Speaking of Trees

While those who know me may not believe it, I do consider myself a tree person. I may not be much of an outdoor person (sunburns, asthma, and all of that), but I do love to look at a pretty tree and hear the wind blow through its leaves.

One of the things I liked about my bedroom back when I was in high school and university was that as it was in the attic, I felt like I was almost living in the tree that grew outside my window. And when I lived in London, Ontario, our apartment on the 21st floor gave me a beautiful view across the "Forest City". Our last apartment was near Toronto's High Park, and it almost felt like we lived in the woods. Sadly, in our new home, in a new development, the trees aren't much taller than I am.

Toronto isn't the only city where trees are cleared to make room for new developments (not that there are a lot of trees to begin with). Rob Woutat writes in the Kitsap Sun about clear cutting in his area: Who Speaks for the Trees? We Should.

As an aside, Toronto offers free tree planting of native trees. If you are a tree person too, find out if your city offers a similar program and plant a tree in your own backyard. Not only will you make the world a prettier place, trees help keep down heating and cooling bills.