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Tag: importance of trees

  • Is Tree Farming Eco Friendly?

    Is Tree Farming Eco Friendly?

    autumn

    A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself.

    Forests are the lungs of our land,
    purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people.

    ―FDR

    I want to talk about tree farms for a hot second.

    This came up in conversation a while back when I was discussing Christmas trees within a group on Facebook. Basically, the debate was over whether an artificial tree was the better option because it could be reused a number of years, as opposed to resources being used to grow trees that are then cut and soon after disposed of.

    I think this is a pretty common misconception, or at least common enough that I feel compelled to write about it. But as I see it tree farming— the growing of trees as a crop to be used, whether to make paper, lumber or decorative indoor shrubbery on which to hang tinsel— is actually a pretty good thing for the environment.

    For starters, trees fight climate change.

    This is, all by itself, a very solid argument in defense of tree farming. Trees store carbon and produce oxygen; managed trees produce less carbon from decaying plant matter. And tree farms are continually planting new trees to replace the ones cut down, to remain sustainable.

    Tree farms provide habitat for wildlife.

    Humans: they’re everywhere. And they’re edging wildlife out of their natural habitat. With every parking lot and superstore and road built to accommodate the ever growing population, it becomes harder for animals to move from green space to green space. Tree farms are a place that local wildlife can pretty much depend on to continue to provide shelter for years to come, and in some cases have helped animal species rebound from the brink of extinction. (Obviously, federal wildlife refuges serve this purpose too; the difference is that tree farms aren’t necessarily government owned.)

    Treed areas are good for human health too.

    Tree farms mean more trees. It’s important to protect existing forests, but the addition of more tree farms means more people in the presence of trees and a host of associated mental and physical health benefits. Even being able to view a treed horizon from your bedroom, office or car window can make a difference.

    Here’s a handy dandy infographic on tree farms; it’s interesting how it reframes the why of recycling paper.

    Green Paper

     

    Your thoughts on tree farming and paper recycling?

     

     

  • #GIFtATree in 5 Seconds: Create a GIF or Send a Tweet

    #GIFtATree in 5 Seconds: Create a GIF or Send a Tweet

    treehugger

    The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.

    —John Muir

    This treehugging photo is from the first post I published on this site, in 2008. Cass still pretty much looks exactly like this, and while she’s not really compelled to give them spontaneous displays of affection anymore, we’re still treehuggers at heart.

    That’s why we love the #GIFtATree holiday campaign from NBCUniversal and the Arbor Day Foundation. During the month of December, if you create and share a holiday GIF from greenisuniversal.com, or send a tweet using #GIFtATree, a tree will be planted in a state park or national forest— up to 25,000 trees!

    The GIFs are very cute and are animated; creating them would be a fun activity for kids, especially over winter break. Every time you share one a tree is gifted, not just once. 

    I made one during the Rockefeller tree lighting special in NYC, and Cass made one a little bit later, and I was quite a bit delighted to find she’d made the exact same one I had.

    #GiftATreenot animated bc I couldn’t quickly figure out how to put that here and dinner’s almost ready

     

    Every tweet you send out that includes #GIFtATree counts as a tree gifted, too. What an easy way to make a difference: after all, just one large tree can provide a day’s supply of oxygen for up to four people. Over the course of a year, just one mature tree will absorb more than 48 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, releasing oxygen in exchange.

    thousand forests one acorn Ralph Waldo Emerson

     

    There are many practical reasons to protect existing trees and plant new ones:

    • Trees help clean our air and water
    • Trees improve our mental and physical health
    • Trees help to fight climate change
    • The cooling effect of trees saves energy
    • Trees provide habitat essential for wildlife

    Trees are so important to our ongoing physical existence, and we’ve come to think of them in ways that correlate to our emotional existence. Trees are dependable; they stay in one place. Like trees, we aim to lay down firm roots in the earth, but lift our arms and faces to the sky. We strive to grow strong like tree trunks yet flexible like branches in a storm. We try to breathe in the bad and breathe out the good. And when we are tired, broken down, we remain resilient, confident that the next season will come and we will once again be bursting with energy and new growth, like trees in spring.

    mossy tree

    Most importantly, trees are promises. Trees are potential.

    Inside a tiny acorn lies majesty that can weather a thousand storms.

    Go on, make yourself a pretty little card and feel good about your role planting a tree. Or three. Or three dozen!

    (And while you’re thinking about all this tree related goodness, pin this list of ways to repurpose or recycle your Christmas tree for later.)