Once upon a time, there lived a girl named Hania in a small town far from the city. She was intelligent and ambitious. But she was disheartened with the growing pollution and unhealthy environment. She knew it was due to human activity that the environment had become so polluted. So Hania decided to bring positive changes to the environment through whatever she knew and could do in her capacity.

One day, Hania was sitting with her younger sister Sidra and was reading a book about earth. Her sister was drawing a tree near the window. Suddenly, they heard the sound of an axe hitting a tree. They peeped out from their window and saw a man was cutting a tree next to their house with an axe.

Hania got enraged and wanted the man to immediately stop cutting the tree.

Sidra asked: “Hania, why are you becoming so furious?” as she was totally unaware of the importance of trees.

“These trees are so important for our ecosystem. We depend on these trees in a lot of ways,” Hania replied.

“But I don’t understand, what do they do except give us fruits to eat?” Sidra asked again innocently.

Hania continued, “Trees take in the harmful carbon dioxide from the air and release oxygen gas, which we in turn breathe in. They stabilise the soil and keep the temperature down. And not just these, trees lend beauty to our environment and also provide us with the wood that we use for so many things. They are the shelter for many species and help in water cycle regulation. They support natural and human food systems and so much more.”

Hania sighed and asked Sidra, “Tell me, where do you like to sit and play in the park? Where do we like to play most of the time? Or which ecosystem makes you happy or gives you good vibes?”

Sidra was quite dumbstruck with the load of information she got in just a few seconds, but did her best to answer. “I love to play in the garden, and running in greenery and fresh air makes me happy,” she answered.

“Exactly, if we plant trees, it refreshes and cleans the air, and we can breathe in a healthy environment. Look! What a beautiful tree you have drawn. It shows how much you love trees!” Hania said while pointing her finger to the tree she just drew.

Sidra exclaimed: “Yes, I love trees a lot, but I had never thought about it deeply like you have. I want to ask one more thing, trees also give us wood for various purposes, if we don’t cut trees, from where will we get wood?”

Hania started to explain, “Good question! This is where we need to be more selective on cutting trees. We must plant more trees every time we cut, so that it doesn’t affect the environment.

“We shouldn’t cut plants which are more beneficial like those that give fruits,” Hania shared.

Sidra replied, “I am amazed to know how important trees are and how we can save the environment. Now I know why you got angry at the man cutting the tree.”

So, as the productive talk was going on, they both decided to stop that man from cutting the tree. They went to their mother and told everything that they saw and asked her if she would go with them to the man and ask him to stop cutting it. Their mother was pleased with their concern and decided to accompany the girls outside.

They went and talked to that man and, thankfully, the man was humble and listened to them patiently. He told them that he didn’t want to cut the tree, but pointing to the men standing at a distance, he said it was those guys who ordered him to do so.

Both the girls and their mother went to the men and spoke about the environment and the effects of cutting trees.

The men were silent for a while then one of them spoke, “I am impressed with your sincere concern for the environment. Although it is my duty to cut trees and provide them for furniture for my company, I now feel I don’t want to be part of some nuisance that is destroying the environment, not just for us today, but for the generations to come.

“So I promise to you and the earth that from now on, I will plant trees on a regular basis,” the man said.

Hania and Sidra smiled and thanked the men as they returned home successfully.

So dear readers, trees have immense importance in the ecosystem and all trees shouldn’t be cut. Take care of the ecosystem and the things which make it beautiful and don’t destroy them.

Published in Dawn, Young World, March 4th, 2023