Author: Site Owner

By Allie Wisniewski, American Forests

With Earth Day and Arbor Day in the rearview mirror and another special day right around the corner, we wanted to highlight six environmental holidays that don’t always get much attention. While holidays can be fun reminders of important causes, remember that every day is a good day to celebrate and protect our planet!

National Endangered Species Day

An endangered Kirtland’s warbler. Credit: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Including both animals and plants, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service lists 4,090 threatened and endangered species in the U.S., of which 1,838 are endangered. Concerned? We are too! That’s all the more reason to observe National Endangered Species Day, which is the third Friday in May — tomorrow, May 19! — and was established to promote the importance of conserving incredible wildlife diversity.

World Biodiversity Day — May 22

Credit: Bob Ross

Speaking of diversity, World Biodiversity Day also celebrates the beautiful variety of living things that inhabit the earth. Unfortunately, biodiversity loss has become a major challenge for natural ecosystems, largely due to human-caused habitat destruction, overharvesting and climate change. It was first recognized in 2000 by the UN General Assembly to raise awareness for these increasingly pressing issues.

World Environment Day — June 5

Credit: Loren Kerns

World Environment Day’s inaugural celebration in 1972 left behind an annual legacy of environmental awareness. This year’s host country, Canada, got to choose the theme: Connecting People to Nature. Want to get involved? Get outside and demonstrate that you’re #WithNature.

International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer — September 16

Credit: NASA

While it’s certainly a mouthful, this holiday is one of the most essential on this list. It commemorates the signing of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer in 1987, and to this day encourages global efforts to acknowledge and prevent climate change.

America Recycles Day — November 15

Credit: Adam Levine

The current recycling rate is 34 percent, but we can do better than that! This November, pledge to reduce your waste, learn what recycled materials are collected in your community and, of course, spread the word!

International Day of Forests — March 21

Credit: Loren Kerns

Filtering the air we breathe, improving water quality, and absorbing mass amounts of carbon dioxide, we have ample reasons to honor our forests. The 2017 global celebration highlighted wood energy, which helps to promote sustainable development.

By Doyle Irvin, American Forests

American Forests and Alcoa Foundation searched for on-the-ground local partners who were approaching the environment in a thorough, comprehensive manner; partners who were doing important work in the regions that needed it most. We wanted partners who had a proven track record, and were acting with long-term impacts in mind. We knew we had found the answer when the Sycamore Land Trust connected us with Bill McCoy and the Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge (PRNWR).

Bill McCoy has been planting trees along the Patoka River for 23 years, bringing an inexhaustible methodology to conservation. As Manager of the PRNWR, he, with the help of others, incrementally increases the scope of their conservation efforts every year. They know that conservation is not something that you can just do once, check the box, and then move on to other parts of your life.

“The refuge now consists of 9,007 acres,” he says, which is less than half of the planned total acquisition area of 22,473 acres. To another organization these figures might be daunting, but to McCoy and his comrades at the PRNWR, such lofty goals are only inspiring. The refuge is “one of the most significant bottomland hardwood forests remaining in the Midwest,” McCoy says.

Credit: U.S. Forest Service

Every year they take another step towards their ultimate goal, and the fruits of their perseverance are easy to see. The PRNWR has planted more than 500,000 hardwood trees to date, providing vital reforestation for a region that houses an incredible amount of biodiversity. The refuge is an important habitat for migratory birds, who use the area to rest, nest and feed. Another featured creature is the marbled salamander, a species that — similar to salmon — shows strong ties to specific breeding ponds, meaning that habitat loss especially alters its ability to survive.

This project is particularly interesting to us at American Forests because of its multifaceted approach to restoration efforts. Invasive species are a serious problem at the Columbia Mine Preserve: They must be removed to restore the habitat and allow native oaks and pollinators to thrive. The removed vegetation is then repurposed — it is bundled with cables and placed in adjacent lakes, which are in dire need of habitat structure to improve the aquatic biodiversity. The project will also be reclaiming retired farmlands — farms that were built on floodplains — which includes a whole host of benefits. They will also be planting more than 16,000 trees of 17 different species in specifically chosen areas that will fill in the gaps in the river refuge.

Alcoa employees from the Newburgh, Ind., plant volunteer with the tree planting, establishing an important connection with the reserve. “These habitat restoration efforts could not take place,” McCoy says, “without Alcoa and American Forests.” He added that the help will assist them in their goal of reforesting 5,000 acres. On top of all of its’ environmental benefits, the PRNWR provides important wildlife education and recreation opportunities, and we couldn’t be more excited to help protect it.

This is the first project highlight out of a series of 11 projects we are conducting this year with Alcoa Foundation.

By Allie Wisniewski, American Forests

The summer before 4th grade, my sister and I sat down with my parents in our living room, anticipating an apparently important announcement. My mom explained that in just a few weeks, we’d be embarking on our biggest family adventure yet: traversing the country in an RV. At the time, I hardly understood what that could possibly entail, but I’d soon discover that the comforts of conventional, suburban stability were entirely overrated.

Braving the hottest months of the year, we began our tour in the American southwest and gradually made our way up to the Badlands of South Dakota, relishing in the expansive, humbling beauty of the Grand Canyon and exploring the Pueblo cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde National Park along the way. It was the world’s greatest road trip — I’m still convinced — from the explosive geysers of Yellowstone to Utah’s iconic sandstone arches. I still dream of the Grand Tetons in Wyoming, their snow-capped peaks stark white against the scarlet and lavender of every blooming wildflower. Even still, I remember the stubbornly throbbing pain in my index finger after my unbearable curiosity impelled me to touch a cactus in San Antonio. Hey, I was 9. It seemed like a great idea at the time.

Upon arriving home, I knew immediately that my transformation was irreversible. Though boasting barely 10 years of life, I was officially an adventurer — already I’d walked more miles through the wilderness than I could count on my fingers (and toes). The rest is history, really. My own immersive experiences in tandem with the direct influence of my nature-loving parents instilled in me a deep-seated respect for the environment that remains as pure and true as the Costa Rican hot springs we spent one spring evening wading through. I perceive no separation between what I call “me” and the natural world, and thus I feel compelled to protect and nourish it as I would myself or a loved one. I’ve entered a contract with Mother Nature, and I’m certainly not backing out now.

I’m here working for American Forests because I know that there is no way but the way of nature. My mission to restore global biodiversity and nurture forest ecosystems coupled with my passion for writing and the visual arts leaves me nothing but grateful for this opportunity to spread the increasingly urgent message of conservation and environmental mindfulness. To the trees that give us so much, it’s time to give back.

By Robyn Gillum, American Forests

By now we are all used to the shocking executive orders that have been signed by the president. But one of his newest orders is not just shocking, it’s downright appalling.

Credit: faungg

This new executive order will give the Department of the Interior 120 days to review all national monuments over 100,000 acres that have been created since January 1, 1996 in a push “to give control back to the states and the people.” The order threatens 24 national monuments in total, including seven containing pristine forests that might suffer from extraction practices if their protection is removed.

The administration asserts that the land these national monuments sit on was wrongfully claimed by the federal government through the Antiquities Act of 1906, and that the order will return control of water and natural resources to the people. However, the first claim is inaccurate because the Antiquities Act only allows national monuments to be designated on land that already belongs to the federal government, meaning it already belongs to “the people” (all Americans). In addition, it seems “the people” in reference must not represent the true American population, because a study done last year by Harvard found that 93 percent of Americans think public lands and national parks should be protected for future generations to use.

I’ll give you a brief overview of the history of the Antiquities Act, to clarify its intent: The act was fashioned to protect public lands and the artifacts on those lands that represent the history of the United States, which without protection, might be harmed by development or mining operations. Theodore Roosevelt, who signed the act into law as president, was a well-respected naturalist who combated childhood respiratory problems by exploring the outdoors and appreciating the wild. In fact, he loved the outdoors so much that he spent most of his two terms conserving natural resources by designating national parks and monuments. One of the most famous and controversial national monuments he designated was the Grand Canyon National Monument, now known as Grand Canyon National Park. Right after he created the national monument, a mining group sued him for restricting them from using the land for mining, but the Supreme Court unanimously agreed that the national monument was considered of “historical or scientific interest” as stipulated in the act, and overruled the miners. Unfortunately, it seems that little has changed over the past century, and once again national monuments are being attacked in hopes of opening them to resource extraction.

This new executive order targets 27 national monuments that range from sprawling desert wildlands, like the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah, to marine habitats containing diverse ecosystems, like the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument in the Pacific Ocean. And of course, our focus is on the forests that are also included on the list of threatened national monuments.

One of the most notable national monuments included on the list is California’s Giant Sequoia National Monument, which encompasses over 300,000 acres of the largest trees in the world, including one of American Forests’ oldest Champion Trees. Because of the protections provided by of the Antiquities Act, these majestic trees have been able to flourish without falling victim to development or harvesting. In fact, trees in 33 out of the 39 groves have benefitted by a national monument management plan designed to create a healthy ecosystem.

Other forests, like the Manti-La Sal National Forest in the recently created Bears Ears National Monument in Utah or the San Bernardino Forest in the Sand to Snow National Monument, rebuilt in part by our American ReLeaf program after a devastating fire, also face an uncertain future. If any of these designations are removed, there is no telling what damage the land might face. National monuments are necessary to ensure that forestland across the nation is protected to be enjoyed by future generations, just as Theodore Roosevelt had intended.

Find out the latest in forest news in this week’s Forest Digest!

England’s Sherwood Forest. Credit: Michael Loudon

• Larger swaths of tropical forest being lost to commercial agriculture — ScienceDaily
  Deforestation culprit revealed: A new study by Duke University shows that approximately half of the increase in tropical forest loss between 2000 and 2012 was due to the expansion of large-scale industrial agriculture, primarily in Southeast Asia and South America. To understand how impactful this trend truly is, consider that a typical small family farm is responsible for the annual clearing of roughly 25 acres. An industrial plantation, on the other hand, can clear upwards of 2,500 acres of land per year.
• Insects and disease are ravaging the Southland’s urban trees. Who’s going to stop them? — Los Angeles Times
  It looks like Los Angeles will lose some shade this summer. Due to the spread of invasive insects and disease, Southern California is losing much of its foliage — and fast. Unfortunately, solutions aren’t exactly plentiful, as the exact number of trees affected, and the likelihood of their recovery, remains unclear.
• Sherwood Forest ‘will not be fracked,’ council says — BBC News
  England’s legendary Sherwood Forest, famously known for its association with the legend of Robin Hood, was recently set to be surveyed for fracking potential. These plans, however, have been cancelled, much to the relief of the Nottinghamshire County Council, who has no legal power to prevent the surveying. The forest is home to more than 1,000 “veteran” oak trees, including the beautifully ancient Major Oak.
• Alaska’s thawing soils are now pouring carbon dioxide into the air — The Washington Post
  “We all knew this was coming,” says Harvard atmospheric scientist Roisin Commane in response to a new study by the National Academy of Sciences, which warns of detrimental environmental consequences caused by thawing Alaskan permafrost. As frozen soils begin to melt due to rising global temperatures, greenhouse gases in the form of carbon dioxide stream into the air. Researchers fear that these findings likely have applications in other vaster permafrost regions, such as Siberia and Canada.
• Forests equal to 60% of Australian landmass discovered using new tool — ABC News (Australia)
  This article from Australia’s ABC News only further supports the fact that we don’t always know as much as we think we do. With the help of a new photo-interpretation tool called Collect Earth, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, along with teams of scientists and university students, discovered 467 million hectares (equivalent to 60 percent of the size of Australia) of dense forest land —land that was previously assumed to be dry and barren.
• The biodegradable burial pod that turns your body into a tree — CNN
  Not one for tradition, or want to ensure environmental wellness long after you’re gone? Italian designers Raoul Bretzel and Anna Citelli might have what you’re looking for. A new biodegradable burial pod provides the option for your remains to nourish a tree sapling as you decompose.
• When thinking of forests, don’t forget the value of trees — The World Bank
  According to this article from The World Bank, 20 percent — or 1.3 billion — of the world’s people depends on forests for their livelihood. As such, it’s no surprise that forest landscape restoration has become a priority for many. The rejuvenation of these lands, however, benefits more than the forests themselves — it could even help reduce poverty. Environmental benefits are coupled with economic opportunities, and thus “tree-based systems” are on the rise.

Background photo credit: Chuck Fazio

In his newly released book “The Songs of Trees”, Pulitzer finalist David George Haskell takes on complicated subjects like ethics and science through the lens of twelve trees around the world. Visiting trees thriving in completely wild spaces, those surviving within the human world, and even the remains of trees that once were, Haskell seeks what he calls “ecological kleos,” or his interpretation of the combined measure and memories of these great trees.

American Forests team members Lindsey Miller-Voss and Doyle Irvin had the chance to review an advance copy of the book and are here to share their impressions.

Lindsey: Overall, I found my favorite part of the book to be Haskell’s ability to transport the reader to locations of each tree he was exploring. The book starts with the Ceiba tree, where Haskell speaks of moss in flight and the leaves of plants speaking the rain’s language. When capturing the balsam fir, he described growth “so thick that no person could pass without a severe exfoliation,” and later he describes the sun-hammered and parched streets of Jerusalem. Some of the tree locations I’ve visited personally, and his imagery matched my memories perfectly.

Doyle: It was definitely a captivating way to begin the book! I enjoyed how Haskell started the chapter on hazel trees with saying “The tree’s remains are swathed in plastic and enclosed in a cardboard sarcophagus.” Dramatic, I originally thought, and I was wrong — he is absolutely correct, here, when he renders with such morbid imagery. The chapter ended up being utterly fascinating. Starting with his own identification of 10,000-year-old charcoal as derived from hazel just by looking at it, he then follows the intermingling of human and hazel interaction since the last ice age, showing how the two species have been codependent in the region for the entirety of their occupancy. “People and hazel arrived in the region at about the same time … [the forests] have lived in relationship with people from their origins in glacial rumble through to the present day.” Our species relied on hazel trees for fuel and food, is his point — a matter of life and death in freezing Scotland.

LMV: I also loved the aptly named “interludes,” one of which describes the difference in sounds and vibrations from two pieces of maple. In his first attempts to discern a difference, Haskell falls short, only to later recognize the subtle contrast between a bright, open sound, and one tinged with turbidity. We readers later understand the significance of these differences, as Haskell recounts a luthier giving second life to these wooden pieces as parts of a violin, which I find to be a beautiful story of rebirth and possibility.

DI: He also covers the process of energy production, from stone hearths in the Mesolithic era to power plants in the modern age, drawing special attention to the booming biomass industry. “We are as dependent on fire as were the people of the Mesolithic,” Haskell writes, “but now we stand at a great distance from the hearth.”

Final Thoughts?

LMV: This is a great read for those wanting to be swept away to new locations while gaining a greater appreciation for the impact a single tree can have. Haskell’s lyrical depiction of temperatures 40 degrees below zero while visiting the balsam fir will also go a long way in easing the rising temperatures for summer readers!

DI: I found his writing at times equally terrifying as it is enthralling. People will definitely love this book!

The author graciously provided American Forests with an excerpt from his chapter on the green ash:

David George Haskell (@dghaskell), is the author of the newly released “The Songs of Trees,” an exploration of science and ethics through the lives of a dozen trees around the world. He is a professor of biology at Sewanee, and is the author of “The Forest Unseen,” winner of the 2013 National Academies’ Best Book Award and a Pulitzer finalist.

Excerpt from “The Songs of Trees” by David George Haskell, published on April 4, 2017 by Viking, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. Copyright by David George Haskell, 2017.