When you enter a grove peopled with ancient trees, higher than the ordinary and shutting out the sky with their thickly inter-twined branches, do not the stately shadows of the wood, the stillness of the place, and the awful gloom of this doomed cavern then strike you with the presence of a deity?
W Seneca, Philosopher & Vegetarian4BC-65CE
Vegetation: Trees are the Greatest.
Learn to love trees for they like no other living organism on earth spend their entire life in the service of other life forms, whether insect, mammal, bird, or humans like you and me. Trees ask for nothing from you, yet give you their all, their seeds often arriving freely on a breeze, which then germinate and grow clothing the naked landscape, and breathing life into the four corners of our planet?
Vegan and Vegetarians should be the foremost of those who appreciate the value of trees, as they are the biggest tallest and most massive of the species of vegetation. Take good care of your trees, learn to love them, they are put here to be appreciated as clearly the single most important living organisms
on the planet, and for which we should rightly have great respect. From the trees come the fruit that nourishes your cells, the seeds that strengthen your body with their protein, vitamins and trace elements, and also many preparations to heal your illness's.
Teach your children to love the wonderful trees.
Plane Tree: Nightingale woods Bristol
Trees of Life
Even when the last remnants of their decaying trunks return to dust, then from within this apparently lifeless debris, energy released from the valuable elements is then funneled into any seed that has fortuously fallen there, thus trees are virtually everlasting. Trees then have rightly been revered as a universal symbol of everlasting life, of hope, of something distinctly eternal, in fact some specimens that I have been privileged to personally visit are estimated to be between 6-10,000 years old. There is a great deal of evidence to prove that our ancestors once had a real affinity with Trees, and still these wonderful organisms feature in many ancient creation accounts, particularly in the record of the Garden of Eden. This the Bible states was a joyous time, the true paradise when both man and woman were vegetarian and ate and drew sustainance from such lifegiving trees, all except one tree that is!.
In the book of revelation, those in later times who conquer ("keeping the faith till death") are said to gain entry to the trees of life, the leaves being for the healing of the nations.
Tree Huggers
In a hundred years it is estimated that environmental changes we can see emerging all around us will result in catastrophy for all forms of life, hug the trees while you can and percieve their message, for in their silence they teach us a lesson in harmony, in the recycling of resources, and demonstrate to us the vital symbiotic relationship we must maintain with all other animals, so that we ourselves may survive as a species.
Often people who have a high regard for trees are ridiculed as "Tree Huggers" I would welcome such an insult!. I find no problem with giving someone a hug whome I love, and who has done only good toward me, so why not a wonderful tree that gives its whole being in behalf of our continued health and existence.
Above: Chained Oak, Alton Towers.
In a world that cares little about the environmental consequences that will befall our children and their future generations, trees are of little importance to many, for they stand on land that our species wants to exploit... If humans can emulate the message that these the longest living of species convey, we will surely grasp the key to establishing sustainable global harmony. Go on give a tree a hug and learn from it.
Paradise Lost
In our seemingly fallen paradise all is not well with the custodians of the forest in tropical regions. Some indigenous tribes and rain forest people are now becoming infected with our western materialistic illness, and a growing number are starting to develop an appetite for all the things that money can buy, but pursueing this desire always results in dire ecological consequences for the eden they seek to exploit. One of the greatest losses for such places is when the indegious tribes start to lose the respect they once had for the land, the trees, and associated vegetation that once grew there.
The governments of such countries are sometimes headed by people who's main motive in life is the making of more and more money to satisfy a growing materialistic lifestyle. How can governments achieve and maintain the golden materialistic lifestyle of which they have heard, as often they have no coal, no oil, or precious stones, so they can only turn their attention to what is on the land, "which is the trees".
Image above: Vain calls from the forest inhabitants fall on deaf ears.
Clear felling of the ancestral lands by logging companies soon takes place by people who have no concern for the environment, and who are deaf and blind to the vain calls of the creatures from the forests, creatures who are being robbed of there ancient habitats. Such formerly pristine forest is then set to become eventually a barren wilderness, with no meaning for the people, yet this is where millions of animals once rightly existed, and where the forest peoples ancestors not only lived, but revered, and worshiped in for millenia, sadly, never again will the land be veiwed with the same sacredness.
Image right: Tree dwelling frogs look down on the desruction of their habitat.
Once the land is cleared little can then be done with the shallow unstable soil that is left, for it is only fertile for a few years and often soon suffers from erosion. For this short term, if some soil stability can be maintained the land is often turned over to producing palm oil, or beef breeding stock are brought in to supply the burger chains. In the end such farming methods just increase the detrimental impact on the environment.
Why do we still foolishly continue with the clearance of such life-giving rainforest trees and vegetation, when they are not only vital for our human existence, but also for a multitude of other species that depend on them.
It is in the interest of the planet, for those goverments who can, to pay the indigenous tribal people who dwell in these rain forests, to guard and preserve their incredible and irreplaceable paradise, we now look to you goverments to take appropriate measures to protect our last glimpse of Eden, for all of earths future children to inherit.
Trees in Towns and Cities
Trees in the urban environment are also of great importance, they absorb and fix pollutants, they reduce wind turbulence, they cool and provide welcome shade and beauty, that is to name but a few of their many attributes.
Image left: Street Trees shading people from the suns harmful rays, Athens.
I have come across people who have no regard for trees, such people then have no regard for their own life, for in one way or another our very lives are continually sustained by trees.
Particularly in these environmentally cataclysmic times when global warming is a confirmed reality, trees in conjunction with a reduction of CO2 emissions are sited as of prime importance in the battle to combat climate change. If we desire to have a tree killed for no valid reason, then before we touch it we should sit down as a family and carefully consider the implications on the environment, as helping to combat global warming can start with something as simple as planting or preserving even one tree.
Occasionally though decisions have to be made regarding the future of dead, dying, or dangerous specimens in proximity to people or buildings. Those in charge of making such serious decisions should not only have a thorough knowledge of evaluating tree safety, but should also possess a deep and sound respect for them, and how these the greatest specimens of vegetation beneficialy affect our lives.
Image left: Very old Lime trees, at dawn, England.
All through their existence trees perform a vital work for all those who breath, some trees specimens can even produce the daily oxygen requirements of ten people. Therefore we should never consider the removal of any tree without being able to demonstrate that there are ecologically sound, and valid safety reasons for doing so.
Preserving Trees and the Countryside.
Even in Britain we must be ever vigilant to protect out trees which in turn sustain all kinds animals birds and invertebtares. The present housing boom in threatening our wonderful rural heritage and is making the task very difficult for those who love nature and the countryside.
There is a great movement under way to restore some animal species that were formerly extinct back to Britain, we must protect the countryside and try to release more land back to nature. To build even one more house on virgin land is unnecessary, we should start to help reduce not increase human population, so as to protect out the countryside and the creatures who live there, so keep on hugging those trees, and don’t let the greedy little developers destroy what rural heritage we have left.
Looking into Prehistory.
Another reason why our incredible trees deserve appreciation is the message that they hold from the ancient past. Tree rings are an accurate measurement of climate and conditions, and when you walk past a tree perhaps hundreds or thousands of years old, did you ever realise that within them is and invaluable record of of our climate and also information to help us understand our earth more fully.
The science of dating by tree rings is called dendrochronology basically meaning (tree time scale ) and some ancient fossilised specimens such as this one on the right here may be hundreds of millions of years old.
Image right: Prehistoric conifer fossil with rings.
"Our task must be to free ourselves . . . by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty." "Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances of survival for life on earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet." Albert Einstein, physicist, Nobel Prize 1921
then from within this apparently lifeless debris, energy released from the valuable elements is then funneled into any seed that has fortuously fallen there, thus trees are virtually everlasting. Trees then have rightly been revered as a universal symbol of everlasting life, of hope, of something distinctly eternal, in fact some specimens that I have been privileged to personally visit are estimated to be between 6-10,000 years old. There is a great deal of evidence to prove that our ancestors once had a real affinity with Trees, and still these wonderful organisms feature in many ancient creation accounts, particularly in the record of the Garden of Eden. This the Bible states was a joyous time, the true paradise when both man and woman were vegetarian and ate and drew sustainance from such lifegiving trees, all except one tree that is!. 
tive in life is the making of more and more money to satisfy a growing materialistic lifestyle. How can governments achieve and maintain the golden materialistic lifestyle of which they have heard, as often they have no coal, no oil, or precious stones, so they can only turn their attention to what is on the land, "which is the trees". 
Trees in the urban environment are also of great importance, they absorb and fix pollutants, they reduce wind turbulence, they cool and provide welcome shade and beauty, that is to name but a few of their many attributes.
Those in charge of making such serious decisions should not only have a thorough knowledge of evaluating tree safety, but should also possess a deep and sound respect for them, and how these the greatest specimens of vegetation beneficialy affect our lives. 
