Around the world, people have given special names to important trees and forests. They also have discovered rare trees and rediscovered others that were forgotten. The forests in many areas are protected as parks and sanctuaries, but forested lands around the world need continued conservation efforts. Conservation groups help to protect forests by educating the public and by conducting research to decide which areas need to be preserved. When people learn about forests, ecology, and biodiversity, they are more likely to want to protect forests and wildlife. It’s easy to learn about trees in your area—and to become a “tree keeper” yourself!
Every state in the United States has an official state tree. Twelve provinces in Canada have an official tree. For example, the red oak is the state tree of New Jersey and also the provincial tree of Prince Edward Island in Canada. The paper birch (also called white birch) is the state tree of New Hampshire and the provincial tree of Saskatchewan, Canada. The southern magnolia (a species with large flowers) is the state tree of both Mississippi and Louisiana. The state tree of California is the coast redwood.
You may have already learned in school what your state tree is. Ask your teacher or librarian to help you find out what species it is.
The leaves of a sugar maple, the state tree of New York, Vermont, and West Virginia, turn bright yellow-orange in the fall.
The twigs of a young balsam fir, the official provincial tree of New Brunswick, Canada. Balsam firs are often grown on tree farms to be harvested as Christmas trees. The needles on younger firs lie somewhat flat, while the needles on older firs grow outward.
In many countries around the world, forests and even individual trees have become famous.
A white oak in Connecticut was named the Charter Oak because in 1687, a group of early colonial leaders had to hide an important document—a charter—in the tree. They didn’t want a British agent to find it!
The General Sherman tree is the biggest living giant sequoia tree (by its estimated weight and volume).
The tallest coast redwood (about 380 feet tall) is named Hyperion.
You’ve probably read or heard about the legend of Robin Hood, who lived about 900 years ago in England. The forest he lived in (with his group of “merry men”) was Sherwood Forest, which is now a protected forest park in England.
The Black Forest of southern Germany is famous for stories of imaginary witches and werewolves. The forest got its name because parts of it are very dark and dense with conifers.
In South America, the area around the Amazon River is famous for its rain forest.
The Gros Morne National Park in Newfoundland, Canada, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The United States has several famous forests, including Adirondack Park in New York, Pinelands National Reserve in New Jersey, and Sequoia National Park in California.
These are only a few of the notable trees and forests around the world. There are many more! A kauri tree in the forests of New Zealand is at least 2,000 years old. A recently discovered spruce on Fulu Mountain in central Sweden may be the oldest tree in the world. There are more studies and more discoveries to be made every year!
Trees are important to a diversity of animals for finding food, making a nest or den, or resting and hiding safely. But trees are also important to people as symbols of strength, beauty, and long life. That’s why we name many streets and towns after trees!
In California, there are towns named Cottonwood and Walnut Creek. In Illinois, you can find the towns of Sycamore and Poplar Grove on a map. Florida has towns named Live Oak and Royal Palm Beach. And in Ontario, Canada, there is a town called Oakwood.
Most cities and towns have streets with the names of trees. Maple Street and Elm Street are common street names. Some towns have several streets named after trees. The city of Norwalk, Connecticut, has Tulip Tree Lane. You probably have a street in your own town or neighborhood named for a tree.
Many towns and cities have streets named after trees—like Elm Street.
On a road entering the Gros Morne National Park in Newfoundland, a World Heritage site.
There are famous trees almost everywhere in the world. The Fothergall Yew—at least 2,000 years old—may be one of Scotland’s oldest trees. There are several species of yew trees. They are usually called taxus (TAX-us) by landscapers and tree nurseries. The English yew is native to Europe and part of Africa. The Pacific yew grows in the extreme western United States and Canada, and a rare species grows in Florida. According to legend, Robin Hood of Sherwood Forest used a hunting bow made from yew.
TRY THIS!
You can make a colorful poster to help your friends and classmates learn about your state tree.
MATERIALS
Photo or drawing of state tree
Poster board, or a big piece of heavy white paper
Colored pencils, pens, or crayons
Old newspapers and magazines
Scissors
Glue
Tape
1. Look at a photo or drawing of your state tree. Make your own drawing of the tree on your poster board. It should be the biggest part of the poster design.
2. Cut out words such as Save! or Look! from newspaper sales ads. Or cut out colored arrows or exclamation points. Glue them on the poster.
3. Write the name of the tree in big letters.
4. Tape or hang your poster in a place where others can see it. Ask your teacher if you can hang it in the classroom. When people see the poster, they are likely to ask you all about it—and you can tell them what you have learned!
A species of tree may become rare because it has been cut down everywhere it grew, or because few are left due to widespread fires, drought, or even insect damage. The American chestnut tree became a rare species because a blight (a fungus infection) killed more than a billion trees. A tree may be rare in one state but not in another. The chestnut oak is a rare species of oak in Maine, where it is at the very northern edge of its range (the place where it grows naturally). But it is found in several other states in the east.
In the southeastern United States, a small tree called Elliottia is very rare. It seems to spread mostly by its rootstock, which sends up new growth.
Scientists are developing cultivars of the American chestnut that will be able to resist the fungus that killed a large number of the trees. The tree’s leaves turn yellow-gold in the fall.
The leaf of a chestnut oak. This oak is rare in Maine.
The Franklinia tree (named for Benjamin Franklin) is famous because it is extinct. There are no wild Franklinias left. Around 1765, John Bartram and his son William saw a stand of these beautiful flowering trees along a river in Georgia. The Bartrams were naturalists from Pennsylvania who were exploring the south. William Bartram explored by himself years later and collected specimens (seeds and roots) of Franklinia to bring back to Pennsylvania. The seeds and roots were cared for in the Bartrams’ gardens so they would grow into saplings. The trees grew quite well, but the original stand of wild Franklinia was never found again. All of the Franklinia trees alive today (and sold in nurseries) are descendants of the original roots or seeds brought north to Pennsylvania.
In China, a species of wild magnolia has become extinct because all the trees were cut and harvested to make medicines. There are none left growing in the wild, but the trees are grown and cultivated in gardens.
National Arbor Day is traditionally the last Friday in April. However, states that have long, cold winters observe Arbor Day (or even Arbor Week) on a later date, often in May, when it is warm enough to plant trees. Most towns and cities hold Arbor Day celebrations and events. Young trees (saplings) are often planted in front of a school or community building as a special event. The first Arbor Day was celebrated in 1872.
Earth Day, which began in 1970, is celebrated every year on April 22. Local events often include planting saplings and cleaning up litter. Some people even set up birdhouses. Both Arbor Day and Earth Day are welcome holidays for ecologists, conservationists, and environmentalists. The two days offer excellent opportunities to remind people of the amazing natural world around us.
Take some time on Earth Day or Arbor Day to look at the trees around you—even tiny seedlings. Seedlings are trees that have recently germinated (sprouted) from seeds. Seedlings a few years old may be only a foot or two tall, but they are the trees of the future! If you are walking along a forest trail or in a large park, you are likely to see seedlings. They might be just a few inches tall or about knee-high.
Forests and woodlands are important because trees (and all plants) produce oxygen. They provide food and nesting sites for birds, mammals, insects, and other wildlife. Their root systems protect soil from erosion and prevent flooding along rivers. People grow and harvest trees for food (such as apples, walnuts, and cherries) and use timber and lumber to build houses, furniture, and even pencils.
We need to protect and preserve forests using good conservation methods. Conservationists help to teach the public about saving and protecting forests and finding the best ways to do it. They work with state and government programs to decide which forests and woodlands should be set aside as parks or reserves. They help states or towns to protect forested areas for the future. A conservationist also finds out what animals and plants are rare or endangered in a forest. There is probably a conservation group in your state or region.
Most parks and large forested areas have fire towers. From the high tower, which usually is between 20 and 60 feet tall, a forest service worker or park warden has a bird’s-eye view of the landscape. The warden can easily look for any signs of smoke or fire—especially during a drought or very dry weather.
This fire tower is 54 feet tall, and made of steel.
You can discover some trees of the future whenever you walk in a park or woodland.
MATERIALS
Area with trees
Your sharp eyes
Forest logbook and pencil
1. Whenever you are walking on a woodland trail—or visiting a park, sanctuary, or arboretum—look on the ground for seedlings.
2. Write field notes about a seedling you find. Draw a picture of it if you can. Try to make a good judgment of how tall it is so if you can visit it a year later, you can see how much it has grown.
A seedling pine or other conifer is usually easy to spot. A seedling that’s only a few years old will have a main stem—which will be a woody trunk some day!
Seedlings of deciduous trees (such as maples, oaks, and birches) may already have several branches when they are a foot or two tall.
Look for seedlings as you walk around a park or hike along a forest trail.
This seedling of an eastern white pine is only seven inches tall.
This green oval design was the symbol for ecology in the 1970s. College students and environmentalists wore T-shirts or caps that had the green symbol on it. There were even flags with the ecology design!
A landscaper fills in the last shovelfuls of dirt after transplanting a 10-foot-tall balsam fir on Arbor Day.
A university student examines forest insects for his classes. He is using a stereomicroscope.
Many people work to protect our forests and city trees and keep them healthy. Here are some examples:
Entomologists are scientists who study insects. It’s important to know what species of insects can damage forest trees or street trees. Species new to an area may invade or infest a woodland as they arrive from other places. An entomologist knows how to identify insects (and trees) and determines if the range of harmful insects might be spreading to new areas. State and forest service entomologists often use light traps (traps that have special ultraviolet lights to attract insects) to collect and study forest insects.
A botanist is a scientist who studies plants. A botanist can specialize in studying forest wildflowers, trees, the range of trees and shrubs, or how plants are affected by pollution.
A dendrologist (den-DROL-uh-jist) is a botanist who studies trees and shrubs and usually teaches at a college or nature center.
Ecologists study and evaluate how plants and animals live together in different habitats, such as swamps and deserts. Ecologists investigate the food and nesting sites that animals need and their relationship to the trees and other plants in that habitat. They also evaluate how the climate and soil affect the plants and animals.
An arborist is a person who has had training in the best way to care for trees. Arborists know the best methods to prune and transplant trees and shrubs and how to identify insect damage or fungus infections.
Professional landscapers know what types of trees and shrubs grow well along city streets and around homes, schools, and office buildings. They know the best way to care for the trees.
Foresters work for state or national organizations to manage and analyze forest health conditions. They know how to identify insect problems and winter snow and ice damage to trees, and they make decisions about new conservation efforts. Foresters often work with volunteers and conservationists to plant tree seedlings after a forest fire.
A dendrologist uses a small magnifying glass to examine the new spring growth on a box elder maple.
The design of the national flag of Canada became official in February 1965. It has a bright orange-red maple leaf in the center. People usually call it a red maple leaf because it’s red. But a leaf from a red maple tree has serrated edges. The leaf on the flag looks like a sugar maple leaf. Sugar maples are common across southeastern Canada and most of the northeastern United States. Sugar maples are also called rock maples or hard maples, because their wood is hard and heavy. The leaf on the Canadian flag is a stylized leaf, a design that was chosen as the best of many artistic designs. The colorful leaf is an excellent symbol of the bright and beautiful forested landscape of Canada, especially during the autumn.
Trees around the world are symbols of strength and long life, and are sometimes used as emblems on national or state flags.
This leaf from a red maple has serrated edges.
Forest rangers, wardens, and foresters work at parks, forests, and state or other government agencies that protect and preserve trees. They often give educational tours and talks at parks.
Wildlife photographers, nature artists, and outdoor writers help to teach the public about trees, forests, and wildlife by having their work published in newspapers, magazines, and books for all to see and enjoy.
Most cities and towns have a tree commissioner or a tree warden who makes sure that the street trees are healthy and well cared for.
Scientists and researchers who study climate, weather, and soils help us to learn more about keeping forests healthy. Recently, severe drought conditions have affected California and Nevada. Drought (a lack of rain) can last for years and can kill trees, shrubs, and grasslands.
TRY THIS!
Trees near houses, schools, and town buildings are usually cared for so they stay healthy. You can adopt a tree near your home and keep it watered or mulched. Mulch is a covering of dead leaves, pine needles, or grass cuttings (or a mix) spread around a tree to help keep the soil from drying out. If you look at trees planted near your school or an office building, you might notice a circle of mulch around the trunk.
MATERIALS
Tree near your home
Watering can (optional)
Rake
Gardening gloves or work gloves
1. Ask an adult for permission to take care of a small tree or shrub near your home.
2. If it hasn’t rained recently, you might need to water the tree first. Always check for any local water restrictions before you begin watering.
3. Mulch your tree. To make mulch, rake up a pile of leaves, cut grass, or pine needles (or a mix). Place them around the trunk. Use gloves to protect your hands. The mulch should be about 3 or 4 inches deep. Leave a space right at the trunk to keep insects away from the bark. For a young tree (a sapling), you can spread the mulch away from the trunk to where the branches above end.
4. Don’t pack the mulch down—leave it loose. If it’s very windy, you might have to water the mulch a little to keep it from blowing around. The layer of mulch will help keep the soil below from drying out.
