Category: Blog

Bird Nursery in a Tree

My neighbors have an oriental arborvitae tree, that looks to me like a tall bushy pine, which grows over my fence. It has become a nursery for different kinds of doves. The first doves I noticed were two small blue and gray birds that kept flying in and out of a small entrance way among

Trees Communicate around the World

Time Magazine just came out with Time 100: The World’s Most Influential People. What an amazing issue! The publication is full of impressive people from artists, titans and leaders to innovators, icons and pioneers. Among the icons, one especially stood out for me. Suzanne Simard is identified as the tree whisperer. She wrote the book,

Earth Day Lets Us Help Save the Planet

Earth Day is coming up on April 22nd. It was begun in 1970, sparked by an idea from Senator Gaylord Nelson, the junior senator from Wisconsin. For a long time he had been concerned about the deteriorating environment in the United States. With the help of a lot of people, the first Earth Day became

Reforestation Helps to Cool Planet

Research into data from satellites and weather stations across the eastern United States has revealed encouraging information. The data stretches from the years 1900-2000. It shows that reforested areas in the eastern U.S. have provided a significant cooling impact. During the hottest days of summer, the temperatures within 1,300 feet of the trees can be

Trees, Our Oldest Companions

Trees may be our oldest companions. Humans and trees have been included in the same stories and myths since just about the beginning of time. No wonder it feels good to be around trees. They’re like old friends. We find them just about everywhere – in our yards, in forests, in parks, around businesses and

Peach Tree Orchards

At New Mexico State University’s Agricultural Science Center in Farmington, New Mexico, one of several projects involves tending a small orchard of young peach trees. The trees are located inside a greenhouse. Long ago, Native Americans grew peach trees and ate a lot of the fruit, but not many people know about that today.Reagan Wytsalucy,

Plant-It 2020 Plants Trees Worldwide

This Thanksgiving season I am grateful for people who have a special love for nature, including trees. One of those people was the famous singer, songwriter John Denver. He wrote many well-loved songs such as “Rocky Mountain High” and “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” He was such a good song writer that the state of

Jasper’s Healing Tree Oil Painting

Jasper Littletree loved to be creative. He created oil and acrylic watercolor paintings, made pottery, tie-dyed t-shirts, and did leather work. He also added many rooms to his family’s home in Kirtland, New Mexico. It started out as a mobile home, but by the time Jasper finished building, it was a spacious dwelling. His creativity

African Farmers to the Rescue

Though deforestation rates in parts of Africa may be rising, farmers in many African countries are growing trees – lots of them. Yale Environment 360, an online magazine focusing on global environmental issues, published an article June 13, 2023 written by Fred Pearce that tells how African farmers are improving the global climate by growing

Bill Hatch’s Tree

A tall, beautiful English oak tree stands at San Juan College in Farmington, New Mexico, thanks to Bill Hatch, an art professor there. With its spreading branches, it shades a lovely green lawn next to the Henderson Fine Arts Center, a fitting place for the tree. The tree is alive because Bill planted an acorn