Do you like trees? Of course you do! You might know the technical benefits of trees, but there is so much more to them than the dry, educational facts we read. We have all been exposed to trees since we were little. Our personal connections with them become a part of who we are. The sight of a tree can elicit memories from apple picking, to tree climbing, to fun-filled afternoons jumping into leaf piles in the fall. If you were to ask a handful of children today, they would surely say the same.
In fact, I did! I took a poll and asked a collection of children if they liked trees and why. What are they good for, I wanted to know. Here is what they had to say as to why they like trees;
Trees are good because;
Trees have a lot of leaves
“… because they give you air”
Michael, Age 5
“… because they help us breathe and give us oxygen”
Rylie, age 7
“The best thing I can think of is that they have a lot of leaves.”
Liam, age 7
“… because they are pretty and they help you breathe”
Paige, age 7
You can climb trees
“… because they help the earth and humans and animals (breathe). And you can also climb them and hug them. That’s why I love trees. Without them we wouldn’t be alive and trees wouldn’t be alive without us.”
Thomas, age 8.
“… because they produce fruits for us to keep us alive”
McKenzie, age 8
“… because I can climb on ’em.”
Jack, age 8
Some give you fruits like apples
“… because they help you breathe, are good to climb in, and birds live in them, and they grow fruit. And I like apples and trees grow apples.”
Taryn, age 9
“I like trees because they are pretty and different in every season. They help us so we have oxygen, that’s actually why they’re here you know, not just to look at.”
Jack, age 10
“… because they are green and some give you fruits like apples, oranges, bananas and pears. They also help you breath”
Haley, age 10
“… because they grow apples and stuff.”
Max, age 11
Did you notice anything? From this small assortment of kids, the overwhelming answer was that trees help us breathe. Sure they are nice to look at, fun to play with, and they provide us with food, but these children know what is really important; oxygen. I’d say that trees deserve three cheers from everyone today, kids and adults alike!
Oh, and I almost forgot one last comment from a “kid” many of us might be able to relate too;
They make good camp fires to sit around and drink beer
“They make good camp fires to sit around and drink beer.”
Peter, age 21
Why do you like trees?