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| Photo Credit: Kurt Weddington |
| The oldest living tree species in the world is the Bristlecone Pine. |
Have you considered the purpose of trees lately? They serve many functions, including providing food, shade, wildlife habitats, windbreaks and lumber. Still others are planted so that we might simply enjoy their beauty, whether it’s for brilliant fall color, fragrant flowers or evergreen boughs. Whatever their purpose, trees are our friends.
Unless you’ve seen the amazing sequoias and redwoods, you probably can’t truly appreciate the nobility of trees. In some parts of the county, these plants are scarce. The plains and the desert climates are more suitable to shrubs and scrubby trees. Along the East Coast, thick hardwood forests are still common in rural areas, while urban areas pride themselves on maintaining tree-lined streets. Elementary school students are taught that trees “breathe in” carbon dioxide and “breathe out” the oxygen that we need to live. In addition to that very basic (and necessary) benefit of trees, there are economical and psychological benefits of trees: From an energy perspective, trees can reduce heating and cooling costs by shading homes from the sun in summer and providing a windbreak in winter. And a more direct value of trees in the landscape is increased property value compared with similar properties without trees. Many people become emotionally connected to trees. Local protests to save old trees are common when municipalities determine a tree is in the path of “progress” (too often, that means parking lots and road expansion). Some trees are recognized with distinction as being the oldest or largest of its kind in an area.
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