The calendar says it’s Tu B’Shvat.
You just might wonder, Tu B’Sh…what?
A new year for trees? Why make such 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,
And all kinds of medicine for when we get sick.
We need trees to inhale our CO2.
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!
Now that we know there are so many reasons.
We can celebrate trees for all of the seasons.
They give us so much that we hold dear,
Let’s wish them all a happy New Year.
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