Helping The World With One Tree Planted

The short answer? Trees are amazing!

The long answer?

Trees are amazing because they help our world in so many ways: Filtering the water we eventually drink, immeasurably helping keep our air clean, all while providing natural habitat to over 80% of the world’s land-roaming biodiversity.

Did you know: That the forests of the world also directly provide jobs to over 1.8 billion people? That our forests play a vital role in filtering harmful carbon from the atmosphere? That 25% of all medicines used today are derived from key ingredients which can only be found in the forest? Aspirin, for example, is created using the bark of Willow trees…

These are just a few ways that trees are so very important to the balance of this Earth. Let’s look more in depth! Here’s 6 very real reasons to protect and expand our forests, and is the reason we support One Tree Planted.

You could think of trees acting in a similar way to a vacuum. The leaves and bark of trees absorb all sorts of pernicious pollutants, while releasing cleaned oxygen for life to breathe. In cities and other urban ecosystems, trees will do their part in absorbing carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, and ozone while also picking up particulate matter like dust and smoke. The direct effects of deforestation is manifesting itself by increasing carbon dioxide levels. This can lead to heat being trapped in the atmosphere. Strong and healthy trees act as carbon sinks. They actively absorb carbon dioxide and reduce the effects of climate change.

Trees play a vital role in reducing the risk of natural disasters such as landslides and flooding by capturing rainwater. Their labyrinthine root systems perform almost literally like filters; impeding the water’s absorption into the earth and also removing pollutants. This directly prevents erosion (which can cause landslides), and helps reduce the risk of flooding and the over saturation of the ground. An interesting statistic from the Food and Agriculture Association of the UN, is that a mature coniferous tree is capable of handling almost 4000 gallons of water each year.

A single tree can be called home to hundreds of species. This includes insects, fungi, moss, plants, and mammals. Different forest animals have need of different habitats, depending on their own intrinsic needs. If the trees disappear, many forest creatures will as well.

• Young Growth, Open Forests: After a forest fire or extensive logging, a young forest emerges. The grasses, shrubs, and youthful trees attract animals like the American Goldfinch, Bluebirds, and even black bears.

• Middle Age Growth Forests: When the taller trees begin to outgrow weaker competition and shrubs, the forest advances to a “middle age” stage of growth. Open canopies allows ground vegetation to grow attracting tree frogs, salamander, and elk.

• Older Growth Forests: Large, upward reaching trees create a varied canopy with a highly developed thicket of undergrowth. Older forests provide homes to a plethora of animals including a variety of birds, bats, and squirrels.

The job opportunities provided by the world’s forests are boundless. Arborists, researchers, and even loggers depend on the forestry industry. Jobs aren’t the only thing, however. Sustainable tree farms provide raw timber to build houses and wood as fuel for cooking & heating. Trees also produce food in the form of nuts, berries, fruit, and even leaves. Humans and animals alike benefit, gaining nutrition and health.

Fun fact: Hospital patients recover faster when their rooms have views that include trees. You really can’t avoid the feeling of true peace and bliss as you trek through a serene, hushed forest. In addition to reconnecting us with nature, trees reduce anxiety and stress naturally. This is why we are believers in biophilic design!

Trees absorb harmful greenhouse gasses such as carbon dioxide into their leaves, branches, and trunks. They also release clean oxygen back into the air we breathe. This is how trees help keep the planets temperature moderated. In urban developments, tree cover can help reduce temperatures there by up to 8 degrees. More than 50% of the world’s population lives in cities. By 2050, it is anticipated that this percentage will increase to 66%. Pollution and overheating are becoming a very real problem. Mature trees can help counter this. An adult tree can absorb a mean of 48 pounds of carbon dioxide every year. This helps in making cities healthier places to live.

For every purchase on our store, we donate $1 to One Tree Planted to plant a tree in your name. We believe that we all need to play our part to help the Earth become a better place for not only ourselves, but for the rest of the Earth’s inhabitants as well. And for us, as nature lovers, and lover’s of Michigan’s Forests… We could find no better way to help keep the Earth beautiful, and healthy.

With your help, we know we can reach our 2022 goal, which is to plant 100 trees!