on ragged leaves and brittle twigs

So while being bored and walking at the garden around our house, i chanced to see and stumbled upon these rare treasures.. on a small kalamansi tree (i am not quite sure if i should call it a tree since it's only about one foot tall, anyhoo, since I've already qualified it as small, so I'll let it be a tree), I've noticed two brown caterpillars (both have white bands and a small projections around their soft bodies) secured on the the leaf axils of the leafless tree. Seeing their dire situation, having left with no leaves to eat and being exposed to a number of detrimental factors, my mind raced on strategies to save them. I pondered that since i found them in a kalamansi tree (a leafless tree at that), if ever I'd rescue them and put them into safety, i ought to ward them in yet another kalamansi tree (God, I can hardly believe myself to have such logic. *laughs*).

Then, i remembered that we've got this tall kalamansi tree near our gate. Without thinking twice, i lowered myself and with the aid of a small stick that i found in the stack of rotting leaf litters, i slowly picked up the bigger one, careful not to puncture its mushy body. Slowly, i stood up and walked briskly towards my target while keeping watch on the fragile individual on the stick. Once there, I've strategically put the little organism on the apex of a small branch where leaves were lush and where I can always see them every time I check. After which, i rushed to get the smaller caterpillar. Again, I put it at the apex of a branch adjacent to that of the other caterpillar. And so, they're set. Confident that they'll be just fine in their places, I continued to marvel around our garden and set off for another enriching, novel, and heroic adventure. But after a few minutes of walking and stopping over seemingly interesting things, I got tired and thought that I guess God wouldn't mind me resting. Besides, I've already had my share of heroic stunt for the day.

Days passed and I've come to forget about my little caterpillars. Then, earlier this day, a butterfly, sporting vivid yellow green and black wings, flew in front of me. Right then and there, I was reminded of the caterpillars I've saved a few days ago. With a sudden burst of excitement and euphoria, and with a camera in hand, i rushed to see and take a picture of them ( sadly, my cam's battery was about to get depleted, so i rushed to take their pictures and ended up with this ludicrous image [see picture at the left]). Among the raggedly eaten leaves and about to drop its share of excreta to nourish the soil, i saw one of them. On the other branch, however, I was astonished to see how one have grown so fast and so big even for only a couple of days. Smiling, I took a photo (the one you see here) and rushed back home to prepare to go to work. It's already 9:00 in the morning and I am friggin one hour late for work. But who would mind being late? For these two mushy and frail caterpillars, I'm their savior and hero, and for that, I'm one proud papa.

And so I arrived at work at exactly 9:57a.m., very, very late but was really exuberant and filled with good aura nonetheless.. I am so excited to the prospect of having those caterpillars undergo drastic change in morphology through metamorphosis and eventually become a full-pledged butterfly, ready to struck the world in awe and marvel over its flamboyant wings and charm every organism with its subtle and care-free flight.

Our Life-Blood

The forest is an integral part of the earth’s ecosystem and holds great responsibility in the maintenance of its balance. It has long been a resource that is of great significance to man and his proliferation on earth. The forest has been, and continues to be, one of man’s sources of food – be it plant materials or meat; natural products that may be used as dyes, flavorings, fragrances, stimulants, hallucinogens, insecticides, poisons, and as therapeutic agents; raw material for paper manufacture; and mostly, a source of lumber for his shelter.

Nowadays, with the world and its inhabitants being threatened by climate change, the forest’s (specifically, trees’ and other floras’) ecological role enters. It is a fact that where vegetation is lush, it can convert large amount of carbon dioxide (one of the most prominent of the greenhouse gases) into oxygen, and thus tagged as the “lungs of the earth”. It also houses wide arrays of flora and fauna that are either endemic and/or diverse, which are there for the pleasure and “disposal” of mankind. Also, it is valued for their capacity to regulate water vapor, control drought, erosion, and flooding, and the recycling of nutrients as well.

And yet through all of these blessings bestowed by the forests upon man, he exploits this resource with utmost carelessness and an unbelievable ignorance of what his actions may result to. He dares to cut trees extensively, again for his benefits – to meet the demands for lumber, raw material for paper, and to plant crops that are basal to his diet. With these, man depletes and destroys not only the forests but also leaves its residents bereft of their habitats, displacing them to places that are deficient in food and suitable shelter, and may eventually lead to their death. This distracts the stability and equity of the entire ecosystem, causing imbalance. This imbalance may lead to an undesirable and potentially perilous change – a change that more or less will lead to the annihilation of man and the death of all life forms on the earth.

To facilitate and rescue the rapidly diminishing forest cover, man should conduct activities that will augment the restoration and expansion of the previously cut and lost trees. Man should rather conduct tree growing activities instead of tree planting. He should be able to replace the cut trees with a seedling/sapling (preferably of the same species) right after logging. He must be aware and be able to share this awareness to other people. Lawmakers should pass laws that are more environment-friendly and that are more inclined to the conservation and protection of our environment. To sum it up, he must be sensitive enough of his actions and be held accountable of every problem his actions may and will inflict.

Sadly, though there are measures and advocacies done to conserve and protect our forest, it seems insufficient and inefficient. Perhaps, it is because man’s interests goes in conflict with these measures. The laws are there but either the gravity of the penalties is inconsequential or its implementation is inept.

But even through all of these, I believe that there is still hope for our forest. I am still positive of what man can do, especially when the need arises. I trust that a man makes a difference; in fact, only a man can make a difference! I still believe that he will be able to reverse the adverse effects of his deeds. And that his help, with an alliance to the forests’ capacity to mend itself, together, they will flourish and stand tall.