The true meaning of life

The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.
Nelson Henderson

Planting trees has been a ceremonial act in many cultures around the world.  In India, in a village in Bihar, families have been planting a minimum of 10 trees to celebrate the birth of a girl child. This has been a wonderful idea!  With a population of around 7,000, the village has currently more than 100,000 mango and lychee trees, enough fruits to pay for their daughter's weddings (http://www.bbc.com/news/10204759).

Trees are also planted on Tu BiShvat, a minor Jewish holiday that marks the start of spring in Israel, also called "The New Year of the Trees”. In the past, in Palestine, trees were planted for children born during the previous year. Later, branches of these trees were used to make a canopy for their wedding ceremony. The planting was associated with birth and marriage and symbolised the hope for a prosperous future. According to the Bible, fruit trees were put on the Earth before any other living thing (Genesis 1:11-12). That is, the first thing God did, once He had mainland, was to plant trees!

Planting a tree does not necessarily need a special occasion for it to be done, nevertheless, it will be unforgettable if you pick an important date such as your birthday, Christmas, the birth of your child or your wedding. It is a great opportunity to share the experience with your loved ones and think about the transcendence of this act.
Nevertheless, planting trees is not just a matter of ceremony, it is about being proactive and recognizing our environmental responsibilities.

So what about planting trees in Berlin? Berlin occupies a leading role in sustainability.  Trees along the streets, parks and surroundings give Berlin’s cityscape its character. Companies often engaged in supporting local, regional, and international projects for nature conservation. If you are interested in becoming a trees planter, check our tree planting events. Anyone can become a tree planter, all you have to do is to start planting your first tree.   

Author: Claudia Coral

Pictures:
Indian women: (c) Yann Forget / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-3.0
Celebrating Tu-Bishvat: (c) Ella Novak / CC-BY-2.0