Editor:
Roy Strang was a well spring of benevolent community caring just like the trees he protected with his wisdom and good sense.
He was an inspiration to my own awareness of their vital importance in so many ways:
1. Trees are the living manifestation of God’s free and abundantly given love: providing us with clean air infused with their anti-pathogens and oxygen; giving us warmth and windbreaks; cooling the planet; serving as water reservoirs and purifiers; giving us much of our healthiest foods and the paper on which we communicate;
2. Proximity to trees speeds our recovery from ailments, improves cognitive functioning, reduces stress and increases our sense of security;
3. Canada’s western trees are an important element in atmospheric weather dynamics as they are sponges storing water for the hydrological cycle.
Their evapotranspiration role is to steadily feed moisture into the air, thus regulating interior rainfall weather patterns. Their overall effect is to reduce drought, hurricanes, tornadoes and wildfires;
4. Trees are homes for wildlife.
God wants us to live harmoniously with all his creation: nature, the dearly beloved precious critters as well as each other. Trees, like other notable influences, exemplify how we are to live.
Just as Jesus did. And Pierre Rovtar, Donna Passmore, Gwen Barlee and now Roy.
Rebecca Lawrence, Surrey
