Small, but he'll be big someday!
According to Trees Ontario, a non-profit tree planting group, “We are not planting nearly enough [trees] each year, particularly on our rural landscape. Experts say that in order to reforest and achieve an average of 30 per cent forest cover and regain the healthy ecosystem we need to plant about a billion more trees across southern Ontario.”
Wow, that’s a lot of trees. But rather than get overwhelmed, we can all try to make a dent in that number. I’ve had the opportunity to help out with some tree plantings around the Don River in Toronto, a very fun experience. For the holidays, Trees Ontario has an affordable holiday donation program. At the starting level, you can have 10 trees planted for $25, and you can buy the donation in someone else’s name, the ultimate “green” gift.
Through a story in Homemakers magazine, I learned that it’s better to buy a real Christmas tree every year than a fake one, because of the energy required to make an artificial tree. And then there’s the fact that, once they look tatty, they’ll sit in the landfill forever.
Conversely, a real tree comes from a tree farm. While I wouldn’t call a tree farm a natural habitat, I’d say they’re a good use of rural land, they’re a source of local jobs, and while they’re growing, the trees provide cooling, prevent erosion and capture harmful gasses, as shown here. But rather than purchase a cut tree, I’m looking for a potted tree, something native to Ontario that I can plant in my yard this spring. Then we’ll be at 999,999,999 trees to go!
Are you getting a Christmas tree this year?
