“New life, in defiance of death.” – Adar, Rings of Power
Alarming headlines one after the other reminding us all about the doom of the Earth, and that it’s the only one we have. And, yes, we are more than obliged to preserve and protect it. Efforts have been spent on studies to try and develop new technologies that could help this home be livable and survive a few more years. But it ultimately goes back to returning nature to its natural state. You guessed it right. Planting trees.
Let’s plant trees, and let’s plant the right way. The Rotaract Club of Dumaguete is lucky enough to cross paths with the famous “Rainforest Hero”, Rene ‘Tatay Ite’ Vendiola. He’s built rainforests patiently for over a decade on his own and has grown at most a million seedlings of native trees that helped restore an ecosystem where rare birds feel safe to reside.
Now, imagine this, he’s just one person with a team that has selfless love for the planet and he’s built something that has impacted collectively not just his own life but the people around him. His advocacy helped paved the way for giving livelihood to his community. Imagine if each one of us could have the same impact and let it ripple.
But this simple solution doesn’t sound as easy. We will need resources and most importantly, awareness. A seedling starts with the knowledge of knowing how to properly grow it, how to properly plant and care for it, and the proper environment to plant each type of tree in to avoid disturbing ecosystems. This tree caring series that the club hopes to continue and get more reach aims to raise that awareness and spread the advocacy to let people understand why tree planting isn’t a one-time thing.
Hearing the awareness lecture directly from Tatay Ite, the Rotaract Club of Dumaguete decided that we are in it for the long haul, and to our surprise, we now have 1 hectare of land a gift from Tatay himself to plant on and make a rainforest out of. The Rotaract Club of Dumaguete has since then dug and planted over 200 plus seedlings and we are aiming for 1000 and more to grow to look back on someday that these dense forests you are seeing are something we helped build.
And this doesn’t end, not here, not ever. As you read this write-up, may this be a sign of some sort of the infamous chained messages that you’ve received. Yes, this will bring a curse, a real one, losing your only home, so please, pass the message on.
