Conservation Cause: Trees
Photo by Herreid
By J. C. Stevens
Decades ago, a five-year-old girl living in Illinois shuffled through leaves on her way home from school. It was fall, and all of the trees in her neighborhood were robed in red, gold and brown. The little girl picked up an especially pretty leaf and pressed it between the pages of a children's poetry book when she got home.
I was that five-year-old girl, and that perfect autumn day took place the year I learned to read. I didn’t see the connection then, but I had trees to thank for the books I was reading, too.
Eventually, my family returned to Southern California and the leaf-shedding trees of the Midwest gave way to the frond-dropping palm trees of Ventura. I'm older now, but I still cherish trees. I’ve planted orange, lemon, fig and pomegranate trees in my yard and others as well.
My trees do more than provide beautiful memories, fruit and shade. They provide habitat for local wild birds, and on a global scale help keep all of us alive. Trees breathe in carbon dioxide, the most important greenhouse gas contributing to climate change, and give us oxygen in return.
According to the Sierra Club, the world's forests may absorb 25 percent of the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere each year from human activities. Trees also create cooler microclimates -- important as the planet warms.
So plant a tree. And if you live in a dry region, as I do, plant a native one. I personally like the toyon, a shrub or small tree that takes little water and is a magnet for birds and bees.
Ventura Audubon Society recommends trimming trees from September to January to avoid disturbing bird nesting habitat. Fall and winter trimming also spares the trees heat stress.
You can also support local, state, national or international charities that plant trees or help preserve them.