‘Once there was a tree …’

“… and she loved a little boy.” We’ve all read Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree. It takes on different meanings depending on when in your life you read it — or re-read it. It can be a story about unconditional love, or an allegory of greed and narcissism, or the passage of time. The tree gives everything it has, and when it has nothing left to give, it still offers a stump for the boy, now elderly, to rest — and as the last illustration shows, to reflect.

That’s what trees do. Throughout time, they give us shade from the sun, branches to build fires, and wood to build homes. But they also play a major role in the environment. Nature.org says trees filter the water we drink, the air we breathe, traps some greenhouse gases, and offers sanctuary to wildlife.

But as shown when the boy in The Giving Tree got older, our advancement means more of the tree is needed to build more homes, more businesses, more freeways, etc. And what was once a forest of giving trees, soon turns into flat tracts of land ripe for building. Deforestation results in climate change, soil erosion, flooding, and increased GHGs, says Pachamama Alliance.

This is how we can give back to trees. The Citizens’ Environmental Coalition has received multiple tree-planting events for Houston’s Arbor Day (and beyond) to enter into our calendar. The Houston Parks Board (HPB) has three tree-planting events coming up: the first is from 9 a.m. to noon, Jan. 25 along Sims Bayou; the second is from 9 a.m. to noon, Feb. 8 along the Hunting Bayou Greenway; and from 9 a.m. to noon, Feb. 18, volunteers for ParksByYou Day will plant 575 trees along Halls Bayou Greenway. Sign up for these events here.

Trees for Houston will hold its Houston Arbor Day Tree Planting from 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Jan. 28 at Hutcheson Park. Also on Saturday, The Woodlands holds its 47th Annual Arbor Day Tree Giveaway from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. at Rob Fleming Park.

Houston’s Arbor Day, National Arbor Day, even Earth Day … these are just days to observe. We urge you to take part in tree-planting events throughout the year. And make the trees happy.