The calendar says it’s Tu B’Shvat.

You just might wonder, Tu B’Sh…what?

A new year for trees?  Why make a fuss?

Why are trees so important to us?

 

Trees give wood for houses, bright leaves in the fall,

Shade from the sun and rubber for balls.

They’re a shelter for nests and a stage where birds sing,

Where squirrels hide nuts and monkeys swing.

 

Trees give us apples and peaches and pears,

They provide beds for owls and bears.

They produce almonds, bananas and berries,

Oranges, grapefruits, mangoes and cherries,

Spices and coffee, chestnuts and kiwi,

Vanilla and chocolate and sassafras tea,

Paper and pencils and Popsicle sticks,

Flowers and medicines for when we get sick.

 

Trees help us breathe, yes they do!

And they have bark, but they don’t bark at you!

Birch, beech, oak, elm, evergreen,

Larch, palm, willow and Indian bean.

Sequoia and redwood and hickory and cedar.

Use the tree in your backyard to hang a bird feeder!

 

To celebrate trees is more than fair,

So let’s wish them all a happy New Year.


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