Hey, Tree Huggers!
Typically observed on the last Friday of April, today is Arbor Day—a day for encouraging people anywhere and everywhere to plant a tree. Trees are amazing! Did you know that trees never die of old age?! Did you know they drink three times as much as you?! Did you know they brighten our attitudes and boost our spirits?!
How do trees make us feel good? Well, it’s not necessarily the trees themselves, but where there are trees there are lots of negative ions. A negative ion is atomic energy that is emitted from the earth. They improve our mood, reduce pain, and boost our energy. They’re emitted everywhere, but are much more abundant in places like forests, waterfalls, and other areas where nature is left uninhibited.
In honor of Arbor Day, let’s shoot the breeze about trees.
Tree Talk
Trees can talk? You bet! Well, not verbally, no. But they can communicate with one another. Willows Trees, for instance, will secrete a certain chemical when it’s being harmed by insects. The chemical is an alarm to other trees nearby. Trees that “get word” will respond by growing something called tannin on their leaves which detracts the insects.
The Tallest of All
Trees grow to be very, very tall. But the tallest of all resides in the Redwood Forest of California. The Sequoia trees are the largest in the world. And the biggest one of them is called The Giant Sequoia. Not only is it the biggest tree on Earth, but it’s the biggest living thing on Earth! It stands 30 stories tall and 82 feet around. It’s somehow been calculated to weigh nearly three tons (6000 pounds).
The Air Diet
Despite how much they drink, arborists (tree experts) say trees only get about 10% of their nutrition from water and soil. They sustain themselves mostly from sunlight and air. It’s believed that they absorb 90% of their nutrition simply from the air they breathe.
Trees are truly something else! Do you have a spot to plant a tree? We'll be putting a 'family birch' in the ground in my mother's backyard around Arbor Day. Let us know in the comments if you’re going to celebrate Arbor Day by planting a tree. As always, thanks for reading and happy camping!
- John