Srinagar, Sept. 3 -- Forestry is one of the foundations of our daily lives. Forests are not merely collections of trees; they are ecosystems that sustain birds, wildlife, soil, water and, ultimately, human beings. The loss of a forest is therefore not simply the loss of greenery-it is a loss to the entire community. There is a small forested tract of land beside the Ferozpur Nallah, between the villages of Zalpora and Sultanpur. At the time this story begins, both villages were part of Baramulla district; today, they fall under separate districts-Bandipora and Baramulla. The tract, measuring approximately 100 kanals, has been under the supervision of the Rakh and Farms Department.Once, this land was a beautiful willow forest. It was a gre...