect our survival to a great extent. So let us not allow such a situation to happen anymore. Let us take pride and credit for ourselves for planting plenty of saplings.

Core purpose of the concept:

“He who plants a Tree, plants a hope”

– Lucy Larcom

• Unnal Mudium has taken up tree planting, through which we realize how difficult it is to make them survive and that experience naturally leads to acquaintances with different species of trees, their characteristics and everything.
• It is a misconception that trees require great care only when they are young saplings, but the fact is that even mature trees require care and attention for their survival.
• Each and every associate of Unnal Mudium is a tree ambassador and has the responsibility of not only spreading awareness but also looking for solutions and take suitable actions.

“The best time to plant a Tree was 20 years ago; the next best time is now”

Each Step of planting a Tree / Plant Counts at Unnal Mudium.