~ Mother Earthbeats ~

Forests and Trees

Trees, which have been in existence for over 400 million years, are the world’s largest living creatures. The world’s biggest tree, a giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) named “General Sherman,” stood over 83 meters tall, measured over 31 meters in circumference and weighed about 6,096 tonnes, when it was last measured in 1975! It grew from a seed that weighed only 5 milligrams. That’s smaller than a vitamin pill!

While “General Sherman” may be the world’s biggest tree, the world’s tallest tree is another giant sequoia named “Harry Cole.” Harry measures over 112 meters from base to crown - the height of a 37-story building!

29.6 per cent of the world’s land area is covered by forest. About 10 per cent of that is in Canada. Rain forests generate about 40 per cent of the world’s oxygen. A 30 meter tree with 200,000 leaves can suck up 43,000 litres of water and breathe it into the air in just one growing season. Medicine in aspirins originally came from the bark of a willow tree. One acre of trees can absorb over 2.5 tons of carbon dioxide in a year. Every ton of recycled paper saves approximately 17 trees and saves 4,100 kilowatt hours of electricity - enough energy to heat the average home for six months.

“We cannot win this battle to save the species and environments without forging an emotional bond between ourselves and nature as well — for we will not fight to save what we do not love.”
~ Stephen Jay Gould