Trees: A vital & beautiful part of the planet - Children, Animals & the Environment

"They took all the trees And put them in a tree museum And they charged all the people A dollar and a half just to see 'em Don't it always seem to go That you don't know what you've got Till it's gone They paved paradise And put up a parking lot."

Joni Mitchell (1970)

I love trees. I can't imagine living in an environment that isn't predominantly composed of trees. "Our" 25-acre property has many species of trees including: white spruce, cedar, birch, poplar, trembling aspen, balsam fir, cherry, maple and pine (white, red and Scotch).

When we moved into our home close to fifteen years ago, our property included several fields and other open areas. Slowly these open areas have begun to fill in as trees of many different species begin to spring up. We have also planted thousands of native trees to help establish the once-farmed fields with beautiful spruce, pine, cedar, and other species of trees that grow naturally in the area.

Last fall my wife Lynn and I, along with our children, Gleannan and Liam, gathered acorns at my parents' cottage as well as from an island on a lake near to where we recently purchased a forested cottage property. Gleannan, Liam, and I planted close to one hundred of these acorns in an open field behind our house. While there are a few oak trees on our property, we wanted to plant many more. We'll enjoy watching these acorns grow into mighty trees over the years.

Not only are trees beautiful, but they also have many vital functions including providing oxygen and removing carbon dioxide and other airborne pollutants. They stabilize soils, help to reduce flooding, and they provide food and shelter for animals--including our species. Trees are vital to the planet and the species that live here.

Good Deeds Not Reciprocated

While trees do many wonderful things for the Earth and its inhabitants, they are poorly treated by our species. Joni Mitchell's lyrics above, written in 1970, accurately assess the relationship between humans and trees. While trees are vital, life-giving plants, our species sees them mostly for the quick economic return that they bring us, or as obstacles needing to be destroyed.

You don't have to go very far to find a forest that was recently decimated for its wood, or so that a subdivision or shopping mall could be built. Often, once the shopping center or houses are finished, the land, which was recently a beautiful forest of native trees, is sparsely planted with non-native trees. As Isaac Asimov said, "Humanity is cutting down its forests, apparently oblivious to the fact that we may not be able to live without them."

What You Can Do

When it comes to helping trees and protecting the environment, there are many things that individuals or small groups of people can do that will make a difference. Every positive act, no matter how small, is significant. Margaret Mead said, "Never doubt that a small group of committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." A few simple things that you can do to help ensure that our children have the same opportunities to live on a well-treed planet include:

* Reduce your use of paper that comes from trees. Use scrap paper for making shopping or "to do" lists. Use tree-free paper from hemp and other plants for your own personal use. Utilize reusable gift bags instead of wrapping paper.

* Reduce your use of disposable paper products. Hemp coffee filters are a good example of an environmentally friendly product that not only significantly reduces the use of paper, but also the harmful products used in the manufacturing of paper.

* Avoid using paper whenever possible. If your favorite newspaper is available online, read it there.

* Recycle paper whenever possible.

* Plant native trees and encourage others to do the same. This is especially beneficial to do with your children. Monitoring the trees' growth and condition with them is a fun and educational lesson. Planting a tree to commemorate someone's birth or memorialize a death is a nice gesture. We've planted a maple tree for each of our animal companions who have died.

* Learn about trees and educate children about these wonderful plants and why they should not only be protected, but also respected.

A Final Word

Trees are vital to life on earth. They are also part of what makes life on this planet so special. We need to reverse the negative attitudes our species has held toward trees and begin mending our destructive relationship with them. This can be achieved by educating our children about what incredible things trees are and that they deserve our respect.

Resources

Tree-free Paper:

Greg Barber Company (USA)

www.gregbarberco.com

Tel: (800) 840-4555 ext.113

Greg Barber Company sells several kinds of tree-free paper and envelopes including a hemp paper, one called Weeds (85% sugar cane and 15% hemp) and another made from kenaf.

Ecosource Paper Inc. (CANADA)

www.islandnet.com/~ecodette/ecosource.htm

Tel: 1-800-665-6944

Ecosource Paper Inc. sells tree-free, hemp-based paper products including paper, envelopes, notepads and wrapping paper.

Hemp Coffee Filters:

Ecowise

www.ecowiseproducts.com

Tel: (709) 753-9473

Ecowise has several styles of inexpensive, quality, reusable, hemp coffee filters and tea bags.

RELATED ARTICLE: Recommended Books

Peterson First Guide to Trees

George A. Petrides

(ages 8 and up)

This field guide for beginning naturalists provides information for identifying 243 common trees of North America.

Peterson First Guide to Forests

John Kricher

(ages 8 and up)

This field guide for beginning naturalists looks at 48 types of North American forests.

Peterson Field Guide to Trees and Shrubs

George A. Petrides

This field guide includes hundreds of trees, shrubs and woody vines found in the northeastern and north-central United States and southeastern and south-central Canada.

The Tree in the Ancient Forest

Carol Reed-Jones

(ages 4 -10)

This title beautifully describes forest life and how all things are connected. The main character in this story is a 300-year-old fir tree. The tree's roots, truffles, mice, voles, and owls are some of the other characters.

Forest Primeval: The Natural History of an Ancient Forest

Chris Maser

A fascinating book that provides a glimpse into the evolution of an old growth forest in Oregon over a 1,000-year period.

The Encyclopedia of Trees: Canada and the United States

Sam Benvie

This beautiful book features 278 species of trees native to North America, and includes color photographs throughout.

Remarkable Trees of the World

Thomas Pakenham

This book features 60 magnificent trees found around the world. More than 100 photos by the author enhance this impressive book.

The Giving Tree

Shel Silverstein

(Ages 7 and up - younger if read to)

This touching children's book is about an apple tree that loves a little boy. As the boy grows older he spends less time with the tree, but he wants more from it, which the tree is happy to give.

N. Glenn Perrett, his wife Lynn, and their children Gleannan and Liam live a vegan lifestyle northwest of Toronto, Ontario. Their extended family includes several canine, feline and equine family members, all of whom were in need of a good home. Glenn has a degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Waterloo. You can visit their website at: www.amorak.net.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Vegetarian Baby and Child
COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group