Green Leaf Report

This week I planted two native trees on the west side of my house: a Crabapple and Bur Oak. I’m inspired by the EPA: Carbon Dioxide. When trees and vegetation reduce energy use, they also reduce CO2 emissions from power plants. In addition, vegetation removes atmospheric CO2 by sequestration. Trees sequester – or store – between 35 and 800 pounds annually depending on their size and growth rate. The total quantity of carbon stored in mature trees may be 1,000 times more than the storage in small, young trees. The U.S. Forest Service estimates that carbon storage by urban forests is between 400 and 900 million metric tons nationally. As I look around my lot, I see a few more places to integrate trees into the landscaping. I’ve also planted a peach tree this spring and a pecan tree two years ago. Slowly but surely I’m fitting my home landscaping into my locavore strategy of getting my food from local sources. I’ve replaced the water-intensive landscaping my house had when I bought it with natives and adapted plants, to reduce my household water consumption. My perennial, drought-resistant herb garden is starting to look mature this year, and nothing beats fresh herbs at dinner!
If we all challenge ourselves to make even simple landscaping changes, just imagine of the impact.