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How Haribon Foundation’s Native Tree Walk Helped Me Appreciate Our Trees
March 21, 2026 | By Charlie Ann Benigay, Membership Specialist
“I didn’t know I had ‘tree illiteracy’, until the Native Tree Walk showed me otherwise.”
Last March, in celebration of the International Day of Forests, the Haribon Foundation held a Native Tree Walk at the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center. The activity helped attendees learn different Philippine native tree species. We were all surprised to discover just how many incredible native trees thrive right at the heart of the city.
As a new Haribon member, I originally joined simply because of a colleague; maybe for fun and experience as well. But as the walk went on, I realized something deeper; I had been unaware about the importance of trees all along. Living in an urban environment, life becomes so fast-paced that we rarely stop to notice nature around us.
Walking with other attendees, listening to our forester explain different tree species, and hearing members share their experiences, I found myself quietly reflecting. My mind was full of thoughts like:
How did I overlook something so important?
How could I pass by these trees every day without seeing their value?
A single tree supports insects, provides habitat for wildlife, and produces the oxygen we depend on, yet we often take it all for granted.
My heart sank when I realized how disconnected I had been from the environment.
But through this Haribon activity, my eyes were opened. I was once unaware, now I truly see.
I now understand how vital biodiversity is, and how much humans and how much many of us have been taking it for granted, even harming it knowingly and unknowingly. This experience changed my mindset and deepened my commitment to protecting the world we live in. We need nature far more than it needs us. We must care, protect, and act, before it’s too late.
You, too, can open your eyes to the bigger world around you. Be a champion of nature!
Join as a Haribon member and see the difference it can make, not just for the environment, but also for yourself.
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