Open a magazine and chances are you will find of pictures of “dream homes” surrounded by trees. (I bet the cover of this issue features a beautiful home with lots of trees.) Look inside those homes and you can expect to see products made from trees everywhere; wood furniture, floors, cabinets, wallpaper, pictures, wooden accessories and more. People like being surrounded by trees and the warmth of wood products. Not to mention that it is an economical source of raw materials and a wonderful, renewable resource. Wood is green – even when it’s a different color.
But there’s more…
Top 10 Reasons We Need Trees:
Published by the USDA Forest Service
- Trees help purify the air we breathe by absorbing pollutants.
- Trees increase property values and improve the tax base in communities.
- Trees improve neighborhood appeal, attracting business, shoppers, and homeowners.
- Trees cool our cities and towns by reducing heat generated by buildings and paved surfaces.
- Tree shade, properly placed, can save an average household up to $250 annually in energy costs.
- Trees reduce the amount of pollutants in sewer systems, saving communities millions of dollars in water treatment costs.
- Trees soften harsh building lines and large expanses of pavement, making urban environments much more pleasant.
- Trees provide habitat for birds and other wildlife, maintaining a balance with nature even in urban areas.
- Trees reduce the amount of water-borne pollutants that reach streams and rivers.
- Trees reduce levels of domestic violence and foster safer, more sociable neighborhood environments.
Knowing they can do all that kind of makes you want to get out and plant a few more trees doesn’t it?
It’s interesting that none the things we make from trees made the list. We use trees for everything from maple syrup, to baseball bats to the paper this article is printed on. It is so ubiquitous that we take wood completely for granted. Since I deal in domestic and tropical lumber every day I have an abiding interest in the future of the world’s forests and wood supply. I think we need to use the resources nature offers us, as long as we use them wisely and ensure they will be available to future generations.
Great strides have been made in managing forests both domestically and in the tropics. Illegal logging hasn’t been completely stamped out, but you can help ensure the sustainability of the world’s forests by dealing with reputable dealers who are careful about their sources of supply. Because the use of forest products gives value to the trees, that economic value in turn goes back to local economies. If forests had no importance, they would risk being cleared permanently for farming or population growth. You can use forest products knowing that sound conservation practices support both forests and their local economies.
And when you use wood, you don’t have to worry about making a mistake – wood does, after all, grow on trees.
