Love a Tree Day

Love a Tree Day is May 16th

Trees are one of the most important parts of the ecosystem of Earth. And besides that, they're also beautiful to look at and fun to climb. Today is the day to appreciate all the trees around you and everything they do for you!

The History of Trees

It is said that the earliest trees came from somewhere in China over 372 million years ago. Ancient trees, better known as Cladoxylopsids, were first discovered in 2012 in a desert in China’s northwestern Xinjiang province. These trees grew in a single shaft, having multiple xylem (woody strands) columns spaced around the perimeter of a hollow trunk. Connecting the vertical xylem like a chain-link fence - in a network of crisscrossing strands - the spaces in between the strands filled with soft tissue. New growth formed in rings around the xylem columns, causing the strands to spread out, allowing for the tree to get taller but the xylem skeleton to split apart.

Whereas, modern trees are a much simpler mechanism. They are single cylindrical shafts made up of hundreds of xylem, conducting water from the roots, branches, and leaves. New xylem grow in rings at the outermost part of the trunk just behind the bark, adding girth so the tree can get taller.

Facts About Trees

• Trees are made up of three major parts: roots, stem, and leaf
• Trees absorb CO2 and emit O2
• Tree rings are a sign of growth
• Growth is dependent on - soil, climate, biota, and topography
• Bark minimizes water loss from the stems, deters insect and fungal attack, and can be a very effective protector against fire damage, i.e. redwood and giant sequoia trees, which have a massive bark.

10 Famous trees

• Anne Frank’s Chestnut Tree (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
• Liberty Tree (Boston, Massachusetts)
• Isaac Newton’s Apple Tree (Woolsthorpe, England)
• Charter Oak (Hartford, Connecticut)
• September 11 Survivor Tree (New York City, New York)
• Major Oak (Edwinstowe, England)
• Japanese Cherry Trees (Washington, D.C.)
• Emancipation Oak (Hampton, Virginia)
• General Sherman Tree (Sequoia National Park, California)
• Bodhi Tree (Bodh Gaya, India)

Ways to Celebrate

• Plant a tree - find somewhere to plant a tree or find a non-profit organization that plants millions of trees.
• Adopt a tree - Go to Trees for Change and adopt a tree
• Learn about your trees - learn about the species, leaf type, buds, and pollinators. 
• Recycle - choose recycling options such as 100 percent recycled paper, toilet paper, and paper towels to help save trees.
• Go Hiking - go outside and enjoy the trees.

So go out and hug a tree or smell a tree (Ponderosas, smell of vanilla or butterscotch).