To make our piece more informative, we wanted to come up with some facts that the kids would be easy to understand and something more they’d be able to take away from our show. I wanted to research some information about trees as well to help convince the Wizard to change his mind and love the forest the way it is, this way it'll be more convincing and the kids can see how important trees are to our world, now more than ever. There’s so many facts on here that I didn’t even know about before researching them, especially about the flowers, and although I’d already done research on the environment and climate change, it was nice to broaden my knowledge on the specific ideas we’re including in our piece and educate myself on the importance of the nature around us.
What do trees do for us?
Trees are most known for helping to save the environment by absorbing carbon dioxide and giving us oxygen in return, and this shows the importance of having large forests so we can take as much CO2 from the greenhouse gases created in our atmosphere as possible and replace it with oxygen, and this is done through photosynthesis. However, trees give us many other important sources that we use in our day to day lives, such as:
Giving us paper - different types of trees can be classified as either softwood or hardwood, with softwood being better for single pages of writing paper and hardwood for something strong, like a magazine or book. The best trees for making paper are mainly soft trees like fir, pine and aspen as they create a large quantity of great quality.
They conserve water - Whenever it rains, the trees use their roots to absorb the water and make it cleaner for us and for the soil to keep growing more plants, and it aso filters this water to make sure anything contaminating it can be broken down and removed before it is shipped out.
Trees provide food for us - by growing fruits, vegetables and other delicacies, trees do a great job with giving us a plate full of goodness. Some of the fruits given to us by trees are apples, peaches, pears, mangoes and limes, and some spices that trees help us grow are nutmeg and cinnamon. All of these foods can contribute to a plant based lifestyle.
They’re important for biodiversity - cutting down the trees means you’re destroying homes for many different types of insects, animals and plants. Alone in the UK, trees help to create 2,400 different types of flowers and create habitats for animals, such as birds and ants. Without trees, these animals will slowly become endangered and eventually, they’ll be extinct.
Create shelter for animals and humans - Trees are a great source of shade during the summer, and protection from the rain in the winter. As good as this is for humans, it also means animals and insects can go about their work and be productive without having these issues interrupt their daily routine.
What does walking to school help with?
Many schools and councils have been involved with setting up ‘walk to school’ campaigns and they also offer assemblies and questionnaires to help convince children and their families to walk to school if possible. Walking, cycling and scootering are the best modes of transport for reducing levels of pollution and not adding to your carbon footprint, but these aren’t the only advantages. Going on a walk everyday, whether it’s to school, work or to visit family, can improve both your mental and physical health. Hopefully by showing the children what adventures can happen if you take a walk to school and that change can start from home, they will see how much better and cleaner the world can be if we don't use our vehicles as much as possible. This way we can have a healthy planet and a healthy mind!
What do flowers do for the planet?
Everyone knows that flowers create pollen for the bees to collect, take back to their hives and make honey with, and not only do they cheer us up with their lovely smells and spring colours, but different types of flowers have different uses. Below is a list of the flowers we mention in the show and why it’s important that we take care of them:
Pansies - they have properties that destroy bacteria and other harmful organisms so they can be used to help with a range of health conditions, from asthma to epilepsy!
Bluebells - these can also be useful to our health, as bluebells are currently used in studies and trials to help treat leukaemia. As well as this, bluebells are very important to native tribes as their sap can be used as a powerful glue to fix their arrows.
Tulips - Tulips have medicinal uses as well, as they have anti - septic properties on their petals. These can be used to reduce the risk of cancer, sinus infections and even the common cold and cough. Also, they can provide use for cosmetics. Tulips are created with natural antioxidants to help get rid of any blackheads or pores.
Roses - as they have antibacterial properties and are kind to skin, rose petals are best known for relaxing those with stress and anxiety. However, they can also help to ease acne breakouts and calm skin conditions, like eczema!
Flowers can be used for so much more than just looking pretty, they are helpful in creating medicines and more plant based cosmetic and skincare products. Using this information, I understand what can be done to help create a healthy, balanced lifestyle and there is more you can do than just give up meat and animal produce.
Overall, this research helped me understand why we need the flowers and plants we mention in the show and it's made me more informed about the educational aspects of our show. I've really enjoyed educating myself on the current climate issues and I know there is plenty we can all do, whether it's little or a lot, to help create a greener planet for us and the generations to come!
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