USDA Forest Service

Globally, the past eight years were the warmest on record. It’s a trend more noticeable in larger cities, where forest floors and lush green canopies have been replaced by pavement and roofing. But planting trees is a way we’re fighting back. Trees provide shade, purify air, store carbon and help cool the air around them. Read all about how urban forests are being used to combat the heat at https://lnkd.in/g3dAgbYG #ArborDay for the win!

For a moment, imagine your neighborhood, your big city downtown or small town main street. The #trees, vegetation and green spaces are likely a part of these pictures. But they probably aren't the focus. But, this #ArborDay, let’s make them the focus! We’re working with states, tribes, towns and communities to expand urban forests and green spaces across the country. Read more at https://lnkd.in/gATJGbkA

There’s an ongoing conversation between insects and trees. This conversation has no words and no sound. Instead, it uses the language of subtle aromatic messengers called pheromones. Bark beetles communicate with pheromones to invite others to join them when they are infesting a tree and they’re killing millions of trees every year. So, we’re working to intercept those messages and send one of our own – this tree has no vacancy. #ArborDay for the win! https://lnkd.in/gvGjBm_c

When it comes to getting perspective on forest health, sky-high observations are a big help in California. With over 30 million acres of forested land throughout the state, there is a lot of ground to cover. So, each summer, USDA Forest Service aerial tree survey specialists spend several weeks in the aircraft gathering observations on tree mortality in lands of all ownerships. From above, they read the color of the forest below to determine where trees are recently dead and dying. Listen to the audio story at https://lnkd.in/gv4KeATG #ArborDay

It’s #ArborDay, our favorite day! Started in the 1870s, Arbor Day has grown into a time when we all focus on trees. It’s a day set aside for the future, not the past. And, as such, we’re focused on how we can improve the future of trees and forests for future generations.

#ArborDay isn’t just important locally. It’s important everywhere. For instance, in Mozambique, smoking fields and bare soil betray a common practice in this rural Mozambique district: slash and burn agriculture. The rural population there barely subsists on low-yield rice, cassava, and vegetables, and by cutting trees for charcoal and building materials. The good news is there are signs of environmental progress: strategically placed trees at schools and health centers that provide shade and a buffer from the wind and rain that can quickly destroy small villages. We’re working hand in hand with Esperança Para Novo Rebento (ESPANOR) to grow, plant and care for new trees. Read the story at https://lnkd.in/gFSNS2jH

Ash #trees are ecologically and economically important species in North America. Ash trees provide food and habitat for wildlife and are widely planted in urban environments. They are also being devastated by an enemy smaller than a penny. The emerald ash borer is one of the most destructive invasive species in North America. Read about it and how we’re fighting back at https://lnkd.in/ghJ8ygN7.

How much is a tree worth? How much air pollution and carbon can it process? How much energy can it save through its shade and evapotranspiration? These are great questions to ask this #ArborDay and everyone can have the answers in their pocket thanks to i-Tree, a free online software from the USDA Forest Service and partners, now being used around the world. Read more and get it for yourself at https://lnkd.in/g_Ngih4s

Think of your favorite forest. What does it look like? It’s #ArborDay and we think it’s a time to remember that native trees connect us to our forests. This is especially true of the ‘ōhi‘a lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha) — a native tree in Hawai‘i that grows naturally nowhere else on Earth. Read how we’re fighting to save these trees. https://lnkd.in/gnafHJSS

This #ArborDay, remember: Trees and green spaces provide safe spaces for kids and families to recreate, places of rest and spiritual renewal, and inspire community engagement. Community #trees can even attract other kinds of investments, bringing skilled jobs and new economic opportunities. Investments we’re currently making into urban forestry will help provide relief from the historic heat waves we are seeing across the country which impacts us all but disproportionately affect communities of color. https://lnkd.in/gxXN2Qcb