Trees

                                          400 year old Big Banyan tree Bangalore 



My love affair with trees started after moving into Bangalore 3-4 years back.Bangalore is known as the city of gardens.First thing that I did on coming to Bangalore was to visit many of its parks .Lal Bagh, Cubbon park are more than 200 years old and have many varieties of plants and trees.I went to see a Big Banyan tree which is more that 400 years old in the outskirts of the city.This tree is spread over 3 acres of land.It is very beautiful and has lived through the times of Mughals, Tipus Sultan,the British empire and Independent India. There is every possibility that it will out live most of us.It provides food and shelter to many birds, monkey and acts as a park for humans. Banyan tree is my favorite tree and its presence is overwhelming. It is believed that Banyan trees has spiritual powers as a result people worship and meditate under it.Buddha gained enlightenment under bodhi tree. Today but we are witnessing massive felling of trees and forest in the name of development.Forest cover in India is 23% which is lesser than our national target of 33%.The every growing population and human greed is putting tremendous pressure on survival of forests.

I feel that it is duty of each and every one of us to plant and nurture trees.Some of advantages of planting trees is as follows

1.Source of Oxygen:A tress is a extension of our lungs.We exhale carbon dioxide which is inhaled by the trees.The trees in turn produce oxygen which is inhaled by us.A tree can  absorb 25 kg of carbon dioxide in a year and provide oxygen for two people.In our cities we have very few trees,This means there are very few trees producing oxygen needed by us for survival.

2.Cooling: Trees provide shade and help to keep the temperature down.10% increase in forest cover can help to reduce the ambient temperature by 1 degree Celsius.A trees can cut down on the power requirement for air conditioners.A trees can save upto 7kwh of energy.

3.Value of a tree:A tree creates value by protecting environment,providing oxygen,preventing soil erosion,protecting against cyclone and tsunami,providing food,wood and reducing global warming. Assuming life of a tree as 50 years biologist estimate the value of a tree as 4.2 crore Rs.So trees are very valuable which we seldom realize.

4.Creating rain:The evaporation from trees is 8-10% more that  from equivalent area of ocean.In a day tree can lift 100 gallons of water from soil and discharge it to the atmosphere.Rain forest of Congo are capable of generating its own rain from the evaporation coming out of its trees. 

5.Selfless:Trees are selfless, they provide food,shelter,oxygen for plant and animals.Even after death a tree is useful providing wood and also over many years they get converted into to fossil fuels.It is said that stones are always thrown at a tree which is full of fruits.It it is better to be like a fruit bearing tree; always giving to others.

I will finish it off with a quote ''A community should see it self in the same way as its trees.If trees are dying the town is dying.Planting trees symbolizes a community that is alive,prosperous and growing"-Arnold Leak