Education about trees and resources
How do we view trees? This question is becoming more and more salient and significant not only because of the acacia issue in the south of Cebu. A recent DepEd request to have "hazardous trees" in schools cut to avoid risks to students again zooms in on the issue of tree management.
Is cutting the only available solution to so-called "hazardous trees?" When are trees considered hazardous or dangerous for the public?
As we all have learned from the acacia episode, there is so much more we lay persons need to learn about trees. We also learned that there are various perspectives and various types and levels of specialization among so-called tree experts. What we need to do, to know is how to seize the learning opportunities that the tree issue are now presenting to all, especially the non-specialists among us, especially for the general public.
The time is ripe for the concerned public government agencies to ensure regular inventory and monitoring of the trees and the health condition of the trees. Having solid baseline data and regular evaluation of the trees will pro-actively ensure the protection of people and of the trees as well.
Trees are valued not only because these are God's creations. Especially in the midst of continuing climate change and global warming that have created superstorms, droughts, famine, and other risks and dangers, even loss of lives, the crucial role of trees should always be remembered and acknowledged. Trees are important for every person — their carbon and oxygen cycle that allows all to breathe essential clean air, for their anti-flooding and anti-erosion role, not to mention the contribution trees offer to people and other creatures in terms of food, shelter, among others.
Tree planting has been a positive move to enhance the symbiotic, collaborative partnership of trees and people. Illegal logging is the opposite negative relationship between trees and the abusive.
Before resulting to tree cutting, everyone has to learn and to be educated about tree management and protection. For example, in the case of DepEd, have all the schools been asked to include the discussion, knowledge-dissemination, inventory of the trees in every school to guide the students to learn more about trees and their qualities as well as how to preserve and protect these? The same suggestion for learning and education about trees should be expanded to other resources within schools and within the immediate environment in communities.
Better knowledge about trees and our other resources, through education, will allow us to know our own environment, our own world more closely. Knowledge is power and knowledge of trees and resources will allow us all to learn how to appreciate their important roles for our lives and our world. Resource knowledge will allow us to learn how to effectively manage and protect all our resources which will allow us all to enhance and utilize more effectively, more sustainably the positive symbiotic partnership of humans and nature.
Rather than get to the level of posing trees and other resources versus people, DepEd and other specialists can serve our people more by educating all as early and as comprehensively as possible BEFORE the situation gets too risky both for people, for trees and for nature in general.
lWe consider all these latest developments involving and questioning the issue of trees and the public as God–sent moments for all of us to reflect, to learn, to collaborate to preserve God's important creations — human beings and His trees and other resources in nature.
Surely, we can all hold hands together calmly, rationally, and united in prayers for the best approach to tree and resource management, to highlight the positive partnership between trees and people, between nature and human beings.
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