When we (my family and I ) first moved into my current neighbourhood, we were thoroughly impressed with the large trees that formed a beautiful landscape around our place. It did not matter to us that our house will be facing the highway, for the place was serene with many beautiful trees to provide colour, shade and beauty to our neighbourhood.
As the years past by, new neighbours moved into our area and some of them were bachelors/singles who were short termed tenants and did not care much about the long term landscape of our neighbourhood and of course there were others who were simply unappreciative of the beautiful trees around the place and the invaluable contribution that the trees were rendering to us.
Slowly the trees started disappearing. Some neighbours chopped them off for the trees were deemed 'dirtying' their place and others felled the trees for unknown reasons. Some trees were even poisoned.
Apart from a few trees left, the only other beautiful trees that were left were the trees that were planted along the North South Highway fronting our residential property.
About two years ago, some people purporting to be representatives of the North South Highway contractors approached the people in our neighbourhood and enquired that if the North South Highway overlooking our residential properties is to be widened, would we prefer the replanting of new trees as replacement for the trees that will be felled or the placement of a concrete barrier instead.
Needless to say, my immediate neighbour and I said that we wanted new trees to be planted again.
We endured about two years of dust and constant noise pollution, hoping that when the road widening activities are over, new trees will be planted and our place will be ‘green’ again. The thought that the highway had come closer to our houses was annoying but at least we were hoping that , that will be compensated by the arrival of new trees that we were looking forward to.
Now the highway work is over and to our sadness, there are no replacement trees planted to bring some greenery to our place. The place now looks barren, dusty and noisy.
The trees that were planted along the highway not only provided beautiful landscape but they were also excellent buffers that prevented substantial dust particles from entering our houses and reduced certain degree of noise pollution too.
(It is useful to note that a properly-designed buffer of trees and shrubs can reduce noise by about five to ten decibels—or about 50 percent as perceived by the human ear - USDA National Agroforestry Center http://www.agroforestry.net/overstory/overstory60.html.)
Not wanting to wait for those who had promised to plant the trees, we now have planted some trees but however our worries are just beginning. Will these trees grow healthily? Would some irresponsible people destroy them? Would some attempting to park their car in the neighbourhood run over these newly planted trees?
All we can do is just fertilize, water and give these trees the routine care and hope nobody will kill or destroy them.
I am writing this short piece to let all know that if you ever come across little trees planted anywhere in any neighbourhood or by the roadside, please do not do anything to harm them.
These trees could have been planted by some people who had just wanted to do their small part in greening the earth.
Maybe one day these small trees may be big enough to provide shade for a stranger’s car.
And if that ever happens, then perhaps in a small way it can be a contribution to our society.
(Note: I do not know if this article would make any sense to loggers and those who earn a living by destroying our trees and forests)