There are many ecological reasons to preserve trees. They provide shelter to animals, regulate soil fertility , and are vital to combatting the climate crisis because they absorb greenhouse gasses.
People all over the globe have deep cultural connections to trees, forests, and other natural resources.
Irish fairy trees
It’s not uncommon to find lone hawthorns dotted across fields in Ireland. Some farmers won’t fell these wild trees down because of a superstition that dates back to prehistoric times, when pagans worshiped nature. The sacred hawthorn was believed to be a symbol of fairies who could bring bad luck on those who wronged it.
But that doesn’t stop many others from enjoying its white blooms in May and June. Traditionally, people bring a hawthorn branch back to their gardens around this time of year to decorate with egg shells and blossoms.
Amazon’s’mother of Trees’
Trees like this Samauma in Amazon can have cultural importance to communities around the world
The Samauma is a tree found in the Amazon. Sometimes called the Kapok, is known as the “mother of all trees” among Indigenous groups.
This tree stands tall at 60 meters (197 ft) and watches over the rainforest like a mother. Many believe that the Samauma is a link between our world and a divine universe.
The tree is primarily used for its wood, its cotton-like fibers which wrap around its seeds, and its medicinal properties. It is also used as a communication device. The noise is echoed throughout the forest if you hit the roots and trunk.
The Samauma, like other Amazon species, is under threat from illegal loggers as well as forest fires.
Ghaf trees are a symbol of peace
Ghaf trees can remain green even in harsh desert environments
The drought-tolerant Ghaf tree can be found in several arid regions, including the Arabian Peninsula, Western Asia and the Indian subcontinent.
But the United Arab Emirates (UAE) sees it as such a vital “symbol of stability and peace” that the country declared it the national tree.
Ghaf, which is resistant to even the harshest desert environments has been a part and parcel of traditional life for locals. The leaves can be eaten by humans, while the branches are preferred by livestock. It has medicinal properties. The UAE protects the tree from being cut.
The tree of Enlightenment
Popular pilgrimage spot is Bodhi Tree in Bodh gaya, India.
The central role of the Bodhi (or Bo tree) in Buddhist tradition is crucial. Buddha was said to have achieved enlightenment when he meditated for 49 days under this sacred Bodhi tree in Bodh gaya, India.
Bodhi trees are found all over the world, but it is tradition to plant them in Buddhist temples. Bodhi Trees in Bodh gaya have become a popular pilgrimage spot. The original Bodhi tree under which Buddha sat is no longer alive, but devoted Buddhists can visit a tree thought to be its descendant.
Sacred Kenyan forests
Remains of traditional Mijkenda villages can be found in the sacred Kaya Forests
The sacred Mijkenda Kaya Forests extend 200 km (124 miles) along Kenya’s coast. These sites were home to the Mijkenda people, who built their villages or kayas there as far back 16 centuries ago. However, they were abandoned by them in the 1940s and replaced with nearby towns.
Councils of elders preserve the remains of ancestral homes to preserve holy groves, holy graves, and other sites of spiritual importance.
The forests are not just home to the kayas. Forest guardians are also protected by the forest’s trees from the adverse effects of climate change, such as flooding and landslides. But the protectors say the forests are facing another danger from mines.
The guardians worry not only about the fates of the forests, but also about their own fate as mine waste pollutes local water supplies. Thomson Reuters Foundation
Edited by Jennifer Collins