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conscious living: [fire] trees aplenty

Have you seen UP Diliman lately?

I was there yesterday to enroll for my penalty course (booo!) and I saw how a few days of rain transformed the school grounds from being dry and brown (because of El Nino) to becoming fresh and green once again. Plus, thanks to the many fire trees in the campus, this is also the time of the year when UP is colored in a vibrant shade of orange! I remember reading a blog which likened the orange fire trees of UP to the pink cherry blossoms of Japan. Interesting comparison… I don’t mean to exaggerate, but driving and walking around the school yesterday was such a joy.

If there’s anything I love the most about my school, it would b the abundance of trees–the canopy of acacia trees around the academic oval, the narra trees and their fragrant flowers during summer, and the bright and colorful fire trees.

Apart from making a place fresh, cool and pretty, trees, especially in the urban setting, provide more important benefits. Studies show that the presence of green spaces provide restorative experiences, stress reduction, better worker attitude and well-being, reduced domestic conflict, less school aggression and conflict, and better learning abilities. These are the reasons why parks, gardens and other green spaces should be included in any community. Click HERE to read more on the benefits of urban nature.