This Arbor Day, the Science Museum of Virginia answers an important question: can trees migrate? And if so, is that a good thing?
This week began with Earth Day, and it ends today with Arbor Day! The word “arbor” comes from the Latin word for “tree,” so you might not be surprised to learn that this holiday is a celebration of trees. While you might hear less about this ecologically-focused holiday than you do about Earth Day, it’s actually been around longer — since 1872. It’s celebrated every year on the last Friday in April, and on that day, the Arbor Day Foundation encourages all of us to “plant, nurture, and celebrate trees.”
For this Arbor Day, the Science Museum Of Virginia has shared with us a quick and informative video about tree migration. And I know what you’re saying — “trees migrating? Is that a thing? Trees don’t move.” And no, individual trees don’t move. But the locations of forests and patterns of tree growth can definitely change over time, and recently scientists learned that a good deal of tree migration is happening on Earth today. To learn more, watch this quick and informative video:
So there you have it — the situation is complicated. And it’s probably made significantly worse by climate change and the man-made increase in greenhouse gases. There are things we can all do to help reduce our carbon footprints — learn more about that here, and find out more about planting trees for Arbor Day and helping to sustain our environment for future generations at arborday.org.
Photo via Science Museum Of Virginia blog
