Trees, trees, trees! We might not be Ents or Elves, but in our humble opinion, there isn’t enough wild nature in the world. One of the things that we love the most about the outdoors, aside from all the cuddly critters and creatures, is taking a long walk in the forest. And it’s a wonderful feeling to look out the window and see a sea of greenery.

We’re not the only ones who think so! The members of one online community, ‘Trees Growing Up,’ share some of the most powerful before-and-after photos of places where saplings were planted and grew into mighty trees, improving the area. Today, we’re featuring the best pics. Scroll down to take a peek! Meanwhile, go hug some trees during your lunch break—we’re sure they’d appreciate it.

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Forest bathing, known as shinrin-yoku in Japanese, is a practice where you spend time in a forest listening to the sounds of birds and insects, touching trees, smelling flowers, breathing in the fresh air, and generally enjoying your surroundings.

Reportedly, this improves your immune system, improves your mental health and mood, and decreases your blood pressure and stress levels.

Look, full disclosure, but if yours truly could live anywhere, I’d have a house in the middle of a forest or jungle, near some mountains and the sea. Even though we’re all so advanced and have easy access to amazing technologies and comforts, living surrounded by concrete, glass, and steel can be demoralizing. Not just emotionally but aesthetically.

Our ancestors lived deeply connected to nature. Instinctively, we yearn for the same things. Being in harmony with nature and civilization is the balance that many people, including us, look for. Spending time in nature has a calming effect, reduces stress, and is generally far more peaceful than being surrounded by the 24/7 hustle and bustle of city life. From a very personal perspective, there’s nothing like an hour-long stroll among the trees to clear your head.

The Guardian reports that deforestation is on the rise once again. “The destruction of global forests increased in 2023, and is higher than when 140 countries promised three years ago to halt deforestation by the end of the decade,” Environment Editor Damian Carrington writes. In 2021, 140 countries backed the 2030 zero deforestation pledge at the United Nations Cop26 climate summit.

In 2023 alone, 6.4 million hectares (that’s 16 million acres) of forest were razed in 2023 according to a recent report by Climate Focus, a research group. Deforestation spiked sharply in Indonesia, as well as Bolivia due to demands for beef, soy, palm oil, paper, and nickel. Political changes in these countries contributed to the loss of forest cover, too.

In Brazil, there’s been some positive progress in the Amazon, but deforestation spiked in the Cerrado, an ecoregion of tropical savanna in the eastern part of the country. Other nations that have made progress toward the target set for 2030 include Australia, Colombia, Paraguay, Venezuela, and Vietnam.

Climate Focus notes that voluntary cuts on deforestation weren’t working, so stronger regulation was needed, as well as more funding for forest protection. What’s more, other factors that can help reduce deforestation include strengthening the land rights of Indigenous people, as well as reducing the demand for certain commodities.

The European Union proposed regulations banning the sale of products linked to deforestation, for example, coffee, chocolate, leather, and furniture.

In early October of this year, the European Commission proposed a one-year delay, in order to phase in the system, after protests from nations like Australia, Brazil, Indonesia, and the Ivory Coast.

“We’re only six years away from a critical global deadline to end deforestation, and forests continue to be chopped down, degraded, and set ablaze at alarming rates. Righting the course is possible if all countries make it a priority, and especially if industrialized countries seriously reconsider their excessive consumption levels and support forest countries,” said Ivan Palmegiani, the lead author of the report and a consultant at Climate Focus, stating that deforestation has gotten worse since the beginning of the decade.

“When the right conditions are in place, countries see major progress. The next year, if economic or political conditions change, forest loss can come roaring back. We’re seeing this effect in the spiking deforestation in Indonesia and Bolivia. Ultimately, to meet global forest protection targets, we must make forest protection immune to political and economic whims,” added report co-author Erin D. Matson, a senior consultant at the same research group.

According to CarbonBrief, after centuries of deforestation, the United Kingdom has become one of the least forested countries in Europe. And attempts to reverse this aren’t seeing much success, unfortunately.

There were plans to plant an area of forest of 30,000 hectares (the size of Birmingham) in the UK by 2025. Though there’s been an increase in woodland creation in the UK over the past year, the original target wasn’t met. Thousands of hectares of woodland remain unplanted.

Up and running ever since mid-2018, the r/TreesGrowingUp subreddit currently has 11k members from around the world. Though it’s not the biggest online community, it still ranks among the top 7% of groups on Reddit by size.

A big part of why the content the members of the group share is so impactful is because there’s contrast and comparison between the photos. There’s something deeply satisfying about revisiting the same location after a long while. It’s a trip through time. All through the lens of flourishing greenery!

How much nature are you surrounded by in your day-to-day life at home, work, and school, Pandas? Do you know any local areas that have had lots more trees planted in recent years? How is your home country handling deforestation and reforestation? How often do you go for a walk in the forest?

We’d love to hear all of your thoughts on this. If you have a free moment or two, share your thoughts in the comments section, at the very bottom of this post. Oh, and if you happen to know what happened to the Entwives, be sure to let Treebeard know!