Weekly Green Challenge: Plant a Tree

I can’t believe I’m on Viridorari’s tenth week of posting. I can’t describe how happy it makes me to write this blog. In my introductory post on Viridorari, I mentioned how I’d been doing some self reflection, and decided that I wanted to become more involved. Viridorari has helped me and, hopefully, some of its viewers do just that. Not only is my blog raising awareness for the environment, but in the process of researching for new content for my posts, I’ve learned more about the environment and the world of activism in the past ten weeks than I would have in two years. Now that my tests are over and high school is winding down, Viridorari gives me something to occupy my idle time with. Coming up with new ideas for content is a challenge that I enjoy.

Speaking of challenges, this week’s Green Challenge came from a Viridorari viewer. It’s a simple, but important action, and can be especially fun to do with your kids or younger siblings. Spring has sprung, and it’s one of the best times of the year to plant a tree. So, this week, I want you to plant at least one tree.

 Picture courtesy of: http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-photo-3518387-oak-sapling.php

 Now, you can go to a greenhouse and buy a baby tree, but it’s also likely that you can find a young tree for free somewhere on your property. Although you won’t necessarily be planting a new tree, you may be able to guarantee a successful growth where it may have otherwise been unsuccessful. For example, a sapling growing in your garden, near the road, in your child’s sandbox, or in the middle of your lawn (where the lawnmower eats everything up) is unlikely to survive. Nor do you really want a tree growing in your flower garden or sandbox.

Sometime this week, either pick up some baby trees at a greenhouse or go hunting on your property. If you decide to buy a tree, make sure it’s native to the area you’re planting it in. The greenhouse staff should be able to help you with that, if you don’t want to do the research yourself. If you’re planning on transplanting, pick out a place for the tree beforehand so you can make the transfer as quickly as possible. The longer the plant is out of the ground, the less likely it is to survive. When you’re transporting the plant from one location to the next, keep its roots wet (perhaps carry it in a bucket with some water in the bottom). Consider transplanting the baby tree on the outskirts of a forest, where it will be able to receive sunlight without too much competition with taller trees. If you choose a place in your yard where you want to plant it for beautification purposes, be sure to mark the sapling with a stick or flag so that you don’t forget about it and mow it down or step on it.

For some helpful and in-depth tips on how to successfully plant a tree, check out these two webpages: http://www.wikihow.com/Plant-a-Tree and http://ezinearticles.com/?Planting-101---How-to-Plant-Trees-in-Your-Yard&id=5511144. The first source suggests that after you plant your tree, you water it with one gallon of water for every six inches of height, and then return in one hour to water it again. The water will help establish the roots into the soil.

Do you live in an area, such as a city, where there aren’t many places available to plant a tree? That’s okay. Contact a local park, and ask permission to plant a tree there, perhaps in memory of someone. Take a drive out to the countryside, plant a tree, and make a day trip of it while you’re out there. If these options are too difficult or are not available, find out what’s going on with your town or city. Are there any beautification or clean-up events coming up that you could volunteer for?

I encourage you to discuss this with your family or friends, and perhaps make an event out of it with the people you love. Ask your child to invite his or her friends over, and have them each plant a tree. Keep them updated on how their tree is growing, and tell them how important trees, plants, wildlife, and nature in general are.

It can be really easy to make a difference in the world, as easy as planting a tree. I think you’ll find that the feeling you get from doing good deeds makes the effort you put into it worthwhile. Chances are, once you start, you’ll want to do more.

I found the two webpages with tree planting tips on goodsearch.com and raised money for Save the Golden Lion Tamarin in the process. Sign up with goodsearch.com today and start raising money for your chosen school or charity just by searching the web. Like I was just saying, making a difference can be really easy.

If you plant a tree this week (or any week, for that matter) send a picture of it to Viridorari, and I will post it on the next “Green Challenge.” You can email me your picture at viridorari@yahoo.com. Do you have ideas for "Green Challenges?" Do you want to be a Guest Writer? Email me and let me know- I’d be happy to hear from you!


Sources:
http://ezinearticles.com/?Planting-101---How-to-Plant-Trees-in-Your-Yard&id=5511144
http://www.wikihow.com/Plant-a-Tree

Animal of the Month Update

Picture courtesy of: http://www.flickr.com/photos/35110249@N05/5922839549/

The oldest golden lion tamarin lived to be thirty-one years old. Typically, they can live to be twenty years old in captivity. The golden lion tamarin is one of four species of lion tamarin, all of which are endangered and all of which are native to Brazil. These little orange monkeys are usually monogamous, meaning that they have only one mate at a time.

Picture courtesy of: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nationalzoo/5988794792/

Sources:
http://www.strange-facts.info/golden-lion-tamarin-facts
http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/science/2011/04/fourteen-fun-facts-about-golden-lion-tamarins/

Since I signed up yesterday, I have raised $1.35 for Save the Golden Lion Tamarin just by searching the web and taking surveys through goodsearch.com. Sign up for free with goodsearch.com today and choose Save the Golden Lion Tamarin as your benefactor. All you have to do to raise money is search the web, just like you normally would on Google or Bing.