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Member of
Canadian Nursery Landscape Association


Member of
Landscape Ontario
since 1989

Over 25 years in business

Plant a Tree for April 22 - Earth Day and Arbour Day

Earth Day and Arbour Day occur at the same time each year and help to inspire our awareness and appreciation of our environment. April 22 marks the birthday of Julius Sterling Morton, the founder of Arbour Day, a national tree-planting holiday started in Nebraska in 1872. Arbour Day, which is observed the last Friday in April, was established as a means of promoting conservation and correcting the gradual deforestation of the prairie.

The first Earth Day was founded ninety-eight years later, on April 22, 1970 as 20 million Americans expressed their environmental concerns in organized demonstrations. This event marked the birth of the modern environmental movement around the world.

In Canada, the environment is very much on our minds. In polls, Canadians agree that the environment is the number one concern in this country.

You already recycle, car pool, turn down your thermostat, use compact fluorescent bulbs, drive a fuel efficient car. What else can you do to promote a healthier environment? What could be better than planting a tree?

WHY ARE TREES SO IMPORTANT TO US?

Fresh Oxygen- Trees produce the oxygen we breathe. As a by-product of producing their own food, trees release fresh oxygen to the atmosphere while absorbing carbon dioxide. Excess carbon dioxide in the earth’s atmosphere contributes to the “greenhouse effect”. Just one tree, in one year, can make enough oxygen for eight people.

Clean Air - Trees are highly efficient at filtering harmful pollutants out of the air we breathe. While in leaf, trees remove toxins such as formaldehyde, benzene and trichloroethylene from the atmosphere. In addition to the filtering of rainwater through the soil, the roots of trees and other plants clean the water by assimilating, or absorbing, chemicals and heavy metals.

Cooling Effects - The careful placement of trees can have a positive effect on energy bills. Evergreens protect and insulate your home from winter winds, while deciduous trees cast cooling shade on your roof and outside walls during the summer and lessen the need for air conditioning. Areas with tree cover can be five to nine degrees cooler than open areas. Trees also shade your lawn and garden, reducing their water needs in summer.

Noise dampeners - Trees function as natural sound barriers -- they absorb and deflect noise which lessens the intensity of sound.

Rain runoff - Trees prevent runoff by intercepting rain in their canopy, on their bark, and later through infiltration. An increase in tree cover from about 25% to 50% on a residential lot can reduce runoff from about 10% to 20%.

Organic Nutrients - Trees’ falling leaves and needles decompose into rich nutrients for the soil. Their roots help anchor soil and prevent valuable topsoil from being blown or washed away. Dead leaves make effective mulch to retain soil moisture.

Personal Benefits - Planting trees on your property can increase the property’s value, provide children with a place to play, swing and climb, and give birds and small animals shelter.

Two hundred years ago most of Southern Ontario was forest. Our trees are disappearing faster than they are being planted. Many of the mature trees we enjoy were planted in the 1920s and are now coming to the end of their lifespan. Pollution reduces the lifespan of trees. Infestations by the Emerald Ash Borer and the Spruce Beetle have decimated backyards in Toronto and necessitated the removal of thousands of infected trees. These pests are moving beyond the quarantine line and threatening the rest of Ontario. Trees are lost when land is cleared to make way for more housing and development in York Region, the fastest growing population in Canada.

By planting even a single tree you can make a difference. Plant a tree to celebrate Earth Day and Arbour Day this year.

Denise Sheedy
denise@living-landscapes.ca
Denise Sheedy is a gardening enthusiast in Georgina

Denise Sheedy
Living Landscapes
7130 Old Homestead Road
RR#1 Pefferlaw, Ontario L0E 1N0
Tel: 905-722-9569 Email:denise@living-landscapes.ca