There are so many days to remind us of our wonderful Planet Earth and Nature’s beauty. Following International Forests’ Day on 21 March, Earth Day on 22 April and, prior to World Environment Day on 5 June, on May 16th each year National Love a Tree Day celebrates the special gifts trees give. Designated in the middle of Garden for Wildlife Month, this day reminds and encourages us to care for trees and plant trees. Such special days raise awareness of the importance of all tree and forest types, as well as the love we should give to them.
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Trees are a fabulous vital part of nature. This is a wonderful day to plant a new tree or spend some time noticing and enjoying the beauty of the trees that are all around us. It can have a special place in our calendar- and we can then look after trees all year round. We should all take time to learn how to care for the trees we have in our gardens – or those of friends or relatives. We can share lovely photographs of our favourite trees and we can follow the life of trees where we live – from the very first day of planting a tree.

Please also remember that trees provide more than just gorgeous landscapes and a shady canopy on a sunny day. They play a huge role in reducing soil erosion and moderating the climate. They also give us oxygen. Large quantities of carbon are stored in their tissues – trees remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere,  which is so important for the wellbeing for all.

Most species of trees can live a very long time: some survive for several thousand years and grow very very tall. The tallest tree is said to be 379 feet tall! Nowadays countries try to keep records regarding the forests, woodland and even certain individual trees.  For example in the United States ,according to the U.S. Forest Service, about 766 million acres of forest land exists. This figure has evidently been quite steady since 2012. in earlier times there was quite a loss of tree cover unfortunately. Between 1630 and 1910, for instance, seemingly there was ongoing decline from 1,023 million acres to 754 million acres  This now represents 34 percent of the total land area of the United States.
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The ways in which trees are utilized and managed have changed in the last 400 years. Where people live – and how we humans farm – has also changed. While some urban forests increase, other forest areas have declined. Tree planting programs everywhere of course improve landscapes and give us more understanding of the importance of trees. We should reduce the human activities that lead to deforestation and that continue to impact ecosystems. We should remember that trees provide habitat and structure for strong ecosystems that is vital for all life on our Planet.
A joyful and beautiful  way to honor trees is to walk in the woods and forests peacefully – and to hug the trees!