LETTER | Five reasons why schools must plant more trees

Imagine your school without trees and no clean air! Would you want your school to be like that? Schools must plant more trees!

Today, I want to present five crucial reasons for planting more trees in schools.

First of all, planting trees is one of the easiest and most sustainable ways to positively affect the environment.

We need to plant more trees for the schools because trees can make the air cleaner. Trees can trap dust and filter pollution.

Trees can also release oxygen into the atmosphere from processing carbon dioxide. This release is important because most living things, including the plants themselves, use oxygen during respiration for all life-sustaining processes.

Secondly, we can use the trees to beautify the schools; trees also contribute to the learning environment in schools. Scientists discovered that trees and other plants will help improve students' concentration. This will allow them to be able to study better.

Thirdly, trees also make the environment cooler. We do not need to use air purifiers or air conditioners. They also help schools to save energy and reduce operational cost. Planting trees can help save our environment and make our planet a better place to live in.

My fourth important point is: schools planting more trees can provide shelter and food for birds, insects and other small animals. These small animals will have a natural habitat to live in. It will bring some paradise to the school.

While I can understand that some people may be concerned about having too many animals in the school, with some proper planning, we can control the number of animals in the school environment. With some proper advice by the experts, we can choose the right kinds of trees to be planted.

My fifth and last point is: trees serve as a buffer zone for noise pollution. When planted at strategic locations around the school, trees can even help reduce loud noises from the traffic, creating just the right ambience for conducive learning.

In conclusion, I strongly believe that we need to plant more trees in schools, as they bring countless benefits to schools, students and the environment.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.