"It simply does not make sense for anyone in the environmental or climate movement to stay silent on systemic racism, said Havstad. “The burden of the issues that you’re working on are falling harder on all people color, and particularly Black people,” she said. “Unless you’re willing to solve the roots of that disproportionate impact, you’re not solving anything at all.”

The environmental movement’s unwillingness to strongly advocate for racial justice is also likely a big reason why Black people are severely underrepresented in mainstream environmental groups; are less likely to identify as “environmentalists;” and less likely to participate in outdoor recreation, despite consistently reporting higher concern for the environment and the climate than white people. It’s not that they don’t care about solving a crisis that disproportionate affects them. It’s that they’re being pushed away from the biggest conversations with the loudest voices.

“Anti-blackness is rampant in the climate and environmental movement,” Havstad said. “It’s our responsibility to align our climate and environmental work with the movement for black lives.”

“THE STATEMENTS OF SOLIDARITY ARE GOOD, BUT THEY’RE NOT ENOUGH,” said Havstad"

TreeUtah supports diversity and inclusive communities, we believe in tree equity for all! 

George Washington and his company were, of course, not the only ones harvesting the lumber from American wetlands. In the last 300 years, the majority of wetlands in the contiguous United States have been lost to logging or converted to land for agriculture or urban development. When European colonizers first arrived in the 1600s, the land was covered in approximately 221 million acres of wetlands - by the 1980s, only 103 million acres remained. Twenty-two states have lost 50% or more of their wetland forests and six states have lost more than 85%.

Through the 1700s especially, wetlands and swamps in particular were considered blights on what could be prosperous land. They “bred disease”, restricted travel, and took up rich soil where crops could be instead - far from favorable for frontier folk. The choice to clear the wetlands seemed natural, because these new settlers were oblivious to the resources that prospered in them and the protection they provided.

In the mid-1800s, the US government passed the Swamp Land Acts of 1849, 1850, and 1860 – each turning federal land containing swamps over to states that promised to drain them. During this time, the US was going through a period of rapid expansion. The population was growing quickly, both through domestic childbirth and immigration. While the country was also expanding westward, the need for farmable land nearby was high. So, again, the choice to clear more wetlands seemed natural.

Over the centuries, the American wetlands - refashioned to suit its new settlers - have changed drastically. While clearing the wetlands made sense at the time, we’ve come to learn that wetlands are invaluable resources and the long-term effects of this habitat loss has become clear.

Wetlands are an essential part of regional ecosystems – in which we’re included. We need wetlands to sustain our water supply, both because they work to filter pollutants and because they’re a source of water. They also work to protect our communities from severe weather, like hurricanes and flooding, by dampening the force with which they hit the land and by preventing land corrosion. Additionally, wetlands sequester approximately 20-30% of global carbon emissions - peatlands on their own store twice as much carbon as the world’s forests despite covering only 3% of the planet’s surface. These areas are also home to unique wildlife and fascinating plants; one-third of the currently-listed endangered species rely on wetlands to survive.

As the second driest state in the country, it’s no surprise that wetlands account for only 1% of Utah’s total land coverage. Because they’re so rare within our state, that makes them even more valuable. In an arid landscape, we need all the water we can get and our wetlands provide a hefty portion of our water supply. They’re also essential tools in preventing flooding, the costliest and most prevalent hazard in Utah. Although Utah’s wetlands are still in danger, we thankfully have many individuals in our community working to preserve and restore these valuable features of our state. Nonprofit communities (like the Sageland Collaborative and TreeUtah) along with governmental organizations (like the Utah Geological Survey) and numerous individuals throughout the state are working hard to maintain our wetlands.

To get involved with TreeUtah’s habitat restoration projects, check our events page or sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on our latest projects.

Donate

A non-consumptive gift idea that a loved one will appreciate this Valentine’s Day is donation through TreeUtah. Your donation to us allows you the option to select a tree for them, which is a great way to show your love through a physical symbol to that special person.  We can send a personalized message through card or email to let them know about the tribute at your request too. Donating through our memorial tree program at Sugar House Park is another option.

With our mission to make Utah a better place to live, we will use these donations for the trees we will plant at our planting events in the spring.  Know that each and every donation we receive will in turn help us plant more trees that will grow, bloom, and strengthen year after year just as your bond with a loved one will grow stronger year after year. We have many exciting volunteer opportunities like our upcoming tree planting events. You can register as a volunteer this spring. Follow for our updates about these events through our events page, our Facebook, or through Now Playing Utah.

Get Outside

Next, an inexpensive thing to do on Valentine’s Day is an outdoor activity. We do live in the  beautiful state of Utah, so take advantage of it. An outdoor activity can be in the form of going on a hike or even gathering up a picnic dinner and eating it under the night sky. Order takeout by supporting local or make a simple meal from home and bring it with you. Leave your worries behind, bundle up, and enjoy the great outdoors and being in the moment with loved ones through this simple idea.

The Impact of Buying Flowers

The options are truly endless on how to spend your Valentine’s Day not in the form of heart shaped boxes of chocolate, roses, or expensive romantic dinners. While we are not saying that these are still not great ways to show you care for your loved ones, the floriculture industry for those bouquets of flowers bought in the United States and globally for days like Valentine’s Day isn’t without its problems.

In 2015, floriculture constituted 17% of imports into the United States and as of 2018, Columbia is one of the largest exporters of flowers like roses. The process of getting non domestic flowers from place to place is a relatively short process hopping from one country to the next because of the priority to maintain the utmost freshness of the flowers. Though the typical time frame flowers take to transport can vary based on the location they ship from.

In the beginning of their long journey from field or greenhouse to store to the ultimate goal of vases in our homes, flowers are refrigerated at around 50 degrees Fahrenheit while on a plane. The energy costs of constant refrigeration along with the greenhouse gas emissions of an airplane, freight trucks, and cars to get flowers to their final destinations begins to add up at a heavy cost. Carbon dioxide emissions from a plane ride alone constitutes a ratio of three kilograms of carbon dioxide per 1 kilogram of fuel. 

While this very briefly covers some of the far-reaching environmental impacts associated with non-domestic rose production, supporting locally grown roses, opting for outdoor activities, or donating this Valentine’s Day are the more sustainable choices. What will you choose to do for Valentine’s Day?

Infrequent, deep watering is more beneficial than frequent, shallow watering. Unestablished trees should be watered 1-2 times per week to a depth of 2-4.” Deep watering ensures that the tree roots grow deeper in the soil, which allows them to be more drought-tolerant later in the tree’s life.

How to Check if Trees Need Water

Over-watering a tree can be just as harmful as under-watering, so be sure to check before watering. Use a garden trowel or even your hand to create a small, narrow trench near the trunk of the tree. The trench should be 2-4″ deep. If the soil is moist to the touch, the tree doesn’t need water. If the soil is dry, give the tree water.

Watering Newly Planted and Non-Established Trees

The first 2 years of a tree’s life is critical for survival. The tree is establishing its root system in the soil and is sensitive to stressors like heat and drought. Water a newly planted tree immediately after planting and routinely check the soil moisture often to be sure the tree has enough water for the next 2 growing seasons. After the tree is established, it will have an easier time adjusting to heat and drought conditions.

Gator Bags

Another easy way to be sure your unestablished tree has enough water is to use a gator bag. This is a zip-up bag that goes around the trunk of the young tree. Fill the bag with water and it will slowly drip out of the bag to water the tree. The bag will need to be filled about once every 5-7 days.

Look here for drought-tolerant trees: https://treeutah.org/tree-guide#climate-adapted-for-a-hotter-and-drier-future and here: https://cwel.usu.edu/water-wise-plants

Due to the severe drought right now, we recommend watering 2 times per week in Northern Utah and 3 times a week in Southern Utah to help extend the water supply. The goal during extreme drought conditions isn’t lush landscapes but rather “survival watering” to keep high-value plants alive like trees and shrubs. Grass is resilient and can survive with as little as 1″ of water a month. It won’t be green and will enter dormancy during times of drought and high temperatures but will recover when conditions improve. Thank you for doing your part to #SlowTheFlow! Find more drought info at: Drought.utah.gov Find drought tips at: SlowTheFlow.org

Join TreeUtah and other grantees for the Park City Community Foundation discussion with recipients of the Park City Climate Fund to learn about the ongoing work in greater Park City and discuss changes we can all make to reduce carbon emissions and contribute to the sustainability of our community.

Co-hosted with Park City Library, and featuring TreeUtah, Utah Clean Energy, Recycle Utah, and Park City High School Earth Club.

Please join us for this virtual webinar and get ready to take action!

Register/Join!

Forests are important. They are home to 80% of the globe’s wildlife population, they reduce soil erosion, lessen the impact of floods, and they remove incredible amounts of carbon-dioxide from our atmosphere, ensuring we have breathable air. The tropical forests alone store around 250 billion tons of carbon. Without forests cleaning our air, life on Earth couldn’t continue – at least not for us – but we continue to lose our forests at a concerning rate. Between 1990 and 2015, we lost 129 million hectares of forest (nearly 500,000 square miles). While deforestation has slowed, we are far from reaching a balanced, sustainable relationship with our forests. Our forests – and us in turn – will only survive if we deploy all available means to reduce deforestation and support new growth.

Afforestation – planting forests upon land previously unforested – can be a massive undertaking, but it’s one of the few things communities can do to soften the blow of global deforestation. Thanks to the late Akira Miyawaki, Japanese botanist and specialist in natural vegetation restoration, a method for afforestation has been developed that allows for small-scale, rapid forestation. This method is now commonly known as the Miyawaki Method.

The Miyawaki Method

The Miyawaki Method was developed to support the rapid growth of diverse native plant species in relatively small spaces with minimal maintenance. The method only requires a minimum space of 1000 square feet, grows ten times faster than naturally-growing forests, and the planted forest can survive nearly maintenance-free after only three years of growth. The rapid growth of Miyawaki forests is attributed to the densely-packed planting and the use of native plant species. Native species are, of course, going to be the best candidates to thrive in the selected planting location, because they’ve evolved over the course of centuries to do just that. A biodiverse selection of plants also lends itself to the long-term stability of the forest – diversity creates a layered canopy and ecological resilience. Then, being packed closely together, they’re forced into a highly competitive race to soak up the sunlight, resulting in rapid growth. After 20-30 years, the surviving plants and trees will reach heights that would have taken 150-200 years to reach in a natural process.

The resulting tiny forest is also densely-packed with benefits. In addition to supporting local biodiversity and the benefits that always come with new trees, Miyawaki forests are also 30 times better at dust and noise reduction and absorb up to 30 times more carbon-dioxide than monoculture planting projects.

Because the Miyawaki method can be applied in areas with limited land and resources while still resulting in a flourishing forest, it’s perfect for urban settings. A small parcel of land, whether it’s an empty lot or a small portion of a public park, can easily be turned into an urban forest. Urban forests are essential in mitigating the effects of climate change – both locally and globally. Our efforts on the local-scale to rehabilitate and create new forests is an important contribution to the global concerted effort to ensure a livable planet for future generations. With critical deadlines for meaningful climate action approaching quickly, we need to act quickly. Thanks to Akira Miyawaki, we have one more tool at our disposal to make swift, meaningful change.

You may be surprised to learn that Utah is home to only two true native firs, Subalpine and White Firs. Subalpine fir is native in high elevations and likes cool, moist sites. The blue green needles have distinct balsam scent. Try rubbing the needles between your fingers and take that fragrant scent in! Look for narrow cones, crowns in dark purple. This species is under threat from a tiny insect that is killing them off in a short period in as little as two years. Research is being done on this on why and how to protect firs.

White firs are sometimes confused with Blue Spruce due to the blue-green color and is also known as Concolor Fir (all one color). White fir live up to 300 years. These trees are also popular Christmas Trees and can be found in many mountain ranges including California, Oregon, Wyoming and of course Utah. White fir have a special trait to maintain lower limbs which are good for climbing and make a good escape route for all sorts of wildlife.

Spruce-fir is the fourth most common coniferous forest type in Utah. The majority of spruce found in Utah is Engelmann spruce and Blue spruce, valued as good timber.

The next time you are out Utah's canyons take some time observe the trees around you. Are they native? What role or function does the tree play? Do the trees look healthy and natural? What animals might use the tree and how? How many varieties are there?

The more we stop to look around, learn about and become aware of our surrounding nature the more we can do to protect what we see and teach others to do the same.

Restoration is the act of repairing or renewing something. The Jordan River Parkway Trail is the most popular recreation trail in Salt Lake County. The Jordan River waterway stretches over 50 miles, from Utah Lake to the Great Salt Lake. The trail and river are used throughout the year by over 100,000 community members for various outdoor activities. The native birds and wildlife are an integral part of the beauty of this critical area. TreeUtah is planting native trees at different sites along the Jordan River corridor. Native trees are important habitat for the wildlife and will ensure these animals can continue to thrive here. 

The canyons of the Wasatch Mountains are the main source of water and recreation for hundreds of thousands of people in Salt Lake County. They are also a critical habitat on the edge of the Great Salt Lake Desert for many species of wildlife. The ecosystems of this vital mountain range are under pressure from the expanding population of the Wasatch Front. TreeUtah is working with local ski areas to ensure these ecosystems can sustain life for generations to come. By planting thousands of native trees at ski areas, we are helping to preserve the recreation opportunities, the wildlife habitat, and the pristine water quality. Conservation and reforestation efforts started in Little Cottonwood Canyon in 1933. The Alta Environmental Center carries on that tradition today. Harvesting seed from the ski area for revegetation and restoration efforts takes work but generally results in more successful plant and tree growth since the seed came from Alta. And, Brighton Ski Resort commits to the development and implementation of a sustainability program designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Planting young native trees will also limit the impact invasive species can have on this critical habitat area. Seeds for plants and trees are harvested at the end of every summer.

Contact us for more information about joining us as a restoration volunteer.

Planting in the fall gives trees an extra growing season, as they benefit from the cooler temperatures and rain allowing them to establish deeper roots and prepare for the coming spring breezes. Trees go dormant in the winter, which is like hibernation but for plants. This period slows down the tree’s growth and energy use. Properly planting trees is the first step towards protecting their long-term survival. It’s safe to plant trees until the ground is frozen solid, generally after the first hard frost. Even if there is snow on the ground, if you can place a shovel in the ground you are good to plant your tree. 

Here are five trees that make for colorful fall foliage: Japanese Maple, Berbiris thunbergii, Smoke bush (Cotinus), Dogwood and Hardy plumbago 

Remember planting in the fall allows for a stronger root system and daily care. TreeUtah encourages you to be water aware. It is important to make sure your new trees are getting enough water. Due to differing elevations, microclimates, and tree species, be sure your trees have the water they need.

If you plant now you will find you have less aftercare into the next season. The first 2 years of a tree’s life is critical for survival. The tree is establishing its root system in the soil and is sensitive to stressors like heat and drought. Water a newly planted tree immediately after planting and routinely check the soil moisture often to be sure the tree has enough water for the next 2 growing seasons. After the tree is established, it will have an easier time adjusting to heat and drought conditions.

TreeUtah Tree Care Guide

The Tree of Forty Fruits in New York

A few years ago, Syracuse University art professor Sam Van Aken  decided to create a living piece of art. Using the technique known as chip grafting, Van Aken began the process of creating a tree bearing forty different kinds of stone fruit including plums, peaches, apricots, and nectarines. Van Aken is using the tree as a conservation message to spread awareness that decisions around agriculture have led to less diverse representation of the kinds of fruits in our markets. 

In the spring, the Tree of Forty Fruit then begins to bloom, showing its variety of colors, all sections indicating what stone fruit it bears. His first Tree of Forty Fruits remains in New York, but he has created other similar trees in other eastern states not exclusively to Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maine.

Methuselah: A Bristlecone Pine in California

What makes this tree so special is it is quite an old tree - approximately almost 5,000 years old to be exact. Currently, it is one of the oldest bristlecone pines on earth and its name Methuselah has roots in the biblical Methuselah who supposedly lived nearly a millennium. 

You can tell Methuselah is a bristlecone pine by its appearance. A bristlecone pine’s unique thick and twisted trunk makes them look like a sturdy tree. This tree species is because it can withstand surviving off less water than other trees. Bristlecone pines can endure arid-like climates which is why you will see them in states like Utah, Nevada, or California.  

Dragon Blood Tree on the Island of Socotra in Yemen

Dragon blood trees, also known as dracaena cinnabari, are not like any trees seen here in Utah because they are endemic to the island of Socotra in Yemen. Their unusual appearance is often from the branches collectively forming what looks like an upturned umbrella. Only able to thrive in the conditions on the island, taking measures to conserve them right now is so important. As with many trees, environmental factors such as climate change are affecting these trees and these trees hold cultural importance to the people on the island. The tree’s resin can be used for natural healing practices. Dragon blood trees get their name from this ‘blood’ resin that is a byproduct from the tree’s bark.  

DeadVlei Trees in Namibia

Around 900 years ago, the earth experienced what is called the Medieval Warm Period. An anomaly in the patterns for climatic changes, certain parts of the earth are proposed to have experienced an unusually warmer climate.

What is now known as Namibia in Southern Africa was a location that could have been impacted by this anomaly. The new climate from the Medieval Warm Period changed the landscape and these trees could not acclimate nor could these conditions allow for the trees to properly break down into detritus. The trees now serve as relics to the past and a tool to increase our understanding of the past climate.

Ginkgo Tree in China

The ginkgo tree originates in China, but is well suited to a variety of conditions and has fared well in urban environments. 

When a female ginkgo tree sheds its seeds, it can emit an unpleasant odor in the near vicinity, but the tree’s color in the fall is a beautiful bright yellow that will make up for the smell. 

Historically, ginkgo trees like the DeadVlei trees in Namibia are evidence rich in our long climatic history. Gingko trees have been recorded to be dated back more than 200 million years before the dinosaurs became extinct. Dinosaurs became extinct roughly 66 million years ago. These ginkgo trees have lived through quite a lot.