The silent supporters... trees

The holy month of Ramadhan is almost reaching its finale. People have completed more than three weeks of fasting. New thoughts and habits could have been formed by now.

People have already been thinking beyond themselves, as there is an urge within to be giving. The month also creates the ambience to focus on ways we can contribute to society.

A friend of mine has been concerned about a bunch of trees that have been drying up because she felt they were not getting enough water. I agreed with her on each individual adopting a tree to water it in its own natural space. “They are big trees,” she prompted.

“That’s why we will go there and water them,” I suggested.

A week later, she sent the pictures of the trees and said they were being watered again, and they looked fresh.

She said she drove by the trees and found most of them had revived, and only a few were striving to revive. She was sure they had started watering them because she could see the moisture in the soil and found it moist. Likewise, she was relieved.

It is a good gesture to protect and conserve the environment by planting more trees wherever possible, she had reflected.

Trees played a prominent role in my childhood, especially one particular jackfruit tree next to the bedroom window. The garden was full of trees that had distinct personalities. Trees are silent, but you can hear them when the wind blows. The dry leaves sound different from the green leaves. Sometimes they whisper, and at other times the rustling makes you wonder how long the wind has travelled to reach here.

We have a cousin who used to be so good at climbing trees that we almost nicknamed him Tarzan. The bark of the trees varies just like the leaves. A distinct one is the guava tree. As I grew older, I found how its leaves are important as much as the fruits. And then I came across the guava leaf tea.

They play host to birds and other animals. When summer arrives, trees are much in demand for their shade. So a driver will go to any extent to secure the shaded parking the tree provides completely free of charge.

Oman introduced me to a totally different tree - the frankincense tree. The tree was steeped in history grows wild in Wadi Dawka in Dhofar Governorate, which is now a Unesco World Heritage Site.

Unesco states, ”Wadi Dawka is an outstanding example of the growth of the Frankincense tree (Boswell is sacra) from which the resin was produced, collected and traded.”

A tree was actually a reason behind economic power. The societies, once upon a time, revolved around it. The resin of this tree was one of the most precious commodities that travelled across the globe.

Was watching a Far Eastern series, and one of the main characters talked about his plans to travel to Mirbat. And you know what was available in Mirbat.

Unesco describes, “The successive ports of Khor Rori (4th Century BC to 5th Century AD) and Al Baleed (8th till 16th Century AD) and Al Baleed (8th Century till 16th Century AD) and an outpost close to the Great Desert Rub Al Khali, Shisr, about 170 km inland, represent uniquely the distribution of frankincense which was produced in the wadis of the coastal hinterland. All three sites were exceptionally fortified.”

Then there is the fruit tree found in Oman and across the region that is most valued - the date palm tree. Every part of the date palm is used with a purpose. Oman’s Million Date Palm Project has 11 farms in different regions, such as Ibri, Nizwa, Al Safa and other places.

They bring a distinct glory to this crop that is highly respected for its nutritional value.

As climate change alters weather patterns, trees could be one of the solution providers. But this time around, we might have to be directly involved.

This year during this month, the Environment Authority conveyed a message to the whole community - let us cooperate in protecting the environment from pollution and let us dispense with plastic and sources that pollute the environment.

Plant a tree, reap the reward.

Imagine the benefits of planting fruit bearing trees. The Acacia tree has been a shelter for so many living things for centuries. It just takes a little bit of our time to find the place to plant a tree, with all the benefits such as regulating air quality, contributing towards energy savings and sequestering carbon.