Tu B'Shvat

On this Tu B'Shvat, the New Year of the Trees, let's give some thought to the importance of trees in our world today.

We know that forests are the lungs of the earth, converting the carbon dioxide that we produce into the oxygen that we depend on for our very lives. We know that trees are essential habitats for wild animals. And let us not overlook the beauty and wonder of the great variety of trees in this world that feed our souls.

Yet, trees are constantly being destroyed all over the world, due to the effects of climate change and malicious acts by humans. Wildfires still rage in Australia, destroying at least 15 million acres and untold numbers of trees, as well as hundreds of millions of animals that depend on them. In Brazil, the government is actively enacting policies that strike directly at the Amazon rainforest, one of our most precious global resources.

In honor of Tu B'shvat, let's give something back, in our own self-interest! Plant a tree, or more than one. The sky's the limit!

• The Nature Conservancy, Plant A Billion Trees campaign
• JTree USA (Hazon), a campaign by a variety of Jewish organizations to plant trees all over the world
• T'ruah, planting trees in Israel and Palestine