BY: Hayah Bahroni
“He who plants a tree, plants a hope” – Lucy Larcom
Nature is God’s most beautiful creation. It facilitates the growth, development and nourishment of all its creatures.
In order to pay tribute to our country on the 75th Independence Day of Pakistan, Team Save Dreams hosted a plantation drive on 13 August, 2022 in collaboration with Environment Wing of Capital Development Authority and Team Wefixers under the banner “Muhm Shajr-e-Sayadar”. Considering the manifold benefits of trees, including that they provide us with oxygen, have given rise to sustenance, absorb unpleasant odors as well as harmful gases from the air and filter it, protect us from dangerous ultra-violet rays, provide us with food, give shelter to various species of animals; and the pivotal role played by trees in preventing soil erosion, maintaining ecological balance and most importantly in reducing the effects of global warming and environmental changes, made us realize that it was about time that we initiate a project preserving the beauty of our capital city, Islamabad.
The drive “Muhm Shajr-e-Sayadar” was inaugurated in the presence of Miss Javeria Maqbool, Deputy Director Environment Wing, CDA. A total of 150 trees, including Lagerstroemia Indica, Pongamia Pinnata commonly known as Sukh Chayn, Bauhinia Variegata and Cassia Fitsula, were planted by the 15 enthusiasts of two teams at the event site; the grounds of Convention Center, Islamabad. 50 of these were provided to us by Team WeFixers and 100 were provided by CDA Environment Team, who not only allotted us the site to carry out the event smoothly, but also provided us with their team of professional gardeners.
A Letter of Gratitude was also presented by our team to Miss Javeria Maqbool who in return honoured our team members namely; Hayah Bahroni, Rafia Ali, Ayesha Siddique, Noor-ul-Huda, Omama Basit, Mohammad Ibrahim, Abdullah Siddique, Humayal Ahmed and Qasim Waqar; with Letters of Appreciation acknowledging our hard work towards this noble cause.
Ecological disruptions or imbalances can lead to droughts, flooding and numerous other calamities and natural disasters that can cause immense harm and destruction to life and property alike, which is why it is imperative that we save trees and conserve them, so as to be able to maintain a balance in the ecosystem and ensure overall health and harmony. To make that happen, we must plant more and more trees to neutralize the damage already done. It’s about time that we all break the mold and start planting because the solution to saving Mother Earth; which is being destroyed at the hands of its own children by deforestation, littering and spilling oils & fuels into its once clear rivers and oceans; is to grow trees. Today, let us all make a pledge that we will actively contribute in giving rise to a healthy, green, clean, prosperous and self-dependent Pakistan, and that we will take at least one small step to protect our environment by PLANTING TREES. Let’s all Save Trees and Save Dreams.