Biologists, ecologists, foresters, and naturalists increasingly argue that trees speak, and that Humans can learn to hear this language.
Trees speak constantly, even if quietly, communicating above the ground and underground using sound, scents, signals, and vibes.
Trees are naturally networking, connected with everything that exists, including you.
If you have ever walked in a forest on a breezy or windy day, you have probably experienced that bit of an unsettling feeling that says to you that the trees are talking above your head.
Much like the trees in the film the Wizard of Oz or in the film Lord of the Rings (The Two Towers), the trees surrounding you on your walk seem to be whispering to each other about the propriety of your presence.
Forests are the key to combating rural poverty, ensuring food security, providing livelihoods, supplying clean air and water, maintaining biodiversity, and mitigating climate change.
Progress is being made toward better worldwide forest conservation but more must be done, given the importance of forests to Human survival.
Forests are habitats to millions of animals and support numerous ecosystems. About 90% of all of the Earth species live in forests.
Animals such as lizards, snakes, turtles, crocodiles, alligators, insects, birds, butterflies and monkeys among other wild animals such as lions and leopards all live in the forests or within the rivers and streams in forest areas.
Therefore, these animals form their food chains in the forests by interacting with each other in their respective physical environments which creates an ecosystem.
Healthy ecosystems are critical for the flourishing of the animal lives.
In addition, 300 million people live in forests, including 60 million indigenous people. Yet, we are losing them.
Between 1990 and 2015, the World lost some 129 million ha of forest, an area the size of South Africa.
When we take away the forest, it is not just the trees that go. The entire ecosystem begins to fall apart, with dire consequences for all of us.