As we walked through the shadowy forest, beams of sunlight flickered through the leaves and branches of the large oaks, maples and hickories. Young seedlings and saplings were all around us, stretching upward, as if trying to grab each thin, ray of sunshine. A chorus of songbirds was letting us know they were above us, and you could even smell the old logs decomposing on the forest floor. We paused for a moment, stood silently, and took a deep breath. The trees were here, they’ve always been here, but I think we take them for granted, assuming they’ll always be here. This past Friday, April 29^th was Arbor Day. It’s a day to remind us of trees-their beauty, their importance and the role they play in our lives and the natural world.

Trees are one of our most precious natural resources. They have been growing on our planet for millions of years. In fact, without trees, and other green plants, humans couldn’t live. Besides all the other wonderful benefits (read on) we receive from trees, is the one we require for life-oxygen. A study from North Carolina State University found that one large tree can provide a day’s worth of oxygen for four people! Think about what a million trees can do! More than 20% of the world’s oxygen comes from the Amazon Rainforest. I kinda like breathing every day!

Big trees and little trees, tall and small, they grow on every continent except Antarctica. Want a way to cool your home in the summer, block those cold, winter winds and increase your property value? Plant a tree! Need a little stress relief from your busy, fast-paced life? Plant a tree, or take a walk in a forest or woodlot. Need some fresh apples, oranges or almonds? Plant one of these species of trees and start growing your own food! Birds and other wildlife will also benefit from your tree-planting efforts, and nature has never produced a better filter either. Trees filter pollutants out of the air we breathe, and their roots improve water quality by slowing down storm water runoff, preventing soil erosion and trapping unwanted sediments. Should I continue? Are you starting to see the benefits that trees provide to us, and our environment? To encourage us even more, Arbor Day was created in 1872.

Sterling Morton and his wife moved from Detroit to the Nebraska Territory in 1854. One of the first things they did after arriving was to plant many trees, shrubs and flowers, as did many of the settlers coming from the east. Morton became the Secretary of Agriculture in Nebraska, and was so passionate about trees he proposed to set aside a day just for planting them, calling it “Arbor Day.” So, on April 10, 1872, with much support from the State Board and many new pioneers, over one million trees were planted in Nebraska in a single day!

There are literally hundreds of products we get directly from trees. Everyone knows about lumber, furniture and many kinds of food, but did you know we also get certain medicines and cosmetics from wood/wood products. The tiny fibers of wood are called cellulose. Cellulose, and its byproducts, are used in things such as toothbrushes, cellophane, chewing gum, asphalt, paint, detergent, and many, many more. But no matter what we get from trees, or think we get from trees, our lives, and our planet, are better with lots and lots of trees.

One of the easiest and most important things we can do as adults, is to teach our kids and grandkids how “excellent” trees are! Take the time and plan a walk in the woods. Let them get up close and personal with a big tree. Have them look up, down and all around, and encourage them to discover other trees, and other forests! Introduce them to some great books about trees, like the timeless classics of Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree (Harper & Row, 1964), and The Lorax by Dr. Seuss (Random House, 1971). Last, and certainly not least, plant a tree or two with them. Get their hands dirty by planting some in your backyard, or as part of a conservation project in a local park, and come back year after year to visit your tree-because we all need More Trees Please! For more information about trees and tree planting check out the National Arbor Day Foundation (www.arborday.org). If you would like to check out my children’s photo-fact book, More Trees Please, it’s available through Amazon.com. Happy Arbor Day!

On April 22, 1970, Gaylord Nelson, a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, wanted to organize a nationwide rally that focused on Americans’ growing concerns about environmental issues. His goal was to bring enough attention to such issues as air and water pollution, pesticides, the loss of wild lands, and the extinction of species, into the political spotlight, that environmental protection would follow-and it did! That first Earth Day led to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the passage of some the most important environmental legislation in modern times, including the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act and the Endangered Species Act. Forty-six years later, we still celebrate Earth Day on April 22^nd. The times may have changed, but the message remains the same. We all live on the same planet and still need clean water, clean air and a healthy, sustainable environment for ourselves and future generations. But what if we tried to “celebrate” everyday as Earth Day? How can we make a difference in our own lifestyles?

                                            Earth Day was a key in creating the Clean Water Act

We may not be able to individually stop climate change, or save an endangered species in the rainforest, but we can do our part, and lots of “parts” adds up to a difference! There are many simple things we could do throughout our day that can contribute to becoming a good steward of our environment. Here are a few simple tips that we can all follow:

Energy Conservation-switch to Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL) for lighting instead of incandescent light bulbs; turn off lights in rooms you’re not using and use more natural light if possible; turn down the heat in your house before going to bed, and while away at work (or use a programmable thermostat); reduce your vehicle trips by carpooling with co-workers, neighbors, friends and family, and by walking more; run the dishwasher, washer and dryer only when you have full loads, turn off your computer at night, unplug your cell phone charger when not using it because it still uses energy when plugged in and plant a tree or two around your home, which can keep your home cooler in the summer and break some of the cold, winter winds

Water Conservation-turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth, take shorter showers, install water saving shower/faucet heads, re-use water bottles rather than buying new ones all the time, limit watering your lawn, but if necessary, try to water early in the morning, plant native plants that require less water (Xeriscaping)

Recycling & Waste Reduction-bring your own re-useable shopping bags to the grocery store, recycle as many items as you can and try to buy recycled products, use less paper, pack a lunch in a re-useable lunch bag instead of buying lunch in disposable packaging, use a re-useable water bottle, compost yard waste, grass clippings and leaves

Biodiversity/Conservation-plant a tree, shrub or garden, eat more locally grown foods, use less, or no chemicals, on your lawn and in your garden, put up a bird feeder/bird house, volunteer at your local park, nature center, or wildlife preserve, participate in a local stream or beach cleanup

…….and the list goes on and on! There are so many little things we can do each day to help our environment; and by helping our environment, we help ourselves and our children. Don’t let April 22^nd be the only day you celebrate the earth. Make Everyday Earth Day! For more information on available resources and what you can do, go to:   www.epa.gov/earthday

Don’t touch it, you’ll get warts,” my mother exclaimed as she took one step back. She tried her best to convince me that she was a trained toad-ologist before she became a mother. I was eight years old, but I knew better, so I ignored her pleas and continued touching the rough, brown bumps on top of its flat head. It was one of my favorites, the American toad.

The American toad (Bufo americanus) is an amphibian native to Pennsylvania. It is one of three native toads we have here in our state. Toads differ from frogs because they have dry, bumpy (“warty”) skin and shorter legs than frogs. Toads also have something else frogs don’t have, a pair of poison glands on the top of their backs called parotoid glands. These poison-filled sacs are used as a defense method against predators. If a hungry raccoon or opossum bites a toad, the nasty tasting poison will usually cause the animal to quickly spit it out, and most likely avoid the toad in the future. It’s because of these poison glands and the well-known myth that toads give you warts, that toads have been mentioned in history for hundreds of years!

Witches, warlocks, and wizards of all shapes and sizes would claim that a toad used in   magic potion could cast a spell on their enemy that they could never recover from. Others believed that drinking the mixed ashes of a toad in a thick, “tasty” liquid could make that person invisible. Even Shakespeare mentions these plain, bumpy hoppers in his famous play, Macbeth. Still, after many centuries of being marked as dark, ugly and as an ingredient in magical potions, toads have managed to live on, and prove their beneficial role in the natural environment.

In the flower beds around our home, the American toad is a welcome visitor! They eat many common pests such as slugs and beetles, so we’re always happy to see them hopping around the yard in the late spring, summer and fall. Similar to many other amphibians, toads return to water each spring to mate and lay eggs. The males arrive before the females and begin calling their long, drawn-out “trill.” The eggs are laid in long, jelly-like strings in a shallow pond, roadside ditch or local wetland. Although they may lay as many as 20,000 eggs, most do not survive to become adults. After hatching, the new larvae, called tadpoles, swim around their watery home for several weeks breathing through gills and eating algae. As the tadpoles change into adults (metamorphosis), they lose their gills and develop lungs to breathe. The young toads move up on land and begin their never-ending search for food. Their brown and gray color helps to camouflage them in the leaves of the forest floor, dry grassy meadow, or backyard garden. As the days grow shorter and temperatures begin to fall, the American toad seeks out a cozy spot to hibernate for the winter-ready to begin the entire cycle over again the following spring.

A week after playing with that toad and proudly showing my mother my new pet, I discovered a small, red welt on my hand. Just another “kid scratch” to me, but after close examination, my “amphibious field doctor mother” smirked, and said, “See I TOAD you so!” Good one Ma!