Editorial: Planting trees is just the first step

There is a saying that “a society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in”. There are various versions of this expression, which has been attributed to various people over the centuries.

The expression was originally meant to highlight the importance of long-term planning but the reality is that in this island, stripped of its natural trees, someone needs to reverse the millennia. And the only way to do this is to plant a tree, not for today – but for tomorrow.

Trees provide shade. Their roots bind soil and prevent erosion. They soak up carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen. And, yes, they are a crucial element of nature; the nature that is such an important restorative, reducing our stress, enabling us to stop and take a deep breath, benefitting our mental health.

This is why the feel-good story that 160 schoolchildren planted more than 250 trees in Pembroke last week is so important and merited the spotlight. The event was organised by environmental group Coast is Clear, sponsored by P&O Cruises, in collaboration with the Pembroke local council.

The trees were planted near existing schools and the aim was for the students from the three schools to learn the importance of taking care of the environment. 

This is merely one initiative by Coast is Clear, whose founder and organiser, Mark Galea Pace has been relentless in his efforts to clear up bays and the coastline and to organise tree-planting.

He successfully coordinates efforts involving numerous volunteers, who leave these events with a sense of having made their own little dent in the overwhelming attempt to re-green the island.

Numerous companies sponsor tree-planting, providing finance as well as encouraging their staff to participate. And many other environmental NGOs ensure that these efforts are coordinated and maintained.

Private initiatives are also complemented by government ones: Environment Minister Miriam Dalli said that, during this legislature, around 60,000 trees were planted.

There is also a new Project Green scheme through which the public can apply for tens of thousands of trees to be planted on private land.

Prime Minister Robert Abela has promised new national parks to regenerate areas, while other abandoned ones are being given gardens.

But it is not easy: planting trees is just the first step. To flourish, they need care, not to mention water, and part of sponsorships is dedicated to ongoing maintenance.

All those who contribute to these events face mind-numbing challenges. Saplings are planted and eventually forgotten about. Shrubs are planted and then replaced by urban planning projects. Irrigation pipes are vandalised and trees set on fire.

And, yet, some trees survive long enough to become a part of our landscape, their tall limbs lining our valleys. Others are part of urban fabric, swaying along our roads, providing shade along promenades.

So why are so many torn down from private gardens for construction projects, to make way for parking or to widen roads?

Overseas, trees are treated with great respect and, in some cases, homes allow them to grow up through corridors, restaurant tables surround their trunks and they reach up through hotel atriums.

The only way to ensure that future generations will have more beautiful trees is to instil that respect into our younger generation.

This is why such efforts deserve to be highlighted, to inspire other entities to come forward in the hope that the next generations will be able to sit in the shade.