In the 4H Club, we learned about and developed a respect for nature, for all living things. One of our preoccupations was tree conservation. We were made aware of the importance of respecting the environment. Over the years, I remained attentive to nature’s call and I cultivated the love of life, and of life in abundance! Nature has always been a place where I can recharge my batteries. But today, what is becoming of our planet?

What happens to life when our forests are burned down, and our rivers and lakes, even the beautiful Saint- Lawrence, have become garbage dumps? Our country is rich in fresh water and we use this water without a thought to the future, like any other overexploited natural resource. And yet we know that this trea sure is exhaustible. Our solidarity with other peoples has made us aware of the situation of women and children who walk for kilometres to draw their daily reserve of water at the cost of immense effort!

The summer season gives us the chance to get back to nature, to taste the joy of feeling surrounded by life, peace and calm, away from our bustling cities. Let us listen as a witness to our sick planet as she speaks:

O great oak tree, so proud and strong, tell us about your life. You seem so solitary.

I was planted in the soil of this marvellous planet at the same time as an infinite number of brothers. Our leaves pro tec ted the smaller trees from the harsh rays of the sun. The wind, the birds, and the bees all contributed to our reproduction by spreading our pollen. Now that I am the only one of my kind left in this valley, how will I be able to reproduce, to ensure the survival of my family? At the end of our yearly cycle, we fertilized our habitat with our leaves: they enriched the soil that conserved the humidity it needed during the dry spells. Little rodents gathered our acorns in fall to help them make it through the winter.

During my life as a great plant, I saw my fellow oak trees disappear one by one. Man needs us trees and we are proud to help him out. Do you see my leaves? If they don’t look young, don’t put it down to my age, because I renew them every spring. Harsh winters don’t scare me: I may look dead but I live within. I silently get ready to welcome the spring sunshine, and my sap runs anew. I offer myself to Man’s service, and my pride is to know that I’m useful! All my neighbours have succumbed to a sad fate. I needed their company to be able to resist the sun’s burning rays. Alone, I can no longer absorb all the carbon dioxi de. Acid rain and toxic gases prevent me from keeping my beautiful green leaves, the sign of my vitality.

What happened to your friends?

It happened many years ago. I found out from those who went before me… Man took what suited him. We felt we were being useful to him to cook his food, build his houses and furniture, and warm him self in the cold season. Then one day, Man came with his powerful machines and he spared nothing, not even the little ones! It seems Man had more important needs… But Man forgot about the future.

And how is it that you were spared from the “clear cutting”?

As you can see, it’s the stream nearby that saved my life. I can tell you quite frankly that people really did try to plant other trees. But we’ll have to be patient, because the natural environment where we grow has suffered serious damage. We were injured right down to our roots. And we’re not used to the chemical substances we have to absorb. Since the ozone layer was destroyed, the saplings have had trouble surviving to maturity. On top of that, with global warming, insects have come up from the south and invaded the young buds. Insects are useful for our ecosystem: they help to oxygenate the soil, feed the predators and spread pollen from the plants that feed and shelter them. But since the insects from the south have no predators, their over-proliferation has become harmful… Nothing is perfect!, as the fox in the Little Prince would say.

Long ago, the stream gurgled at my feet and refreshed me… Today, its cool mountain water is quickly warming up. Algae are taking over and the foreign bodies piling up in it are killing off the amphibians and other aquatic animals: they can no longer get enough oxygen to survive! And that’s how I came to be so alone. Luckily, the sound of birds singing still cheers me up; at night, I shelter them. But they also complain: their sometimes melancholic songs express their own difficulty to survive; their feathers have lost their lustre. In spite of everything, they struggle on with their mission to give joy, constantly adap - ting to all the whims of the changing climate. In their own way, they tell us that life is worth protecting…

We could keep listening to this great sage for a long time. Today, why not say YES to our planet and commit ourselves un - com promisingly to its survival? It needs us. If during the summer season, every one of earth’s citizens did a little something for the environment, millions of I LOVE YOUs would be sent to the earth… Are we not responsible for the vast universe that the Creator so freely gave us?