May 16, 2025
And many thanks to Lynn Mead for sharing her Tree of Life Labyrinth pattern. Super fun to give a whirl! The easy to follow directions can be found on tanglepatterns.com posted 08/14/2021
Today, May 16th, just so happens to be National Love a Tree Day! It’s the official day to celebrate all of life’s joys brought to us by the trees we share this planet with. Whether you love reading in the shade or taking a bite out of a fresh fruit pie, National Love a Tree Day encourages y’all to get outside and enjoy a tree.
A Changing Landscape
We all know many tree species live many many years; some live to be several thousand years old. According to the U.S. Forest Service, about 766 million acres of forest land exists in the United States today, a number that’s held steady since 2012. But the nature of our forests has changed over the last 400 years, due to changes in management practices and demand. Population growth, rural and urban development, along with a variety of land uses (like conversion of forests to agriculture use) resulted in a steady decline of forested acres between 1630 and 1910; a decline from 1,023 million acres to 753 million acres or 46% to 34% of the total land area in the U.S. Since that time until the present, where people choose to live and how the land is used has been constantly changing. While some urban forests increase, other areas see a decline. Tree planting programs improve landscapes but human activities and population growth continue to impact these ecosystems.
We All Benefit from Trees
Trees provide more than just beautiful landscapes and a shady canopy on a sunny day. They play a significant role in reducing erosion and moderating the climate as well as give us oxygen. Large quantities of carbon are stored in their tissues as trees remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. They provide habitat and structure for strong ecosystems.
How to Observe National Love a Tree Day
This is a good day to plant a new tree native to your area, or spend some time enjoying the beauty of the trees, Take time to learn how to care for the trees you have, too, whether you live in the mountains or the desert. Write down all the reasons trees are important to you. If you have a favorite tree, or a tree you’re not familiar with, begin a little research project about that (or those) species, and journal about your findings.
What will you do today to celebrate trees?
Happy National Love a Tree Day!
As always, thanks for stopping by!
a curious nature 
Under the shade of a tree is my favorite place to be! Your tree art piece is phenomenal, Barb — a gorgeous tree of life! I love your poem listing so many trees — I did a walk with my Dad yesterday (he walks in a well established, beautiful cemetery) and we admired many different trees – plane, Kentucky coffee, chestnut, dogwood, tulip and enjoyed sitting on a bench under the shade of very large maple trees — the famous ones that produce sap for Canadian maple syrup! I am definitely a tree hugger and love that you are sharing about National Tree Day!
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Thank you so so so much, Karen! Your pick of a favorite tree really makes excellent sense. Shade trees have purpose, are diverse, and a perfect place for a sit spot! What great tree finds in your Dad’s walk place! I find cemeteries so fascinating, and the one you visited has amazing trees. I’ll bet you have them each a “big hug!” Appreciate the comments very much!
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Wonderful! Every day is love a tree day. 🥰
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Thank you Michele! And I totally agree!
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😊
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