How about tree planting as love symbol?

Valentine’s Day 2017 may have passed nearly four months ago, but I came across this interesting piece of information, which I feel compelled to share.

The National Retail Federation, the world’s largest retail trade association, reported that Americans spent $2 billion (Sh200bn) on flowers alone on the 2017 Valentine’s Day.

Going by this mindboggling spend in the United States, it would be interesting to know how much Kenyans spent on roses and other flowers on Valentine’s Day this year.

TREE PLANTING

Such data may not be easily available given the informal transactions. Still, it is safe to assume that it was a tidy sum.

Why the flower talk in an article that is primarily about planting and nurturing trees?

Because I wish tree planting generated the same level of excitement.

This would ensure that, at least once a year, the middle class got out of their offices, homes, giant malls and other edifices of modernity to plant trees.

COMMITMENT

No, let me correct that. Not just plant but grow trees.

You see, any human being can plant a tree, but it takes real commitment to grow a tree.

Planting by itself is pure chancing. Even weaver birds and squirrels plant thousands of trees, grains and nuts through their droppings or by hiding nuts, which they forget about.

Growing entails proper ground preparation, use of manure, watering and fencing off to protect the newly planted seedlings from trampling by animals and human activity.

SEEDLINGS

Special care however must be taken during the dry season as seedlings require adequate water to establish their roots and start fending for themselves.

Watering the seedlings every morning or evening can be costly and wasteful.

The better option is to fill plastic soda bottles with water and insert them in the ground next to the seedling.

If done well, the seedlings will have sufficient moisture for weeks or even months and it can always be refilled.

This method not only saves money, time and energy, it is also a good way to reuse plastic bottles.

FOREST COVER
Why is tree planting such a big deal? Kenya’s forest cover stands at seven per cent, according to official government figures.

This is a significant improvement from the miniscule under two per cent, 10 years ago and was achieved mainly by rehabilitating hundreds of thousands of degraded public land.

The government’s target is to raise the cover from the to 10 per cent by 2020.

Trees are not only part of the larger ecosystem, but they can themselves create micro-ecosystems teeming with plant and animal life.

DEFORESTATION

When this balance is upset, either by clearing forests for agriculture or new settlements or by overharvesting forest resources for timber, the impact on biological and economic activities such as tourism can be devastating.

Many people know that trees absorb carbon dioxide from the environment and give up oxygen, which is necessary for our own survival.

Trees also absorb potentially dangerous gases such as carbon monoxide and sulphur dioxide, essentially saving us from their harmful effects.

CLIMATE CHANGE

This is central to the mitigation of climate change. Then there is the intricate relationship between trees and rain.

The decline in rainfall usually follows prolonged periods of deforestation.

Other benefits of trees include creation of jobs, natural purification of water and water systems, enhancing the value of property, keeping the environment cool, acting as windbreakers, controlling floods and landslides and providing families with firewood.

SURVIVAL

Trees have a big impact on our survival.

Now, that’s something I would do on Valentine’s Day.

And hey, I wouldn’t forget the flowers. There are little things that make the world go round.

Mr Gori is a founder member of #GreeningKE Initiative, of project of You_PR_People and media practioners. [email protected]