Presented by Nancy Beals

and Adrienne Aluzzo

The Problem
 The Greenhouse Effect
Carbon dioxide and other gases warm the
surface of the planet naturally by trapping
solar heat in the atmosphere.
Burning fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil
and clearing forests we have dramatically
increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the
Earth’s atmosphere and temperatures are
rising.
Changes: Glaciers are melting, plants and
animals are being forced from their habitat,
and the number of severe storms and
droughts is increasing.
“An Inconvenient Truth,” by Al Gore
Deforestation in the U.S.
The USA has already experienced our wave
of deforestation.
Old growth forests already harvested by 1920
 Alaska and areas of the west still harvested
 Pacific Northwest and Michigan’s UP heavily cut until
recently

In 70 years only ¼ of existing forest will remain

Much forest re-growth has occurred in 20th century but

these differ in structure and composition from their
predecessors.
There Are Solutions
Trees Fight Greenhouse
Effect
Remove the carbon
from CO2 and store
it as cellulose in the
trunk while releasing
the oxygen back into
the air
Provide shade to our
homes and office
buildings, thus
reducing air
conditioning needs
by up to 30%
 Benefits of Trees
Once acre of forest absorbs six tons of carbon
dioxide and puts out four tons of oxygen,
enough to meet the annual needs of 18
people.
Healthy, mature trees add an average of 10%
to a property’s value.
The planting of trees means improved water
quality, resulting in less runoff and erosion.
In the laboratory, visual exposure to settings
with trees has produced significant recovery
from stress in within 5 minutes.
 More Benefits of Trees
Trees can stimulate economic development,
attracting new business and tourism.
Nationally, the 60 million street trees have an
average value of $525 per tree.
There are about 60-200 million spaces along
our city streets where trees could be planted,
this could mean 33 million more tons of CO2
absorbed every year and $4 billion savings in
energy costs.
 Even More Benefits of
Trees
Prevents or reduces soil erosion and water
pollution.
Windbreaks around homes can be shields against
wind and snow and heating costs can be reduced
by as much as 30 %
Trees also provide food:
 Nuts (walnuts, pecans, hickory),
 fruit (plum, peaches, apples, pears),
 berries for jams and jellies
 maple syrup
Trees give people a multitude of recreational
opportunities and provide habitat for wildlife.
Trees can have other value: as commemoratives
of deceased loved ones and for passing on
something of value to future generations.
What Can I Do?
Trees That Grow Well in
Michigan
Arborvitae Hemlock
Spruce Poplar
Oak Pine
Boxwood Willow, Weeping
Apple Juniper
Azaleas Cherry
Birch Crabapple
Magnolia Dogwood
Maple Lilac
 Planting a Tree
Choose at least a five to six-foot tree grown to nursery
standards.
Select a site with enough room for roots and branches
to reach full size. Avoid overhead and underground
utilities.
Prepare a planting area as deep as the root ball and
three to five times its diameter by loosening the soil.
Dig a hole in the middle of the area. In heavy clay soil,
plant 2-3 inches above the base of the trunk flare
(where the roots meet the main stem) rather than at or
below the original growing level. If the soil is very
sandy, then plant at grade so that the soil at the top of
the root ball doesn't erode or dry out. Overall, plant
the root ball so that once some settling of the soil
occurs, the trunk FLARE is at grade level.
Use water to settle soil and remove air pockets in
planting area.
Stake the tree to flex with the wind only if tree is
unable to stand up to wind.
Planting a Tree Seedling
Plant your seedling as soon as possible - in cooler
climates, before the first frost. If first frost has
occurred already, then plant your tree indoors and
transplant it once the chance of frost is over.
Prepare a planting area where the seedling will
have adequate space to grow into a full sized tree
both above and below the ground. (Pay special
attention to utility wires.)
Place the root collar (the place where the roots
join the stem) at soil level.
Settle soil with water to avoid air space.
Protect seedling from damage caused by feet,
lawnmowers, pets, etc.
 Where to Plant Trees
 Planting trees around your home will conserve energy and lower
the cost of utility bills. Three well-placed deciduous (leaf-losing)
trees on the east, south, and west sides of a home will shade it
from summer sun and lower air conditioning costs by 10 to 50
percent. In addition to saving money, conserving energy directly
translates to less carbon dioxide produced at the power plants
 Learn More
 American Forests:
http://www.americanforests.org/about_us/
 Arbor Day Foundation: http://www.arborday.org/index.cfm
 Michigan Arbor Day Tree Order Form:
http://www.globalreleaf.org/treesaleform2008.pdf
 Gateway to Michigan’s Native Plants:
http://www.macd.org/nativeplants/nphome.html
 Global Releaf of Michigan:
http://www.globalreleaf.com/neighborhood.htm
 Greening of Detroit:
http://www.greeningofdetroit.com/index2.htm
 Michigan. Department of Natural Resources, Urban and
Community Forestry:
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-30301_30505_40936-
Michigan Arbor Day Alliance:
http://www.miarbordayalliance.org/
 Natural Resources Defense Council:
http://www.nrdc.org/default.asp
 TreeLink: http://www.treelink.org/
 Learn More
Don't forget, American Forests can
plant trees for you as part of our Global
ReLeaf program. Each tree is planted in
restoration projects taking place in the U.S.
and around the world.
Global ReLeaf Goal: Every dollar of your
membership plants another tree toward
the goal of 40 million trees by 2007.
Membership: $25.00
Arbor Day is April 25th