Tree Planting Activity

I like reminiscences.

Not the kind that keeps you up late at night because you need to alter them into written words just to comply a school requirement. Your mind could crack the moment you think of a whole page that you ought to fill with specifics.

It’s not that I can totally relate.

When you reminisce, you get certain thoughts from your brain and try to pack them with much more thoughts from the same brain, of course. Upshots are oftentimes detailed memories from your past experiences together with emotions that can make you happy, sad or whatsoever. The thing is, reminiscing creates feelings that can even help you with your school requirements.

So, here are my specific reminiscences:

It was nearly eight in the morning when I arrived at our school. Our field trip was scheduled that day and the agreed terms were to arrive at the venue before 8 AM or we would walk ourselves back from where we just came from because the trip has just been taken without our beloved presence. I was truthfully glad I made it that early. Moments later, engines started and we were kilometers away from our destination. 

While riding, we made fun by chattering about lighter stuffs.

I spent most of the trip with my eyes fixed on the places we’d passed. It was relieving to notice how green Davao City is by seeing lots of trees, grasslands and mountains along the way. My lungs were freed with fresh air, well, except at frequent times during that ride, I managed inhaling large dust particles included in the air, anyway, it didn’t matter. The sight alone gave me relief which, as a matter of fact, made me hold my breath for quartered seconds.

Later, our jeep took a turn and behold, there we were, safe and alive! Ready to plant trees, not to mention our excitement to take pictures amidst nature’s most picturesque sights.

We arrived at Tamugan River, Calinan after nearly two hours. We were then guided to gather under a santol tree for the orientation. The whole event was a part of DCWD’s launching of Tamugan River Rehabilitation – a step taken by the local government in partnership with the local citizens of Davao City. 

Different speakers from local government units stepped in front to give us insights with regards to the activity.

Meeting active people such as them was motivating. It kept me away from the present norm’s response to activities of this sort which is, sadly, cold. Insights given to us were short but enough to make us commence out Tree Planting Activity. I then found myself walking through wet grassland beside Tamugan River. Earlier, we were handed seedlings of Dao and Mahogany which are varieties of trees that can absorb more water from the ground. I planted three seedlings and hoped that it will grow. Seeing the rapid flow of water from the river gave me the idea why we were planting at that place. Trees are known to help prevent floods by absorbing water. Recent calamities involving too much water everywhere, which literally means flooding, here in Davao City were quite alarming as large number of lives were affected. By planting trees beside rivers, floods can somehow be prevented at a certain time in the future.  I am just so hoping until now that my seedlings will turn to full grown trees.  My mind would have been at peace if I didn’t forget to ask one of the people involved with the program about their further steps after trees have been planted. I would be merrily relieved if they will make some follow ups.

After the tree planting activity, we gave lots of smiles as cameras were taking shots almost everywhere.

It’s great to be involved in such activities especially when pictures were taken afterwards. 

Later on, we ate our lunch at the locality’s gym where presentation relating to Water Management In Davao City was brought to us. Good to know those people are really doing their jobs.

Engines started again and we were heading home. We took different route which was the exact opposite of what we had earlier that day. The view was the same though, except for the air. It was smelly. Our Professor decided to include the route for us to know where the wastes of Davao City were dumped. My concern was in people residing near the dumpsite. They will have that foul smell for the rest of their residing days on that place. I wonder how they managed to stay there.

And the rest was history.

The clock was evident. It’s time to end my reminiscing and start reacting. All of my efforts planting those seedlings will roll to deeps if relevant thoughts would not be gained. I think, by engaging myself to such activity, I was reminded again to be a better caretaker of the environment. The lives of those seedlings aren’t planted on mere soil but in my mind as well. I can help grow a tree inside me by doing my part for the environment’s benefits, even in my own simple ways. I so hope too that the said tree will also grow and its fruits would manifest in my actions.

I’m exceedingly grateful to our Professor, Engr. Ernani Villacencio, for reminding us about how to take good care of the environment.

Home: Earth

               Sometimes I find myself musing about ideas implied in films like 2012 and laugh silently as I often concluded such thoughts were totally silly. I was quite oriented with the belief that it’s simply impossible but as I wandered through deeper understanding about what’s REALLY happening nowadays, I stumbled upon concrete proofs that Earth is drastically facing its own destruction. Studies and computations summed up in Mayan calendar couldn’t convince me still, yet supporting scientific facts and even personal experiences slowly give me goosebumps as it was obviously concluded that human race is highly responsible for it.

                Earth is slowly nailed to its said end as we, humans, are in a hurry to survive to the point that we forgot that real survival lies behind taking care of our only home. All would eventually fall to nothing if the ground to which everything stands collapsed.

                God packed us ample of reasons to wrap delight and fun out of doing our roles as caretakers of Earth. These pleasures are from greeting the early morning sun as its rays gives off specks of rainbows that make a flying flock of birds along a distant horizon technicolored to the complexity of twilight emerged from shadows cast by the moon between chunks of leaves. Even cicadas’ sound at night and dawn’s breath of fresh air hit the benefits of meeting Mother Earth. Yet, the majority of us no more linger on this lighter side of the scene. Instead, they chose to optimized possibilities to the cover up offshoots for their own expense. Soon, the paradise that was meant for us will turn to pandemonium as evil was given miles after miles to rule thousands of minds.

                Various signs of the alleged doom are evident even in newspapers as recent calamities and disasters are taking the front pages. Earthquakes, hurricanes, blizzards, wildfires, tsunamis and even landslides and floods here in the Philippines are only few to top the list. Though most of it were brought by nature itself, it can’t be denied that it was triggered by abused done by humans.

                I, for once, believe that almost everything has an end. Earth, in its glories and parodies is no exception. Humans have to develop ways to optimize the use of anything for better living while possible offshoots of it on the environment are inevitable. It’s just hard to accept that the countdown has been set faster that even the most pessimistic scientist ten years ago couldn’t predict what’s happening now. Humans aren’t limited to do what it wanted provided that any action made must be based on pondered practices or beliefs that we are liable to whatever will happen and that we can’t blame anyone but ourselves if disasters would rise higher than before.

                Constant reminders indeed are needed for us to practice steps that could help. I’m glad that I was able to attend to our class when our teacher showed us a film about Earth and its phases from perfection to degradation. I needed the insights that I had taken from the film to remind myself that I play a vital role in taking good care of Earth and that I’m not just a passerby who appears and disappear without any parts taken on the scene. I want to help, not just to free myself from the burden of human race but also to take what God has commanded upon each and every one of us - to be good care takers of Earth. Doing so would give inward joy that could be an excellent way to make the utmost worship for the Creator.

                Though the end will eventually come at a time in the future, lending my willingness to do my part is a big leap to prolong Earth’s lifespan.