Leaves Will Fall

Leaves Will FallHave you ever seen a tree? And no, I don’t mean just seeing one as you drive down the highway. I mean have you ever really looked at one? Watched as the leaves fell, as the branches sagged with the weight of snow, as forests started to look like a barren wasteland, even though there’s still dozens of trees there? But then, when the next winter crashes in, there’s… fewer trees? And they start to decrease more and more each time you visit the forest, until it’s no longer a forest. It’s just a small clearing, with a few bushes here and there. The beautiful, wide-spread forest that you came to love is gone. The logs sold off, leaves decomposed into the soil you step on now. And you keep standing there, wondering, ‘where did the trees go? Why have they been cut down? What happened to the animals that lived and thrived here?’ Well, I am here to answer those questions -and more- as best as I can. To show you the path we’re going on right now, the choices we are making right now? These aren’t the best things to be doing if we want a better future for the world. 
    To start, let’s talk about how trees come to be. How do they grow? Why is it so important that they grow? That’s what this passage is for. Of course, most trees have to start with a base or a seed. Like other plants, trees need sunlight, water, soil, and nutrients to grow. And over time, different parts of the tree will use these materials to help itself grow. The roots of the tree absorb water and nutrients from the soil, while the crown uses the water, nutrients, and sunlight to produce sugar for helping with tree growth. And as they grow, they extend upwards, going higher and higher. And surprisingly, there’s a process they have to go through to be able to grow higher. Trees (and most other plants) detect gravity using tiny structures within the cells of their roots and shoots called ‘statoliths’, which tell them which way is up (a process known as ‘gravitropism’). These pocket-shaped structures are also responsible for storing the plant’s food (in the form of starch).
Statoliths are drawn by gravity towards the bottom of their cell, telling the tree that this direction is down. The tree responds by growing its roots downwards and shooting upwards. If, however, the tree were blown onto its side, the statoliths would shift and settle against whichever part of the cell was now facing downwards. The tree would then use this information to reorient itself and continue to grow its shoots vertically. Cool right? It’s really interesting to hear that trees are pretty much just as balanced (if not more balanced) as we humans are. But, fun facts aside, it’s time to dig a bit deeper. Into why trees are so important, and why we need them to survive. 
    Trees are a worldwide resource. A part of the beauty that is nature. But, they don’t last forever, nor do they have an infinite source. (Although lot’s of the world seems to think it does). And each part of the tree is equally important for us, and for the health of the world. From the roots that dig into every square inch of the dirt, to the leaves that sway in each morning breeze. They are all equally beneficial to every living thing. They give us oxygen, store carbon, stabilize the soil and give life to the world's wildlife. They also provide us with the materials for tools and shelter. Without these beautiful stalks of life, so many things would be unavailable to us, because we wouldn’t be here in the first place. We literally aren’t able to live without trees, because they provide us with clean, filtered air to breathe. Without that, we would die, due to the air being too dirty and having too much carbon dioxide and not enough oxygen. So… how do we fix this? How do we stop these things from happening? Can we stop these things from happening at all? Are we doomed to a future in which trees disappear, and humans become extinct? 
    Well, those questions have varied answers. For the last one, I… don’t know for sure. We can’t exactly predict everything that will happen in the future, despite how advanced we have become. But for the other questions, I do have an answer! And that answer is, that with lots of help and cooperation from everyone, along with the following ideas, I think we could start making big steps toward making the Earth an amazing place once again. 
    The idea I have would be to simply plant trees. Find the lands that turned barren and plant seeds. Birch, Pine, Willow, Sycamore! Plant them all! Use your hands to restore the leaves that you once stepped on. Watch as the soil becomes covered in roots and small twigs, as the forests you thought would never return come back in masses. Place each seed, and let mother nature pave a path for each of them. And now, you don’t visit alone, and you don’t visit just to look, ethier. You go places with many, and you go to plant. You hang around as children come and go, climbing up the tall stalks and looking down at the world from their places in the sky. As adults walk around, each making a path of their own, each enjoying the beautiful scenery just like you. You realize that as these forests have grown, so have you. You have changed the world, and inspired others to do the same, even if you don’t see it now. You have helped shift the future, if only just a bit. And you are proud of the community you- and so many others -have created. And that is the beauty of nature. Because you are nature, and the world is your roots. And your leaves will fall, yes, but they will grow back, bigger and prettier than ever. So enjoy the soil that you have stepped on, the sunlight that you see with every blink, and the calm that you feel each time you breathe until you can’t enjoy it anymore.

 

AvAfIInT

VT

16 years old