On March 21, coinciding with World Forest Day, Shanghai Roots & Shoots invited school teachers and volunteers to come together for Tree Planting gathering. Everyone gathered at Shanghai Feiyue Forest Adventure Park, embarking on a journey of intimate dialogue with nature.
The park was vibrant with greenery, and we chose a small area by the lake to plant Buxus microphylla. 16 families joined forces—adults busied themselves mixing nutrient soil and backfilling planting holes, while the children took charge of holding the saplings and watering them, full of energy. A few "little engineers" meticulously measured the spacing between each sapling, their serious expressions bringing smiles to everyone's faces. Under the sunlight, laughter filled the air, and joy bubbled up like sparkling soda, unstoppable.
After a short break, we engaged in outdoor games. Each family used branches to form a "picture frame" as a "quadrat tool" for biodiversity surveys. In a three-legged race style, everyone wobbled their way across the lawn, searching for their own "micro-world." Those tiny flowers and grasses often overlooked suddenly sparkled with significance.
This is precisely the message World Forest Day aims to convey—a forest is not merely a collection of trees, but a home woven together by countless lives. From the moss beneath our feet to the birds on the branches, every living thing silently sustains this greenery. Every Buxus we planted, every spacing we carefully measured, and every blade of grass we observed up close adds a small stroke to this tapestry of biodiversity. The connection between humans and nature is never just a slogan; it lives in these small, earnest, joyful moments.
The most delightful part came at the end—everyone put on blindfolds and, gently guided by their family members, reached out to touch a tree. The texture of the bark, the feel of the moss, the warmth of the wind... everything became remarkably vivid. When the blindfolds were removed, some immediately recognized "their" tree, while others playfully led their fathers to a muddy pit, bursting into laughter. The lawn was filled with joy—the purest form of parent-child time.
After the games, everyone wrote down their thoughts on postcards. Between the lines lay children's curiosity and adults' heartfelt emotions. In that moment, it felt as though we had rediscovered nature—and each other.
The event came to a joyful close, as Shanghai Feiyue Forest Adventure Park gifted activity tickets to the families present. Everyone took on the "Brave's Path" with confidence, exploring to their hearts' content, filled with freshness and delight. From the newly planted greenery by the lake to the blindfolded tree-touching experience—we brought children into the wind, the soil, and the sunlight, turning "learning through practice" from a slogan into soil in their palms and moss under their fingertips.
Special thanks to: Senhuo+, Pulan Commune, and Feiyue Forest for their generous support of the venue and outdoor activities!
