Newsroom
Missing the trees for the forest
April 25, 2024
The very air we breathe is their gift to us.
Trees produce half of the oxygen in the earth's atmosphere, meaning we wouldn't be able to live without them. And yet, while being an oxygen-giving plant is pretty important – there's so much more we can admire about trees.
Trees add beauty to our lives, much needed shade, increase property values, and aid in reducing stress. Just for those reasons alone, we should celebrate trees this week on National Arbor Day, which lands on Friday, April 26.
Even knowing all the great things about trees, I'll admit it's easy to take them for granted. But new information out in recent years should increase the stature of trees (so to speak) in everyone's eyes.
The author of The Hidden Life of Trees, Peter Wohlleben, describes in his book how trees feel and communicate with one another. In particular, Wohlleben shares how trees are reliant on one another, sharing nutrients and resources, even sending signals to warn other trees of insect attacks.
Wohlleben describes how trees, like us humans, need a community to survive. Often, a tree, planted alone without other trees around, will not survive.
And considering all trees do so we will survive, that's enough to take my breath away.