National Love A Tree Day is celebrated every year on May 16 and it falls right in the middle of Garden for Wildlife Month. Did you know trees actually didn’t exist for the first 90% of Earth’s history? Shocking, isn’t it? Before trees, our Earth had fungi that grew 26 feet tall and resembled trees. Trees have played an irreplaceable role in the smooth functioning of our environment and celebrating this special day dedicated to them is the least we can do to appreciate them.
History of National Love a Tree Day
Trees can be thousands and thousands of years old with many species tending to have long lifespans. In fact, trees can be traced back to the creation of the world, according to the Bible and the story of Adam and Eve who ate the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
From well-preserved cellular anatomy, it has been found that Cladoxylopsida were the first species of large trees to appear on Earth almost 400 million years ago in the Devonian period. The other earliest trees were known to be tree ferns, horsetails, and lycophytes and, currently, it is estimated that there are close to three trillion mature trees in the world.
Trees have so many benefits — they provide us with lumber, food, nuts, oxygen to breathe, home for wildlife, and much more. Trees are even used for ornamental and decoration purposes. In the United States itself, there are approximately 766 million acres of forest land.
Trees form an essential part of our environment and, over the years, their importance has been taught to children growing up. Even in recent times, individuals have become so environmentally conscious that a sustainable lifestyle to protect our trees has become the norm. Most people now want to protect and preserve our trees, which make the world a better and safer place to live in.
While the hunt to find the origins of this day is still on, an entire day of appreciation for trees that have given us so much is the least we can do.
National Love a Tree Day timeline
1800 Christmas Tree Tradition
European nobles and officials adopt and popularize the tradition of setting up evergreen conifer trees in homes for Christmas.
1830 –1860 Joshua Tree’s Name
These plants get their name from Mormon settlers as the shape of the tree’s branches reminds them of a biblical passage wherein Joshua raises his hands to the sky in prayer.
1994 Wollemia Trees Found
A few survivors of these ancient trees that were once thought to be extinct are found living in a temperate rainforest in Australia.
Fossils of probably the first tree, Wattieza, that date back to the middle Devonian period, are found in New York State.
National Love a Tree Day FAQs
Arbor Day occurs on the last Friday in April.
World Tree or Forest Day is celebrated annually on 21 March.
They give us clean water to drink, air to breathe, shade, and food for humans, animals, and plants. They provide habitats for numerous species of fauna and flora, firewood for cooking and heat, materials for buildings and places of spiritual, cultural, and recreational importance.
How To Celebrate National Love a Tree Day
Plant a tree native to your area
Go for a walk in the woods
Release your inner tree hugger and go hug some trees to show them your love. Make sure you do it in front of some people so you can inspire them to show their love to these gentle giants too!
Do some quick research on trees that are native to your area. Once done, you can go ahead and purchase some seeds for that tree and plant them. Put in an effort to look after it as much as possible and see the fruits of your labor grow, literally.
Trees are a vital part of nature and exist all around us. Why not spend the day among trees to celebrate? Go for a walk in the woods and soak in the beauty of trees.
5 Facts About Trees That Will Blow Your Mind
A bristlecone pine tree named Methuselah has lived for more than 4,800 years and is older than the Egyptian Pyramids.
Trees have kind of traveled to space when tree seeds were taken up by Apollo 14 astronauts.
Having a mature tree’s shade near your house can actually help to reduce your home cooling bill by approximately 20% in the summer.
It has been found that trees start producing a chemical called phenolics when they detect an insect raid, which acts as a signal for other trees.
An average tree can drink up to almost 530 gallons of water annually.
Why We Love National Love A Tree Day
Trees keep our streets and homes cooler
It helps to reconnect with Earth
Trees are a habitat for wildlife
Urban areas can get significantly hot and even more so in summer. This is when our loving trees come to the rescue! The shade and water vapor provided by trees can keep urban areas so much cooler. National Love A Tree Day is a perfect opportunity to acknowledge the importance of this green cover.
Planting a tree or simply taking care of existing trees can evoke a sense of belonging with nature. Trees are nature, after all, and spending time with them can help you reconnect with Earth. National Love a Tree Day can be a good place to start if you’ve been feeling a disconnect with nature and life outside of routine work.
Of course, we know that a lot of animals live in the forests and need trees for survival. Trees are home to a diverse range of birds, insects, and mammals. A simple tree will also house hundreds or thousands of small creatures like snakes, frogs, millipedes, ants, termites, spiders, to name a few. National Love a Tree Day helps us appreciate these beauties that are essentially home to so many living beings.
