Happy Arbor Day, 2012!
It has been over 135 years since J. Sterling Morton founded Arbor Day. His simple idea of setting aside a special day for tree planting is now more important than ever. – Arbor Day Foundation
The New York Times just published a great opinion piece by Jim Robbins, titled “Why Trees Matter.” I never know which articles non-subscribers can access, so please accept my apologies if access is restricted. Below are some excerpts, just in case.
We have underestimated the importance of trees. They are not merely pleasant sources of shade but a potentially major answer to some of our most pressing environmental problems. We take them for granted, but they are a near miracle. In a bit of natural alchemy called photosynthesis, for example, trees turn one of the seemingly most insubstantial things of all — sunlight — into food for insects, wildlife and people, and use it to create shade, beauty and wood for fuel, furniture and homes.
This paragraph on “forest bathing” is particularly appropriate for our Network:
In Japan, researchers have long studied what they call “forest bathing.” A walk in the woods, they say, reduces the level of stress chemicals in the body and increases natural killer cells in the immune system, which fight tumors and viruses. Studies in inner cities show that anxiety, depression and even crime are lower in a landscaped environment.
Below are some past TLN Blog posts about the role of trees in restorative landscapes:
If you can plant one thing, plant a tree
Planting the healing garden: Trees, please!
Forget the chocolate, gimme a tree
Plant a tree: A truly “green” gift
See the Arbor Day Foundation’s website for more information and ideas about how to celebrate this day: www.arborday.org/arborday
Tags: Plants and Horticulture
Really great points, Wendy. And a lot of people plant them to honor people as well – births, deaths, weddings, etc. Many of the Living Memorials projects are all about planting trees. They really leave a legacy. How wonderful that that honey locust is still there. One of my all-time favorite trees! And yes, as a soon-to-be Texan, I know I’ll appreciate their shade and green all the more after I move from the verdant Hudson Valley.
Another benefit of planting trees: when you get as old as I am, you get enormous pleasure out of revisiting trees you have planted in the past. The honey locust I planted when I was 5 is now about 85 feet tall (OK, not the best plant choice but I was little!) and shades the corners of 4 suburban lots. Miraculously, none of the later homeowners have cut it down! At another house in Virginia, the star magnolia I planted when my daughter was born is still there, and the littleleaf lindens for my son are as tall as the house. Bur oaks I planted as 15 gallon pots only 8 years ago in Dallas are already shading the street, which is really important here! My friends in France plant a tree on their country property for every child’s baptism–a tradition that goes back years, so there are trees for every generation. Trees and their stories attach you to a place even after you have to move on…
I have some seeds layout around, enought for a small forest of trees. Time to plant I believe.
Did you know trees can sculpted into works of art as well as functional architecture? Read all about it here: http://livinggreenmag.com/2012/04/24/home-garden/arborsculpture-the-artful-science-of-tree-shaping/