By Theresa Ficazzola
“Other holidays repose upon the past; Arbor Day proposes for the future.” – J. Sterling Morton
Each April, we celebrate Arbor Day, a day that encourages people to plant trees.
It started back in Spain in 1805 when a local priest decided to plant trees in town to spread the word about their many benefits, including the environment, customs and good health.
In the US, Arbor Day was championed by tree lover J. Sterling Morton, who moved from Detroit to Nebraska in 1854 and noticed that there weren’t enough trees. (Were there really more trees in Detroit than Nebraska back then?) As a journalist, he wrote about the value of trees: shade, windbreaks to keep soil in place and fuel. After he became Secretary of the Nebraska Territory, he had an even larger audience to hear his important message.
In January of 1872, Morton proposed a tree planting holiday called Arbor Day and offered prizes for people or communities that planted the most trees. On that day, more than 1 million trees were planted. In 1885, Arbor Day became a legal holiday in Nebraska and other states followed suit in subsequent years. Today, Arbor Day is celebrated in over 30 countries.
Consider planting a tree this Arbor Day. Today, more than ever, we need trees to help stem the tide of global warming. Our existence is dependent upon them. If you’re considering solar for your home, place trees far away from your home, so they don’t create shade on your roof, thereby reducing the solar panels’ effectiveness.
Benefits of Trees
Trees provide us with many benefits, including:
- the removal of carbon dioxide from the air and the replacement of oxygen. (In one year, an acre of trees absorbs the amount of carbon dioxide produced when one car is driven for 26,000 miles and provides enough oxygen for 18 people.)
- shade for houses, people, animals and smaller plants
- energy savings by shading homes and office buildings, naturally cooling them off
- shelter for insects, birds and other small animals
- prevention of soil erosion
- improving air quality by removing harmful dust and other pollutants from the air, such as oxides and dioxides, which get trapped in their leaves and bark
- food for people, animals and insects
- helping to naturally cool the earth and the atmosphere
- contribution to the rainfall cycle
- minimizing flooding by absorbing storm water and preventing water pollution
- wood for fireplaces, homebuilding, furniture and other products
- paper and cardboard for a variety of purposes
- increasing property values (A well landscaped property, including trees, shrubs, plants and flowers can increase property values by 10% to 15%.)
- natural beauty, especially during peak fall foliage season
- improving our mood
You Can Help
You can get free or discounted trees from the National Arbor Foundation. They distribute close to 10 million tree saplings every year and work with the National Forest Service to help replant trees.
Purchase products from companies dedicated to limiting the use of trees and forest depletion. For example:
- purchase products made from recycled paper or those that use less packaging
- consider Scotties Tissues, which plants 3 new trees for each tree they cut down to make their tissue products
- buy furniture labeled “FSC”, endorsed by the Forest Stewardship Council, an international not-for-profit organization that promotes responsible management of the world’s forests
- purchase products involved with the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, which promotes sustainable forestry management, improved forestry practices and responsible purchasing of forest products
- consider solar power for your home, which also seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save our planet. Get a free, no obligation quote from SI Solar.
