Wednesday 15 October 2014

Finding Gifts For Tree Huggers

By Patty Goff


People who proudly accept the label 'tree-hugger' love nature in its purest form. Nothing says 'I want to protect the planet' more than trees, whether they're ones saved from being cut down, those planted in the side yard, or ones stenciled on a T-shirt. This makes buying gifts for tree huggers easy.

Trees benefit the planet. They produce oxygen for people and animals to breathe. In the process, they also clean the air of man-made or natural pollutants, like smog, smoke, dust, and volcanic ash. Their photosynthesis cycle, which uses water and sunlight, absorbs carbon dioxide and puts moisture into the air. Scientists report that life on earth is dependent on this process of all green plants.

They clean the soil, which many people don't know. Planting trees on soils tainted with industrial waste can reclaim it, as toxins are absorbed by the roots and stored in the wood. They build soil by dropping leaves or needles and pulling important nutrients from subsoil deep underneath the ground. The roots also stabilize the ground, keeping precious topsoil from washing away when it rains.

Trees help save energy by casting shade in summer. A large one that protects a house from the afternoon sun can save up to 30% in air conditioning costs. They intercept winds that can dry soil until it blows away and can make householders use more energy to cool or heat their homes. This is one reason why trees add significant value to a home. Another reason, of course, is that they're beautiful.

A single large trunk, branch, and root complex will trap hundreds of gallons of water and release it slowly into the ground. This allows rainwater to penetrate deep into aquifers underground, which feed wells and keep rivers and lakes full. Paved surfaces and bare ground send water into storm drains or directly into natural run-off instead of replenishing important stores of ground water.

Woodlands, and even suburban landscaping, is home to wildlife like birds, insects, mammals, and reptiles. This means that anything that celebrates this natural diversity will make a great gift for one who loves the natural world. There is no lack of inspiration.

Ideas can range from T-shirts or hats that actually carry the slogan to garden sculptures that depict the spirits believed to live in the woods since time immemorial. Designs for clothing can included silhouettes of a forested mountain or a tree-ringed lake, a green tree-frog, a stylized Tree of Life, brilliant fall leaves - the list is endless. Mugs, photographs and paintings, garden aprons, mouse pads, stationery, calenders, decals for the sides or windows of automobiles, flags for the front yard, or a tree-house for the back are just some of the great ideas in this category.

There are also live trees to plant for friends or relatives, or donations to organizations like Save the Rainforest or Arbor Day. Ornaments for home or Christmas trees are other ways to acknowledge the passion someone has for the gentle giants of the plant kingdom. Go online to find the perfect item.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment