Thank a Tree: National Arbor Day is Nov. 3
November 3 is Arbor Day in Texas. We should make this one of the most important days on the calendar because our quality of life depends upon it. Our local trees and forests have been through several years of unusual freezes, ice storms, insect infestation (Oak Wilt), drought, and wildfires. The resulting destruction cannot be completely tallied until future research is completed. However, the results of the 2011 drought offer an indication. Statistics from the Texas A&M Forest Service and Urban Forestry show that in 2011, 301 million trees in forested plots died, and 5.6 million trees in urban areas. Moreover, since January 2023, 165,837 acres of forest have burned in Texas. This must be added to the thousands of acres cleared for construction or paved in concrete. Globally 2400 trees are cut down every minute. In 2020 alone 25.8 million hectares (a hectare is 2.47 acres) of forest were lost.
