Planting the trees of love
It was a Thursday morning unlike others. Instead of going about their usual weekday affairs, a group of volunteers from BW Monastery turned up on 21 July 2022 at Marsiling Park bright and early to help fight climate change and do their part to provide habitat and food for wildlife.
As part of BW Monastery’s Double Happiness 2022 event which celebrates both the 20th anniversary of its establishment in Singapore and the country’s 57th National Day in August, the organising committee worked with the National Parks Board (NParks) to hold a tree-planting event aimed at raising awareness and appreciation of the need for more trees in our environment.
A total of 40 organising committee members and volunteers were first given a briefing by the NParks team on the most efficient and effective way to plant a tree. From the use of a changkol to dig a tree hole to rolling the tree into it and putting it securely in its place, no details were spared. Then off the BW Monastery team went, excitedly and enthusiastically to start work on their allocated spots that will house their trees.
The BW Monastery team worked in pairs and supported one another to plant 20 trees at Marsiling Park facing the main road. Kudos to the team undeterred by the bright, scorching sun and with much team work, the tree-planting activity was completed in about an hour.
This was followed by the NParks team’s sharing of more information about the species of the trees that were planted and a closing speech by Boon Chuan Bok, President of BW Monastery, and Tan Tong Eng, Director of the monastery’s Education Department. During their delivery, the president and director spoke of the importance of protecting our planet and providing a resilient environment conducive to biodiversity.
President Boon also quoted Teacher Zhen Ru as saying that by influencing others through our well-meaning actions to care about both the environment and wildlife, we can make an incredible impact on the world around us. Director Tan added that no matter how small our act may seem, our virtuous intent of greening the environment and offering a resting place for small insects or birds cannot be underestimated. For in our dedication of merits from this tree-planting exercise to all sentient beings, we hope to be able to connect everyone with this continuous path of doing good for others and our environment.
This act of protecting our planet earth as well as providing habitat and food for wildlife is not an overnight fix. It requires ongoing education, awareness building and collaborative effort. As the Chinese saying “前人种树，后人乘凉” goes, without the trees that a previous generation has planted, the subsequent generation would have no shade to rest upon.
We must take the first steps to protect our planet earth. Only then can our future generations continue in our footsteps to build a sustainable environment for the benefit of all.
