Save the Planet, and My Truffula Tree!

April 22, 2009

“I am the Lorax.  I speak for the trees.” –Dr. Seuss

“But those trees! Those trees! Those Truffula Trees!

All my life I’d been searching for trees such as these.

The touch of their tufts was much softer than silk.

And they had the sweet smell of fresh butterfly milk.”

(Dr. Seuss, in The Lorax)

This is my very own Truffula Tree

Please take a moment to notice the small, greenish-blue bird perched on one of the branches near the middle. He was one of about ten different birds, of various vibrant colors, who visited this tree in a matter of minutes, while I took pictures of it. Aside from the stunning little birds, there were bees in almost every blossom.

Yeah, that’s right… the birds AND the bees were mingling in this tree right in front of me!

I think most people consider that this is a water apple tree (a certain kind of apple in Costa Rica that tastes, well… like water.) But I know better. I know this is the very tree Dr. Seuss had in mind when he wrote The Lorax. This is the tree that is home to many amazing species of animals. I am so lucky to have one… but only one. It sits on my dad’s farm, in Costa Rica’s southern zone.

Today, Earth Day, would have been my dad’s 64th birthday. When I remember him I think of this tree, and the many others that sit on his 50 acres at the foot of Chirripo Mountain, and how much he loved this land. He loved it for the views, the climate, the fruit trees, the wild life, and the sense of peace he felt when he was there.

What is to Become of My Truffula Tree Now?

My brother recently took Jeff and me to see the farm and figure out what our options are. Should we move there? Do we want to develop the land and sell it off? Can we rent it out to someone? We talked to some of the neighbors and others in the region who had similar properties in order to get ideas. We got a lot of ideas.

In the end, we settled on our favorite… we plan to use part of it for a government assisted reforestation project, and we will have the wilder part designated as a Biological Reserve to protect the natural habitat of some of the southern zone’s endangered species. We will still have access to the house, but the remainder of the property will be doing its part to Save the Planet.

So, in the spirit of Earth Day and wonderful memories of Costa Rica, I thought I would provide a couple of links in case YOU feel inspired to do a little something to help the planet too. You could volunteer your time to do some hands-on work with the Cloudbridge Reforestation Program. Or, if you prefer, you can always donate funds to the Ecology Fund, which has all sorts of ways to help save the planet. I am not affiliated with either of these programs in any way, nor do I stand to benefit personally from your efforts or contributions… except that the Truffula Tree you are saving may be my very own.

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” –Dr. Seuss

Are you doing something special to help save the planet? Do you have suggestions for the rest of us?

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