What The Hell...Plant Some Trees This Year!
It is no big secret that I have been a huge advocate of doing my part to regenerate new growth…through the planting of trees, wildlife shrubs, berries and fruit trees, natural windbreaks and hedgerows, and as a means to add natural beauty to the properties I live on.
What people tend to either not realize or not fully appreciate, is what a simple act of even planting just one tree seedling can do for both improving the quality of the natural world by providing food, shelter, oxygen, and beauty of the tree or shrub itself, as well as the rest of the living creatures that make use of what the tree has to offer. I could write an entire article on this subject, however, given the New Year upon us, I want to share this video on the Arbor Day Foundation Vision.
Please note, while I have been a long-time supporter of the Arbor Day Foundation in many ways…whether it be in direct contribution…such as purchasing trees in celebration of others…or indirectly through sharing the information about what they do and how they support a number of the same values and vision that I have. This is the same for the other non-profit organizations I support in various ways, shapes, and forms…as we are all in this together.
Here is the link to the New York State Colonel William F. Fox Memorial Saratoga Tree Nursery which has a number of links on planting trees and ordering tree seedlings. Check your own area to see if there is a State Nursery or tree seedling sales can also be run by local Soil and Water Conservation Districts or similar organizations. There are also online companies that offer similar services and hopefully there will be more developing to capitalize on efficiencies, so the real end goal is achieved…which is to plant more trees…for the benefit of all of us.
To be honest though, over the years I have purchased the overwhelming majority of the over 5000 seedlings I planted on my 56 acres (23 hectares) of property in Tioga County, NY. What got accomplished on that piece of property was not the work solely of one person. I was simply doing the research, coming up with ideas, and getting feedback and support in various ways from my friends, family, and during conversations with strangers who shared the same interests.
At one path along that journey, I met two other gentlemen, Don Schaufler, and Jim Hilker who spent over a year working on a filming project on my property to give a visual demonstration of the true meaning of my favorite phrase that I have been using since I was a child…There Is A Method To The Madness.
A special shout out goes to Pure Prairie League for the background music “Aimee”.
At the end of the day, even if every person just planted one tree - by yourself, with a group, or to support an organization like the Arbor Day Foundation…our World would most certainly be a very different and very beautiful place for is all to live together in peace. Perhaps it’s just me…but hey, what the hell…why not make an easy New Year’s Resolution that you can actually keep…commit to plant one tree seedling this for yourself or someone else…but at the end of the day, we are just doing it for each other. Seems simple enough to me, but what do I know?
