I Think I Shall Never See Anything as Beautiful as a Tree

I grew up in a deeply forested state, West Virginia, and was taught from childhood to know and love trees. The last time I visited, as I drove all around to see relatives in far-flung counties, I noticed huge swaths of brown amongst green.  I asked what the heck was going on that seemed to be killing trees. That is how I learned about acid rain, an unfortunate by-product of coal mining, logging, and too many chemical plants. On our 300-acre farm, no trees are cut, only planted, so we are doing our part.

In the settled part of the great prairies and western states, trees were felled to clear the land. That is, in part, being rectified by a special effort to protect trees in the last frontier. Check out americanrainforests.org to see how you can help. Oh, and start in your own yard. Got room for a couple of trees? Start digging and planting and know you will enjoy years of beauty and leave behind a legacy for generations to come from your own efforts.

Planting Trees is Good for All

In 1872, J. Sterling Morton founded Arbor Day, and that year over a million trees were planted in Nebraska. It’s usually celebrated on the last Friday in April (some states choose different dates depending on their weather for best tree planting times). Probably now, more than ever, we need to honor Morton’s big idea-trees hugely improve the quality of our lives. They provide shelter and food for our wildlife, clean the air, absorb carbon dioxide, and release oxygen. They mask noise, prevent soil erosion, and provide wood for fuel and buildings:all this plus the joy and wonder of such a majestic and wonderful plant.

Celebrate Arbor Day by logging onto arborday.org and finding out what you can do in your area. Save a tree by recycling paper. Plant a suitable tree in your garden or neighborhood and dedicate it to someone special.

Throwing Shade: Trees Are Good For Us

Encourage community management of forests. If there are common property lands nearby you that are degraded, work with local communities and environmental NGO’s to establish sustainable community forestry that benefits everyone. Get involved at treesforthefuture.org and meet your fellow tree huggers!

Trees are the Lungs of Our Planet

    Have you heard about the amazingly ambitious goal of the Nature Conservatory to plant a billion trees and restore the forests of the world? From the rainforests in South America to China and even in the Arctic Circle, this hardy group of tree huggers is doing their darndest to recreate the woodlands and rainforests everywhere they can. I urge you to look at the map to see how far they are getting. It is impressive and gives me so much hope for the future.

Friends Let Friends Forage

    Plant a fruit tree. We know trees clean air by absorbing odors and pollutants while also providing oxygen and shade. And if you want to be generous, go ahead and plant a fruit tree near the fence or street. Put up a little sign that says “Help yourself!”

Planting Trees is Good for All

    In 1872, J. Sterling Morton founded Arbor Day, and that year over a million trees were planted in Nebraska. It’s usually celebrated on the last Friday in April (some states choose different dates depending on their weather for best tree planting times). Probably now, more than ever, we need to honor Morton’s big idea-trees hugely improve the quality of our lives. They provide shelter and food for our wildlife, clean the air, absorb carbon dioxide, and release oxygen. They mask noise, prevent soil erosion, and provide wood for fuel and buildings:all this plus the joy and wonder of such a majestic and wonderful plant. Celebrate Arbor Day by logging onto arborday.org and finding out what you can do in your area. Save a tree by recycling paper. Plant a suitable tree in your garden or neighborhood and dedicate it to someone special.

Throwing Shade: Trees Are Good For Us

    Encourage community management of forests. If there are common property lands nearby you that are degraded, work with local communities and environmental NGO’s to establish sustainable community forestry that benefits everyone. Get involved at treesforthefuture.org and meet your fellow tree huggers!

Planet-Positive and Paperless

    Try paying bills online. By some estimates, if all households in the US paid their bills online and received electronic statements instead of paper, we’d save 18.5 million trees every year, 2.3 billion tons of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, and 1.7 billion pounds of solid waste (50waystohelp.org).

More Beef = Fewer Trees

    The next time you consider grabbing a burger at a fast food place, remember this: over the past few decades, the rainforests have been disappearing to satisfy our hunger for cheap beef. Rainforests are home to over a thousand indigenous tribal groups, thousands of species of birds and butterflies and exotic animals-all of which are now endangered. Rainforests also affect rainfall and wind all around the world by absorbing solar energy for the circulation of our atmosphere. The trees provide buffers against wind damage and soil erosion, which then help prevent flooding along our coastlines. They are a precious part of our ecosystem. Let’s all do something to protect them. 

    Over five million acres of South and Central American rainforests are cleared each year for cattle to graze on. The local people don’t eat this much meat-it is exported to make the one dollar hamburger and a cheap barbecue meal.

Take Care of the Planet

    Each year, the National Environmental Education Foundation coordinates hundreds of events around the country on Public Lands Day. Volunteers are recruited to improve public parks and wildlife refuges by removing trash, planting trees, and doing other earth-friendly activities. Visit their website to find a service day near you: publiclandsday.org.

I Think I Shall Never See Anything as Beautiful as a Tree

    I grew up in a deeply forested state, West Virginia, and was taught from childhood to know and love trees. The last time I visited, as I drove all around to see relatives in far-flung counties, I noticed huge swaths of brown amongst green. I asked what the heck was going on that seemed to be killing trees. That is how I learned about acid rain, an unfortunate by-product of coal mining, logging, and too many chemical plants. On our 300-acre farm, no trees are cut, only planted, so we are doing our part.

    In the settled part of the great prairies and western states, trees were felled to clear the land. That is, in part, being rectified by a special effort to protect trees in the last frontier. Check out americanrainforests.org to see how you can help. Oh, and start in your own yard. Got room for a couple of trees? Start digging and planting and know you will enjoy years of beauty and leave behind a legacy for generations to come from your own efforts.

Trees are the Lungs of Our Planet

    Have you heard about the amazingly ambitious goal of the Nature Conservatory to plant a billion trees and restore the forests of the world? From the rainforests in South America to China and even in the Arctic Circle, this hardy group of tree huggers is doing their darndest to recreate the woodlands and rainforests everywhere they can. I urge you to look at the map to see how far they are getting. It is impressive and gives me so much hope for the future.

Friends Let Friends Forage

    Plant a fruit tree. We know trees clean air by absorbing odors and pollutants while also providing oxygen and shade. And if you want to be generous, go ahead and plant a fruit tree near the fence or street. Put up a little sign that says "Help yourself!"

Planting Trees is Good for All

    In 1872, J. Sterling Morton founded Arbor Day, and the year, over a million trees were planted in Nebraska. It's usually celebrated on the last Friday in April (some states choose different ages depending on their weather for best tree planting times). Probably now, more than ever, we need to honor Morton's big idea- trees hugely improve the quality of our lives. They provide shelter and food for our wildlife, clean the air, absorb carbon dioxide, and release oxygen. They mask noise, prevent soil erosion, and provide wood for fuel and buildings: all this plus the joy and wonder of such a majestic and wonderful plant.

    Celebrate Arbor Day this Friday by logging onto arborday.org and finding out what you can do in your area. Save a tree by recycling paper. Plant a suitable tree in your garden or neighborhood and dedicate it to someone special.

Celebrate Earth Day Every Day!

    This is the day to acknowledge your connection to your home planet and all the nurturing nature, bounty, and beauty you receive from this big blue dot. April 22nd is Earth Day, celebrated annually in over 184 countries to promote a healthy environment and peaceful planet. Earth Day highlights our connection with nature, bringing awareness that each one of us is responsible for the destruction or abundance of our natural world... the only one we have. Earth Day makes us realize that each of us has a  voice and every one of our actions matters; collectively great things happen.

    Celebrate Earth Day by joining an organized group and help clear beaches and parks of cans, paper, plastic, bottles, and trash. Go with your family and friends, or go out alone. Look around your neighborhood to see what needs to be done. Petition your local government for more trees, cleaner waterways, and an end to industrial pollution. Use earth-friendly chemicals. Recycle paper and cans, and compost green matter.

    Log onto earthday.org or check your local press to find out what is happening in your area, how to organize your own event, or what commitment you could make in your own small way to help save our Earth... and then make every day Earth Day.

I Love Big Bags and I Cannot Lie

Bring reusable shopping bags when heading to the store. Whether you are grocery shopping or heading out with friends, masked up, to splurge on clothes, take your own bags with you. Many stores have totes and reusable bags for a few dollars by the checkout lines that are more durable, hold more objects, and last much longer than those flimsy paper and non-biodegradable plastic bags. Reusable shopping bags help the environment by using less plastic and cutting down fewer trees.

Reimagine and Reuse Every Chance You Get

    In addition to recycling, you should also strive to reuse. When wrapping presents, use old maps or even newspapers- or open up a paper grocery bag, flip it over, and have your kids customize the paper with their artwork. You can also keep and reuse gift bags and tissue paper you were once given. This will save you money on buying gift-wrap while helping the environment save a few more trees.

Throwing Shade: Trees Are Good For Us

     Encourage community management of forests. If there are common property lands nearby you that are degraded, work with local communities and environment NGO's to establish sustainable community forestry that benefits everyone. Get involved at treesforthefuture.org and meet your fellow tree huggers!

Planet-Positive and Paperless

     Try paying bills online, and not just because of the pandemic. By some estimates, if all households in the US paid their bills online and received electronic statements instead of paper, we'd save 18.5 million trees every year, 2.3 billion tons of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, and 1.7 billion pounds of solid waste (50waystohelp.org).

Wild in the Streets

     I live in a nice town adjacent to Berkeley, California, that is very urban, but I have a big o' backyard, which I love- it is the reason I live here. I have raccoons, a family of squirrels, and a pair of deer who seem to love the yard as much as I do. One of the older trees bears a huge amount of apples every fall, much more than my boyfriend and I can cook or eat, not to mention our friends, coworkers, and deer and squirrels. So we bag up the extra apples and take them to a place where deer congregate at the edge of the woods a few blocks away. Every time I deliver a new bag, I see lots of deer tracks, showing that my four-legged friends enjoy their apple a day. So before you just compost the extra bounty of your garden or fruit trees, take a look around and see what else might appreciate a neighborly gesture.