Life in the jungle
Claire and Carol were twins who were friends with Alice and Alair. Apart from being academically good, the four girls were very active in their respective clubs in school.
One day, members of the environmental club had to go on a three day camp to one of the country’s botanical gardens.
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Non-members of the club who were willing to go on the camp could also join.
When the announcement for the trip was made, all the students were excited about the opportunity to visit that famous botanical garden. Unfortunately, Claire and Carol did not share in the joy of the students.
They always wondered what was so important about trees and animals.
That was why they never understood why people make so much fuss about trees and the need to care for the environment as if their lives depended on them.
Again, they did not understand why people admired things like the sea and its waves so much that they often spent time at the beach. What even bored them most was the talk of illegal felling of trees.
They thought too much importance was being accorded that subject.
Their lack of interest in matters concerning the environment and nature was the reason why they were not enthused about the upcoming camp.
Therefore they gave all manner of excuses to their parents in order not to go on that trip.
Their parents, knew a lot about that particular botanical garden and its significance to Ghana and West Africa, and so they thought it would be an educative and interesting trip.
They, therefore, insisted they joined the group. Reluctantly, when the day for the trip arrived, they had no choice but to join the rest of the school for the camp.
Fortunately, they shared the same tent with Alice and Alair at the camp and it was fun for them. The following day, the quartet went on sight-seeing and were struck by the beauty of the environment.
The green landscape and canopy formed by the variety of plants with huge and amazingly tall trees was colorful indeed. The flowers, fruits and berries they had never known got them really excited.
They were dumbfounded by the beauty of birds chirping in trees, while others plucked fruits from the trees and busily built their nests. Carol, who was struck by the beauty, quality of air and serene surroundings, for the first time said something nice about nature “It is like heaven”, she remarked.
What the four girls saw that afternoon changed their perception about the environment.
Suddenly, they were so eager to learn more about the environment and Mother Nature that they went to see the tour guide to educate them on how they could create an environment similar to that of the garden in their respective communities.
The tour guide told them how important it was to keep the environment safe because it was God’s gift to mother earth. He told them that both plants and animals help to keep the air clean and sustain life.
That was why it was not good to cut down trees indiscriminately, burn bushes and build along water ways.
He told them that abusing the environment can lead to negative consequences, like desertification, destruction of the natural habits of the bird and animals and pollution. The tour guide advised all children to be agents of change and serve as peer educators on environmental issues.
By the time the tour guide finished his briefing, the four girls have had a complete change of mind about the environment.
They resolved to be crusaders of good environmental practice wherever they went in school, in their communities and at church. Their efforts came to fruition as a lot of children joined them in their crusade.
As little children, let us also learn to love and protect our natural environment just as the four girls in the story did. Remember, our natural environment is God’s gift to mankind. If we destroy nature we will have disasters like floods, famine, droughts and bushfires.
Awo Safoa Adu-Amoah
Ridge Church School
Accra.