Columbia Daily Tribune
By Jan Wiese-Fales
“I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree,” begins the well-known poem “Trees” by Joyce Kilmer. As an ardent fan of all things with bark and leaves, I agree words will never be able to compete with the beauty of a single tree. But the visual and spiritual appeal of trees is only a small part of what they silently and faithfully contribute to the lives of the rest of us who inhabit the planet.
Though Missouri celebrates Arbor Day on the first Friday in April, Friday was the national celebration of planting trees, first conceived by pioneer journalist J. Sterling Morton who moved to the tree-bare plains of Nebraska in 1854. Morton saw the practical importance of trees — protection from the wind and sun, erosion prevention and trees’ use as both building materials and fuel — and staged the first Arbor Day on April 10, 1872. It is believed as many as 1 million trees were planted in Nebraska that day.
The United Nations has declared 2011 the International Year of Forests. Language from the resolution says, “Concerted efforts should focus on raising awareness at all levels to strengthen the sustainable management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests for the benefit of current and future generations.”
A launch event was held in early February at the U.N. General Assembly Headquarters, and events have been scheduled worldwide in a crusade to acknowledge and laud the role trees and forests play in Earth’s ecosystems.
Supporting partners of the 2011 IYOF in the United States, the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, have chosen to observe the global event with the theme “Celebrate Forests. Celebrate Life.” The campaign is promoting four broad areas in which trees contribute to the health of Americans: clean air and water, ecosystem health, economic health, and community and personal health.
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