I look at the trees swaying in the breeze. The trees calm my spirit and soothe me. I look at the towering concrete buildings. The buildings stare at me and I feel no warmth. They say it takes a Christmas tree 5 to 15 years to grow to full maturity, and 60 to 80 years for a tree to grow up to 100 feet tall. It takes only a few hours to fell one though. In the name of progress, we are killing our environment. There is a lovely mulberry tree growing near my apartment. Some of the branches of the tree rest their limbs on my second-floor balcony. I pluck the juicy, dark red mulberries and pop them straight into my mouth. They are truly delicious. I am not the only one who thinks they are delicious. Every morning my melodious alarm clock goes off – the blending of Koel, Barbet, and Drongo (and once even a golden Oriole) in the Mulberry tree, each trying to outdo the other. They feast on the mulberries and rest awhile once their stomachs are full. There is a huge mango tree across the apartment. Parrots dart in and out of the mango leaves. They feel safe because they have a roof over their heads. When we cut our trees, where do our birds go? When we destroy our forests, where does our wildlife go? When we fill our lakes, where does our sea life go? When we......., where…….? When we……., where…….? I am sure we can build (concrete structures) and also protect (our environment). Even as an individual: build some, protect some. Trees are our lifeline because they purify the air we breathe. Notwithstanding ongoing pressures in the name of “progressive development of mankind”, we should exercise good judgment and restraint whenever we fell our trees.