Spring has come early, and with it the urge to sink seeds into warm Earth.
Of course, no matter how many leaves adorn our eager trees, I’ve learned this lesson before: never plant before Mother’s Day in Minnesota. Even then, exercise caution and hold most things off until Memorial Day. Ours is a short growing season.
To satisfy my gardening spirit, I’ve been enjoying a book where planting is a revolutionary act. Wangari’s Trees of Peace: A True Story from Africa has both my daughters demanding to plant trees this year.
Wangari’s Trees of Peace imparts the true story of one little girl who leaves the forests and farms of her youth to study in America, returning to find the trees gone, the fields barren, and the birds lost.
What is a girl to do when her land’s trees have been eliminated to make room for buildings? She must start at the beginning, and that is exactly what Wangari did. Beginning with 9 seedlings in her own back yard, Wangari grew a movement. She started a nursery for trees, educated her neighbors about the value of trees, and paid them for successful transplants.
My daughters are infatuated with the way Wangari’s idea spread from woman to woman in a movement that restored the forests of Kenya. They are horrified by a couple of pages depicting Wangari as she defends old trees from government officials who would cut them down, but the lesson is worth teaching:
And still she stands tall.
Right is right, even if you’re alone.
This book gave us an opportunity to talk about the Nobel Peace Prize as well. Wangari Maathai was awarded the prize in 2004 because of her work with The Green Belt Movement.
Wangari herself is pictured on the Nobel Peace Price front page. Miss First Grader enjoyed looking at pictures of this year’s Nobel Laureates. Older children might enjoy playing some of the many games in the educational portion of the site.
We also used this opportunity to talk about Arbor Day and plan a few additions to our own backyard. Visit the National Arbor Day Foundation for more information, or become a member and receive 10 Free Trees!
If nothing else, celebrate wild spaces near you by spending time in the woods. Trees can be surprisingly entertaining playmates.
