How To | The Gifted Tree

The Monarch Butterfly – How You Can Help Save Them

In April 2022 The Gifted Tree published a blog titled “The Monarch Butterfly and the Importance of Trees.” Since the publication of this well-read blog, we have received numerous questions on how individuals can help save this beloved species. I will delve into that answer in a moment. Unfortunately, since the publication of the blog, scientists have placed the iconic orange and black species on an endangered list because of its fast-dwindling numbers. Endangered is two steps away from extinction, and while this is not imminent, it is the rapid rate of decline in the numbers of monarchs that has scientists worried. The monarch butterfly’s struggle to survive is the result of habitat destruction, increased pesticide use and disruptions along its migration route caused by extreme weather events linked to climate change.

Why is the Monarch Butterfly Important

Monarch butterflies are prolific pollinators and critical to the health of our planet! Monarch butterflies and the pollination services they provide contribute to the sustainability of entire ecosystems. We should be concerned about this decline in the numbers of monarchs because as pollinators, the monarch butterfly migration across the continent provides an invaluable service, essential for many ecosystems to thrive. It is thanks to pollinators, such as butterflies, bees, and other insects, that we have many of the flowers and dietary staples that we enjoy, like squash and blueberries. As monarchs forage for nectar, they can unintentionally move pollen within and between flowers. This movement of pollen helps flowering plants make seeds, which can eventually disperse and grow into more plants. Seeds and fruit produced as a result of successful pollination can also feed other organisms. While feeding on the nectar that comprises their diet, they pollinate many types of wildflowers — providing an invaluable ecological service to forests and farmlands across their range. They also provide an important food source for birds, small animals, and other insects.

Planting Trees in Mexico Helps

As explained in more detail in our blog, every year, in the early fall, as temperatures begin to fall in North America, millions of monarchs start an epic 3,000-mile migration. They are bound south, instinctively seeking the forests that offer the perfect conditions for overwintering, the welcoming montane oyamel fir and native pine forests of central Mexico, mainly in the state of Michoacán. Adding to the mystique of thousands of butterflies funneling into the Mexican forests every fall is the fact that monarchs arrive around the same time when Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is celebrated in early November. “In Mexico, even before the Spanish colonization, you could see images of butterflies through stone carvings and paintings of Indigenous groups,” said Joel Perez-Castaneda, Project Director for The Nature Conservancy in the state of Indiana. “In some stories, they are the returning souls of the loved ones. In others, butterflies are returning warriors that were killed in battle. The truth is that a lot of Indigenous groups believe that, even after passing on, their souls lived through nature and the environment.”

Oyamel firs and native pines do not provide food for the monarchs, but are uniquely suited to provide the climate and shelter that eastern migratory monarchs need to rest after their long migration — and to survive the winter. Here, they rest and conserve their energy until seasonal changes provide signals to the butterfly that it is time to start migrating back north to lay eggs and begin the cycle again. The Gifted Tree now has a planting project in the region surrounding the Monarch butterfly Biosphere Reserve in and around the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in the municipalities of Senguio and Ocampo Michoacán, Mexico.

As mentioned, the Abies religiosa (Oyamel) tree, which has a lifespan of up to 300 years, helps form the traditional nesting site of the monarch butterfly. These unique trees are being lost due to a one-two punch of overharvesting and climate change. Their strong wood is used to build train tracks — and during the establishment of the Mexican railroad system, logging and manufacturing sites were established, with profound effects. In addition to overharvesting impacts, the Abies religiosa can’t tolerate temperatures above 77 degrees Fahrenheit, and with steadily rising temperatures in its home range, it has been forced to move further and further up the mountainside in search of cooler conditions.

By planting oyamel and other native montane oyamel fir and pine forests, as The Gifted Tree’s project in Mexico does, we can help protect vital monarch nesting grounds, restore degraded lands, improve water filtration and watershed health, protect vital ecosystem services for nearby communities, and more.

What You Can Do To Help The Monarch Butterfly

As mentioned previously, we have received numerous inquiries as to how individuals, in addition to planting trees in Mexico, can help in the protection of the monarch butterfly. I will try to outline below several ways to get involved and also provide some resources to seek more information.

1. Plant a Butterfly Garden in Your Back Yard

Butterfly gardens are composed of a combination of host and nectar plants that provide food for both the adult and larval stages of butterflies. Monarchs need nectar to provide energy as they breed, for their migratory journey, and to build reserves for the long winter. Nectar from flowers provides the fuel monarchs need to fly. If there are not any blooming plants to collect nectar from when the monarchs rest on their migration, they will not have any energy to continue. Planting monarch flowers that bloom when they will be passing will help the monarchs reach their destination. Creating more monarch habitat will help work to reverse their decline.

Plant milkweed! Monarch caterpillars need milkweed to grow and develop. Monarch butterfly caterpillars are uniquely picky in that they only feed on milkweed plants. As a result, milkweed is the only host plant of the monarch butterfly. Unfortunately, human development has decreased the availability of milkweed and plants utilized for nectar There are over 100 milkweed species that are native to North America, many of which are used by monarchs. To learn which species to plant in your region, and how to plant them, visit the Bring Back the Monarchs Campaign at: www.monarchwatch.org.

2. Reduce or Eliminate Pesticide Use

Pesticides can harm monarchs and other beneficial insects directly by toxicity. Pesticides also can cause indirect harm by reduction of host and nectar plant availability. Limiting pesticide use in your yard will not only help monarch butterflies, but it will help protect other butterflies, pollinators, and beneficial insects. There are ways to protect your garden from pests without harming monarchs according to the website Farm and Dairy.

Leave milkweed alone. Regardless of what strategies you use to control pests in your garden, milkweed should be left alone. It is monarch butterflies’ only host plant and also provides a source of nectar. Milkweed should never be treated with pesticides and likely won’t need much maintenance. It is resilient and spreads quickly when given the space to do so.
Plant more natives. Native plants provide more benefits to wildlife and are better equipped to survive in your backyard. They naturally require less maintenance.
Space plants out. When plants are spaced according to their mature size and gardens are not overcrowded, it limits a pest’s ability to spread throughout the garden.
Don’t bring pests home. Before bringing any plants home from the nursery, inspect them thoroughly to make sure you won’t be introducing any pests.
Live with some pest presence. A certain level of pest presence is normal and natural. Caterpillars chew holes in the leaves of their host plants, so treating them with pesticides would be counterproductive to conserving butterfly populations.
Wash away pests. A lot of times, aphids and other pest problems can be controlled simply by washing them away with the hose. It may take a couple of showers to prevent them from returning, but it’s safer than using pesticides.
Look for alternatives. Scale insects can be dabbed away with rubbing alcohol, slugs can be caught with traps and worms can be plucked off by hand. When there’s an alternative to using pesticides, use it.
Limit the odds of a monarch butterfly coming into contact with pesticides. There are a number of tactics for using pesticides that can help limit the odds of a monarch actually coming into contact with them — only treat affected plants, spray pesticides when they’ll do the least damage, remove flowers from plants treated with pesticides and choose pesticides carefully.

3. Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

Even with small changes, such as using less electricity, you can do your part in reducing carbon emissions and mitigating the effects of climate change. Increasing seasonal temperatures have the potential to move areas where breeding and overwintering occur. If climate change causes the temperatures to get too warm during spring, monarch butterflies might migrate farther north during the summer seeking out cooler ambient temperatures. Then when winter comes, the longer trip to overwintering sites in Mexico could overtax them and decrease their reproduction. Some organizations to check out to learn more about how you can get involved in protecting the monarch include the aforementioned Monarch Watch and The Xerces Society. Each have projects that you and your family can contribute to. We all need to work together to protect the balance and biodiversity of our natural ecosystems for humans and nature to thrive together.

Learn more about the monarch butterfly and the importance of trees. Honor a loved one by planting a memorial gift tree or celebration tree in Mexico’s Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve and help save the monarch butterflies.

January 26, 2023/by Doug Bell

How To

Monarch Butterflies and the Importance of Trees

A monarch butterfly floats by and a child’s face lights up. Viewing the semi-annual monarch butterfly migration causes adult jaws to drop. To both young and old, the beautiful monarch butterfly is one of the most recognized and beloved of all insects. They are studied in school and their habits are watched intensely by both professional and citizen scientists. We take for granted their jumping from flower to flower in our gardens or fluttering about open natural areas of the United States as their appearance announces the arrival of warmer weather. Their long-term survival, however, is being studied as concerns arise and become more prevalent about threats to the monarch butterfly’s existence.

Monarch Butterfly Migration

As birds do every year, fly south in the winter and back north in the spring, the monarch butterfly does the same. They are the only butterfly to do such. Unlike other butterflies that can adapt to the cold northern winters, monarch butterflies cannot survive the colder winters up north. Receiving a cue from mother nature, they know it is time to fly south, sometimes traveling as far as 3,000 miles using a combination of air and thermal currents. How the monarch finds its way is still a bit of a mystery that is being studied, but it appears to be a combination of directional aids such as the magnetic pull of the earth and the position of the sun.

An Epic Winter Journey

As soon ago as the 1990s, hundreds of millions of monarchs made the journey from the northern United States and Canada to the fir forests in the Sierra Madre mountains of central Mexico. They would remain in that Mexican habitat until the weather warmed back up and then make the return journey north. Imagine viewing this spectacle, swarms of monarch butterflies creating a cloud dense enough to momentarily block the sun.
Monarchs roost for the winter in the high elevation oyamel fir forests as the mountain hillsides of these forests provide an ideal microclimate for the butterflies. The butterflies migrate to this forest because it has all the elements they need to reproduce and survive. Of great importance is that the forest environ is silent, a critical factor for the monarchs. There are also clear streams running between the bushes, and the temperature is cool but not too cold, with temperatures maintaining an ideal range of 32 to 60 degrees farenheit. Monarchs do not eat while wintering in Mexico, having “filled up” on their migration path. That is why the temperature in Mexico is important – if the temperature is too low, the monarchs will be forced to use their fat reserves. The humidity in the oyamel forest also assures the monarchs won’t dry out also allowing them to conserve their energy. Monarchs cluster together to stay warm, and tens of thousands of monarchs can cluster on a single tree. This is quite a sight!

Deforestation Threatens the Monarch Butterfly

Conservation of the monarch’s winter forest habitat is very important to the survival of monarchs. The Mexican Government recognized the importance of Oyamel forests to monarch butterflies and created the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in 1986. But is this enough? What used to be a migration of hundreds of millions of monarch butterflies has shrunk considerably. The Xerces Society, whose mission is to protect pollinators such as the monarch, estimates that only a fraction of the population remains—a decline of approximately 70% has been seen in central Mexico and a decline of >95% has been seen in California.
Much of the land within the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, which now encompasses around 300 square miles of land, is communally owned land, a piece of land collectively farmed by a number of individual farmers under a system supported by the state. The residents of these communities are poor farmers who have relied on these forests for lumbering, firewood, and construction material for generations. Although logging was outlawed when the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve was created in 1986, illegal logging remains a problem today, and the resulting deforestation threatens the wintering habitat of the monarch butterfly.

Why Monarch Butterflies Are Important?

The monarch butterfly is part of a group of insects known as pollinators. While being beautiful to observe, pollinators are essential to our environment as they carry pollen between flowers and plants, fertilizing them so they produce fruits and seeds. The ecological service they provide is necessary for the reproduction of over 85% of the world’s flowering plants, including more than two-thirds of the world’s crop species. The United States alone grows more than 100 crops that either need or benefit from pollinators. Beyond agriculture, pollinators are the foundation of most terrestrial ecosystems. Fruits and seeds derived from insect pollination are a major part of the diet of approximately 25% of all birds, and a wide range of mammals. Humans need the services of these pollinators, including the monarch butterfly. Unfortunately, in many places, the essential service of pollination is at risk from disease, habitat loss, and pesticide use, which could have a devastating impact on us as humans.

What Can You Do To Help Protect The Monarch Butterfly?

One way to help is to educate yourself on the monarch, its habitat and needs. This “Protecting Monarchs” fact sheet is a great resource. The United States Forest Service is another great resource, stressing practicing good stewardship in being a thoughtful consumer and a good citizen of the earth. Even your backyard can become an oasis for monarchs, and you can register your butterfly garden as a Monarch Waystation and assist in the conservation of the monarch butterfly in the United States. Learn more at www.monarchwatch.org, a nonprofit education, conservation, and research program based at the University of Kansas that focuses on the monarch butterfly.

Protecting Monarchs and Preserving the Monarch Migration

While there are things you can do at home to help protect the monarch butterfly, it is harder to help in Mexico. The Gifted Tree now has a tree planting project in Mexico, the Monarch Butterfly Project, to help reforest and conserve the monarch’s Mexico habitat. Communities and landowners will be taught sustainable forestry practices such as proper planting techniques, sustainable harvesting, the importance of recycling and waste management, and land and plant protection. The project in Mexico will plant native species, including Oyamel pine, smooth-bark Mexican pine, Chihuahua pine, and Mexican cypress. All with the goal of making sure this migration corridor is restored and protected for future generations of monarchs.

Memorial and Celebration Trees Planted in Mexico

You can participate when you plant a Memorial or Celebration tree. When ordering the tribute, click on Mexico as the planting location. The tree will be planted in Mexico’s Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve and the tree planting certificate will note that fact so the recipient will know that the tree planted will help preserve the monarch butterfly population and help it grow and prosper. Finally, check out our two new butterfly pop up cards that we added as tribute designs. Both guaranteed to bring a smile to the recipient, no matter young or old.

Monarch Butterfly Pop-up Card

Garden Butterflies Pop-up Card

April 22, 2022/by Doug Bell

How To

5 Unique Holiday Gift Ideas To Give During The COVID-19 Pandemic

This holiday season is shaping up to be like no other. While in normal times we might be planning to travel to see family or getting together with work colleagues or friends, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused us to reevaluate. Gatherings will be much more limited in scope or non-existent for some. Furthermore, the ability to shop for presents and deliver them in-person has been stymied by the pandemic. Stores have limited hours or are closing down entirely. Friends are hesitant to have you stop by to exchange gifts, even for a short while. This fact is causing a lot of stress and depression, but that does not mean you cannot connect with family and friends in other meaningful ways. There are a number of ways this holiday season to give gifts in a touchless way; gifts that give back and that continue to give long after the holiday season is over. We want to highlight some of our favorites:

1. Animated eCards that plant a tree

The ultimate no-touch gift will also bring a smile to the face of all recipients. And if you are worried about delivery delays, you can relax when ordering our eCards. Sometimes you don’t have a physical street address; with an eCard, all you need is an email address and the eCard is on its way with guaranteed delivery to the recipient’s email box on a date of your choosing. The Gifted Tree’s premium digital eCard not only includes the planting of a tree(s), but deliver an elegant, electronic gift tree planting certificate by emulating the experience of opening a traditionally mailed printed certificate. We create an animated online experience – not only planting trees but saving trees as well by not sending a paper certificate.

Click to View 12 Holiday Digital eCard Options

Sample Holiday Digital eCard Front

Ordering is made easy – choose from one of 12 holiday card designs, enter a personal message and the recipient’s email address. You can also have the eCard sent to your email address for you to forward onto the recipient. Schedule delivery for whenever you desire and check that gift off the list. The Gifted Tree’s premium digital eCard will be memorable and stress free yet with all the accolades sure to follow.

2. Donation to a Charity in Someone’s Name

Many charities are struggling to raise funds this year as they are not able to hold their annual fund-raising events. Virtual fundraisers are common replacements, but the results while something, are not bringing in the same amount of donations as normal. Make a donation to a charity of your choice this year and let the charity know it is in honor or celebration of an individual(s) or family. Most charities will notify the recipients of this fact so they will be aware of your generosity.

The Gifted Tree also has a tree charity donation program. Directly help the hard work of a worthwhile cause by planting your gift tree in our Trees for a Cause grove located in a U.S. National Forest. When you choose the gift trees in our Trees for a Cause program, The Gifted Tree will donate 10% of the purchase price to that organization to help fund its valuable programs. Choose from Our Military Kids, which empowers military kids by funding sports, arts and other enrichment activities when their parents are deployed overseas with the National Guard or Reserves, or recovering from severe injuries sustained in a post-9/11 overseas mission. Or choose to benefit Direct Relief, a humanitarian organization, active in all 50 states and more than 80 countries, with a mission to improve the health and lives of people affected by poverty or emergencies. As part of its COVID-19 pandemic relief efforts, Direct Relief is working in overdrive to get protective gear and critical care medications to as many health workers as possible, as quickly as possible, with emergency deliveries leaving daily for medical facilities across the U.S. In either case, the recipient will receive the charitable tree planting certificate tribute and be made aware of what the funds will accomplish to help these charities.

3. Local Shop and Restaurant Gift Cards

At some point the pandemic will be in the rear-view mirror and life will return to “normal.” In the meantime, many local shop and restaurants in your area are struggling to survive. We want them to survive and be around when “normal” returns, and purchasing gift cards to these local establishments will help them survive by providing much needed cash now. Your gift recipient will be able to enjoy the bounty provided by your holiday gift cards when everyone is able to get back out. A win-win for everyone and something for your gift recipient to look forward to. Furthermore, your gift will provide a double bonus – not only will the recipient thank you when the gift card is received, but will think of you again when the gift card is redeemed.

4. Treats for the House-Bound

A number of us are excellent cooks or fabulous bakers. Some have specialties that are known around the neighborhood. Put that talent to good use this holiday season by preparing a meal or a dessert for the elderly to enjoy or those that are house bound with no family members in the area. Create and deliver the goodies, but notify the recipient in advance so you can just leave it on their doorstep, ensuring a contact-free handoff. A smile or thumbs up through the front door window will let you know your generosity is most appreciated. And while a safe hand-off is top of mind, also make sure to wear your mask while preparing the gift to ensure safe enjoyment.

5. Plant a Gift Tree

Planting a tree in honor or celebration of an individual(s) or family is the ultimate “green” gift that will continue to give long after the holiday season is over. The holiday season is also an appropriate time to remember those (including pets) who are no longer with us by planting a memorial tree in their honor. The Gifted Tree plants your holiday tree in 30+ plus countries around the world, one of which might be very meaningful to the gift recipient. Announce the holiday gift tree planting with one of our unique and creative tribute card certificates. From handmade paper to several framed options, all of them include the planting of trees. The benefits are numerous, and reactions are priceless, especially for those who don’t need another material thing. So order now, create a wow!

There you have it, a few unique holiday gifts to give during the COVID-19 pandemic. The year 2020 has been a struggle, but this holiday season, not only can you bring a smile to someone’s face, you can do it safely AND help make the world a better place.

November 25, 2020/by Doug Bell

How To

How To Make a Wildflower or Tree Seed Bomb

With the COVID-19 pandemic dominating the news and our lives, and with stress levels soaring because of it, I thought I would discuss a topic of a lighter note: Wildflower and Tree Seed Bombs. While it might suggest a topic of a less serious note, some of the words associated with the subject have some severe associations. Just the word “bomb” does not bring to mind something the family can make and do together. On the contrary, making these seed bombs is also a fun family project while we are subject to stay-at-home laws.

And the hobby of “guerrilla gardening” also does not conjure up an image of a fun way to spend a weekend day. Though it sounds radical, guerrilla gardening is not an overtly political or polarizing endeavor. Its objective is simple: transform unused land into gardens. People all over the globe are drawn to this humble mission and are taking up arms in the form of shovels, compost, plants, bulbs, and seed bombs in an attempt to bring their communities back to life.

One might think that wildflower and tree seed bombing is a newfangled hipster way to plant seed and help the environment, but not so. Even though one can throw the seed bombs out of a moving car, from a bicycle, or on a hike, seed bombing is an ancient practice that goes back to the feudal days of Japan. While on the surface it seems like a simple concept, like most things in life, to get the most good out of it, one needs to put a little thought into it. Furthermore, believe it or not, seed bombing can be illegal, so here are some tips from a New York Times article and from a few other DIY gardening articles.

Recipe

While there are a number of seed bomb recipes one can use, make sure you use one that can lead to the greatest rate of seed germination and ultimate success. Just like any good recipe in the kitchen, for this garden recipe you will need a mixing bowl and baking sheets. Summarizing a recipe from Daniel Cunningham, a horticulturalist at Texas A&M, add one-part native wildflower seed mix to four parts powdered clay and five parts fine-gained compost. Mix the dry ingredients thoroughly and stir in water slowly until you have a thick bread-dough consistency.

Gather a small pinch of this seed-infused mud mixture and roll it into marble-sized balls. A cup of seeds can yield dozens of the seed bomb balls. Set the balls on a cookie sheet and let them dry in the sun. These clay balls protect the seed from the heat of the sun. They’re heavy enough to be unaffected by the wind or heavy rains and the hard clay casing deters animal nibblers as well. In dry areas, the shape of the ball actually gives enough shade to conserve moisture. The seeds begin to germinate, and the ball breaks apart. The small pile of crumbles provides the start for the root system but is still heavy enough to anchor the emerging seeds to the ground.

Types of seeds to use and when to plant

Make sure the seeds you are using are native to your area, whether they be wildflower or tree seeds. The last thing you want to do is introduce invasive species to your area. I have spent countless hours in the local National Park and surrounding areas removing invasive species that are wrecking havoc on old established forest growth.

Fall to early spring is the best time to make and throw seed bombs. Seed bombs need water and moderate temperatures to succeed. The seeds of many northern species need to experience a winter cold period before the seeds will germinate. Sowing the seeds during the cold and wet time of year will give these seeds the best chance to work their way into a soil niche and provide the cold stratification they need for germination. By mid-May, the landscape begins to warm, and the soil dries out. This makes late spring a riskier environment for seed germination if you cannot provide supplemental water.

Leaving a Positive Impact

Now that your seed bombs are ready to go and the time of year for planting is right, now what. Believe it or not, you just can’t throw your seed bombs wherever you want. It can actually be illegal to do so. We don’t want you to end up in jail! Don’t throw your seed bombs on farm land, you don’t want to interfere with agricultural production. If in an urban area, while most people won’t call the police on you for trying to liven up a blighted area, it is best to get permission first so you won’t be accused of vandalism or trespassing. Seed bombs are a delightful idea and, if done with the planning previously discussed, I really can’t see why anyone would reasonably object.

Using native plant seed balls is a great way to reseed the landscape and to reclaim bare patches of land. In Texas, some of the highest concentrations of wildflowers can be found along highways thanks in part to the work of former first lady, Lady Bird Johnson, over 50 years ago. And there have even been proposals in recent years to adopt the idea on an industrial scale to repopulate vast areas with trees. Reforesting devastated, blighted areas that are lacking vegetation is what The Gifted Tree advocates, by planting memorial and celebration trees in 30 plus countries worldwide. As Lady Bird Johnson once said: “ugliness is so grim.”

May 28, 2020/by Doug Bell

How To

How to Write a Sympathy Card, Especially in the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic

One of our most popular and revisited blogs was written over a year ago and focused on “How to Write a Sympathy Letter.” This page offers a range of heartfelt sympathy messages to include on the tree planting certificate when one struggles to find just the right words. There is a good reason why folks search out help when writing a condolence card, because it is not a simple task.

Unfortunately, this task has gotten even more difficult with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic as we have all experienced dramatic changes to our daily lives and regular routines. Helping those mourn has become complicated as we can’t gather to say goodbye, we can’t embrace the bereaved family and we can’t join as a community to celebrate a life well lived. Not only is it a difficult time and a difficult task, but it seems that just about everyone knows someone who has passed. After reading a recent article in The New York Times by Katherine Rosman, it got me thinking that perhaps it was a good time to revisit the subject of how to write a sympathy card, especially in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Even at a time of perpetual Zoom gatherings and virtual hugs, the grieving process landscape has dramatically been altered. One of the sad effects of the coronavirus is social distance, which has kept us from physically comforting others during the times they are most desperate for a compassionate touch. It has made it that even more important to reach out and connect with someone close to you. Here at The Gifted Tree, we can help provide that support by planting memorial trees (and especially during these times, trees make a great alternative to funeral flowers.) The planting of the tree brings great comfort at a time of grieving and the ability to include a personal message on the certificate, as well as the optional accompanying card, is an ideal way to express your sentiments. Keep in mind that by sending a physical card, as opposed to text, not only does the tree planting certificates provide immediate comfort, but it is a wonderful keepsake to look back on at anniversaries and other times of reflections.

So, if you are struggling as you try to construct a sympathy message, realize this is a tough task.

Sympathy Message Writing Tips

Here are some suggestions (whether communicated on the tree certificate itself or via the separate card enclosure) for expressing sympathy clearly and supportively to the bereaved. As Ms. Rosman states in her article:

Keep in mind that it is important to consider the tone of your message and it is okay to convey an air of solemnity, even as you express personal warmth. You want to keep in mind the seriousness of the situation.
Be direct and do not meander. Start with the reason you are writing, such as I was so sorry to hear about the loss of your brother.
Be gentle and instead of using the word “death” you might want to substitute the word “loss” or “passing.”
If appropriate, explain how you knew the person, how well you knew the person and the role that the person played in your life. You might want to include a short memory of the deceased. The reader will cherish that memory.
Acknowledge unfamiliarity. Some of the most comforting condolence notes are sent not because we knew and loved the deceased, but because we care about the survivor(s). In this case, reflect on your affection for the person you are writing to as it relates to the death of their loved one.
Acknowledge current circumstances. Given the extraordinary ways that COVID-19 is interfering with end-of-life interactions and mourning rituals, it is appropriate to recognize this if you’re moved to do so.
Don’t stress about writing a long message. Short messages are just as powerful and, in most cases, better received.
Offer a wish for the future and conclude with a caring sign-off that is appropriate to your relationship with the recipient.

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has forced people to forgo human-to-human interaction, which runs counter to all our instincts. While it may be challenging to write a condolence message, sometimes just getting started is the most difficult part. Using some of the above suggestions can hopefully be the jump start you need, and remember that you don’t have to be Shakespeare. Your memorable and simply presented message to honor a life well-lived will stand out and have a lasting impact, especially when it is accompanied by the planting of a tree. As one customer stated: “The tree planting and card message comforted me in a way I never expected they would.”

Get Started with the Gifted Tree

Send an everlasting tribute with the Gifted Tree. Show that you care by planting a beautiful tree in a U.S. National Forest or another location in one of 30 countries on six continents. A memorial tree is the most meaningful tribute to a life well-lived.

April 29, 2020/by Doug Bell

How To

How a Leap Year Tree Can Solve Deforestation – Leaping To a “Logical” Conclusion

As we all know, this Saturday, February 29, 2020, is a Leap Day . Leap year is a calendar year that contains an additional day added to keep the calendar year synchronized with the astronomical year or seasonal year. Leap years are necessary because the actual length of a year is 365.242 days, not 365 days, as we are taught early on. Because astronomical events and seasons do not repeat in a whole number of days, calendars that have the same number of days in each year drift over time with respect to the event that the year is supposed to track. By inserting an additional day, the drift can be corrected.

The Leap Year Tree – a New Tradition

There are several traditions around the world associated with Leap Year, but none in the United States as far as we know. While we know every day is a great day to plant trees, The Gifted Tree proposes that leap day, February 29th, become an extra special day to plant trees. If you follow our logic, which I will explain in a moment, the world’s deforestation issue will certainly be helped.

Leap Year History

First of all, some history – The Julian calendar was introduced by Julius Caesar in 45 BCE and replaced the Roman calendar. Julius Caesar’s goal was to simplify things and he was behind the origin of leap year. However, in 1582, Pope Gregory XIII further refined the calendar (the Gregorian calendar) with the rule that leap day would occur in any year divisible by four. This is the calendar that we in the United States use today.

Leap Year – Historical Traditions

Regarding historical leap year traditions, February 29 is a big day in Ireland and is known as Bachelor’s Day, the day where women are encouraged to initiate dances and propose marriage. According to an old Irish legend, St. Brigid struck a deal with St. Patrick to allow women to propose to men – and not just the other way around – every four years. This is believed to have been introduced to balance the traditional roles of men and women in a similar way to how leap day balances the calendar.

In Scotland, it used to be considered unlucky for someone to be born on leap day, just as Friday 13th is considered an unlucky day by many. Greeks consider it unlucky for couples to marry during a leap year, and especially on Leap Day. Leap day is also St. Oswald’s Day, named after the archbishop of York, who died on February 29, 992. And in many European countries, especially in the upper classes of society, tradition dictates that any man who refuses a woman’s proposal on February 29 must buy her 12 pairs of gloves. The intention is that the woman can wear the gloves to hide the embarrassment of not having an engagement ring. During the middle ages there were laws governing this tradition!

The Leap Tree Frog

None of those traditions seems to have carried over to this country, but as stated above, The Gifted Tree proposes that Leap Day be an extra special day to plant trees. Follow our “logic” and I think you will agree. Leap Year and Leap Day are, for logical reasons, associated with frogs. And Tree Frogs are very popular. And what do Tree Frogs like? Trees of course. Thus, we need to plant more trees so that the habitat of the tree frog is perpetuated and we will always have tree frogs to dazzle us.

“Logic” Wins Out

But just as important to helping tree frogs, if we plant a tree on Leap Day, February 29th, in a hundred years when trees when trees not planted on leap day will be reaching their life span, our Leap Year trees will only be 25 and in the prime of their existence!. The trees we plant on February 29th will last four times as long and will help solve the earth’s deforestation problem. A simple solution with far-reaching benefits: Helping the habitat of our tree frog friends and increasing the globe’s tree canopy.

Do Your Part

So, this Saturday, February 29th, as the sun starts to rise, help start our new tradition of planting Leap Trees, be it in celebration or in memory, and give the world an extra-lasting gift too!

February 25, 2020/by Doug Bell

How To

How To Know The Right Time To Send a Tree Gift

At The Gifted Tree we speak to many customers every day. Most are calling to plant a memorial tree for a family member, friend or someone they did not even know but are related to someone they know. They are genuinely touched to be able to connect with someone special to them and know that it helps the recipient in a time of grieving. Before ending the call with the customer, I always mention to think of The Gifted Tree during happier times, such as a wedding or birthday. This surprises them and the most common response is “Oh, I never thought about that as an occasion to plant a tree.” The fact is a gift tree in honor or celebration fits any occasion and boy does this world need to plant more trees!

The World Needs More Trees Planted

The news is full of stories about the growing deforestation issue in this country and around the world. The Australian bushfires are currently a daily news item and before that is was the fires in the Amazon rain forest. Fires are not the only destructive element existing. Disease is another major issue. Just this past week, my newspaper in Cleveland, Ohio had a headline talking about the shrinking tree canopy (https://bit.ly/2GyQwHK ). In the last decade, 5,000 football fields worth of trees are gone, and that is in only one county. The emerald ash bore is a major culprit (I lost 10 ash trees in my back yard in the last year to this disease), but so are more violent storms caused by climate change. Clear-cutting for suburban residential and industrial projects is another big factor. And this problem is not going away. Millions and millions of trees will need to be planted, and The Gifted Tree is here to help.

A Gift Tree Fits Any Occasion – Even Happy Ones!

When a colleague loses a parent or a friend’s dog dies, planting a memorial tree is an ideal way to express sympathy. But as mentioned above, gifting a tree fits every occasion. A birthday tree makes sense, especially for an older person who probably doesn’t need another “thing.” A wedding is another occasion where a gift tree will resonate with the couple as they look to establish their roots. Miss the wedding gift opportunity, don’t fret, a first or fifth anniversary gives you another opportunity. The first anniversary is the paper anniversary (paper comes from trees, get it?). And something I just learned; wood is the traditional gift for the fifth anniversary, so a tree fits perfectly.

Other situations also call for the planting of a gift tree. Acknowledging a teacher or coach who has gone above and beyond as well as honoring the birth of a baby who will grow as the gift tree blossoms and grows. Celebrating landing a dream job, getting a promotion or moving into a new home, all gift tree giving opportunities.

Don’t forget about planting a gift tree for a retirement or graduation. Or just a general “thinking of you” tree where you can let the recipient know that our lives are happier, richer, and more beautiful because of you, and with the planting of this tree in their honor, now our world will be too.

Gift Trees To Celebrate a Holiday? Yes!

But another reason I bring this up is that holidays are a perfect opportunity to give a gift tree. With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, surprise a sweetheart with the planting of a gift tree. He or she will be more than touched by the gesture. They will realize that this is a gift to the world too!

Gift Trees – A Gift To The World Too

As you can see, there are many ways to celebrate or honor someone with the planting of a gift tree. And at The Gifted Tree, you can let your writing talents shine through too as each certificate has space for a custom, personalized message. But don’t stress if you struggle to find the right words. We all do from time to time, and The Gifted Tree can take a little weight off your shoulders by offering a range of heartfelt message options for you to include on your gift tree certificate. You can write your own message or use one of our suggestions. Either way, we’ll make sure your voice and your sentiments shine through. When all is said and done, not only does planting a gift tree fit every occasion, but you are giving the world a gift too!

January 30, 2020/by Doug Bell

How To

Support Our Military Kids & Help Fight Climate Change w/ our Trees for a Cause Program

The Gifted Tree has always helped the earth by planting trees worldwide to counteract the devastating effects of forest fires and climate change, but we have added a new wrinkle. Your gift tree will still help you connect with someone special to you and give the world a gift, too, but now you can also help support a meaningful cause.

Announcing Our Trees for a Cause Planting Program

The Gifted Tree’s Trees for a Cause charity donation program is a win-win-win partnership. Win 1 = Connect on a personal level with someone important to you and show them you care. Win 2 = By planting a tree, you are helping the earth, counteracting the devastating effects of forest fires and climate change. Win 3 = Directly help the hard work of a worthwhile cause by planting your gift tree in a charity-specific “Giving Grove,” located in a U.S. National Forest. When you choose our Trees for a Cause program, The Gifted Tree will donate 10% of the purchase price to that organization to help fund their valuable programs.

Our Military Kids Partnership with the Gifting Tree

Our first partnership is with Our Military Kids. Their “Giving Grove” is called the Empower Tree Grove and is located in a U.S. National Forest. Since 2004, Our Military Kids has empowered military kids by funding sports, arts, and other enrichment activities when their parents are deployed overseas with the National Guard or Reserves or recovering from severe injuries sustained in a post-9/11 overseas mission.

National Guard and Reserve families sometimes have trouble accessing support services from military installations. During deployments, these families may lose income when their military member leaves a civilian job to accept a military position overseas. The loss of income and lack of resources can create gaps that are hard on families. Our Military Kids fills these gaps with a simple grant program that pays for their children’s activities.

When military members are injured in service to our country, their families face many changes. They may have to move closer to medical care or change their comfortable routines. Children must often take a back seat while parents deal with more pressing issues related to medical care, financial strains, and other adult responsibilities. Our Military Kids grants ease the financial strain on parents while giving their children the chance to participate in positive activities that will help them laugh, grow, and feel connected to the community.

The History of Our Military Kids

In early 2004, Our Military Kids started small, with a pilot program focused on a National Guard unit from Winchester, Va. The pilot program was extremely successful, and they expanded to help all deployed Reserve and National Guard families living throughout Virginia.

Calls from deploying soldiers were sometimes heartbreaking. Feeling the need to help more children cope with the challenges brought on by lengthy separations, Our Military Kids began covering families living in Maryland, the District of Columbia and, eventually, the entire United States.

In 2008, Our Military Kids expanded its program once again, this time to include children of service members and veterans from all branches of service who were severely injured in post-9/11 combat operations, and whose families were struggling to deal with financial and emotional hardships.

Today, Our Military Kids is a national organization, funded entirely by private donors, foundations and corporate sponsors. Since its inception, the group has provided more than 67,000 grants to military families across the country, allowing military kids the opportunity to participate in sports, arts and other activities while their parents are deployed or recovering from severe injuries sustained in combat. Participation in these activities helps military children cope with stress and build self-confidence while their parents are recovering or serving overseas.

4-Star Rated Nonprofit Organization

While The Gifted Tree is so impressed with the mission of Our Military Kids, we are also attracted to the group’s financial acumen and transparency. Our Military Kids has earned the highest possible 4-Star rating from Charity Navigator, the leading charity watchdog organization. Because of the group’s careful money management, a high percentage of donation dollars is going directly to fund kids’ grants, something that is important to The Gifted Tree and guided its decision to include the organization in our Trees for a Cause program.

How Our Charity Tree Donation Program Works

If you want to plant a tree in memory of, in celebration of or in honor of someone close to you and make a difference in a child’s life, consider our Trees for a Cause option. Ten percent (10%) of the purchase price of your gift tree will be donated to the organization to directly help fund its programs, which can ease stress for military kids by paying for participation in sports, fine arts, & tutoring programs while their parents are serving their country overseas or recovering from battle wounds.

Back our charity donation program by choosing the Trees for a Cause planting location and help support Our Military Kids.

November 26, 2019/by Doug Bell

How To

How To Counteract The Ravages of Deforestation

Half the World’s Trees Gone

The destruction of many of the world’s forests is occurring and occurring swiftly. Whether the deforestation going on globally is causing climate change and global warming is sometimes debated, but it is pretty much universally agreed that one simple deforestation solution is to plant more trees. It is a cost-effective way to help and The Gifted Tree is doing its best to aid in the cause. More on that in a bit, but another way to help is to stop deforestation by not cutting down as many trees in the first place.

Every year, an estimated 15 billion trees are chopped down across the planet to make room for agricultural and urban lands and other uses. We’ve cut down so many, in fact, that what’s left is about half of the number of trees that the Earth supported before the rise of human civilization, and scientists warn that it’s not helping our climate.

Causes of Climate Change and Global Warming?

Global deforestation is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. When trees are cut down, says Stanford University professor Rob Jackson, who chairs the Earth System Science Department and Global Carbon Project, it can release years of a forests’ stored carbon back into the atmosphere. “Forests provide many benefits beyond storing carbon,” Jackson continues. “They store and recycle our water, they prevent erosion, they harbor biodiversity. There’s a legion of reasons to protect forests, especially in the tropics. When we plant forests, we gain some of those benefits, but it takes a long time to grow a healthy forest.” Rebuilding woodland is a slow and often difficult task which requires patience. It can take several decades or longer for forests to regrow as viable habitats, and to absorb the same amount of carbon lost when trees are cut and burned.

Where to Plant is Vital

Global heat map indicating the best places to plant trees on earth

What we are learning is that not every spec of earth is suitable for planting trees. Some land does need to be used for crops and pastures, but there is much outlaying and marginal land that can best be served by planting trees on it. Thus, it is vitally important to understand where it is best to plant trees. Using high-tech satellite photography, scientist can determine the natural level of tree cover across a range of ecosystems. A recently released study by a Swiss company in the journal Science estimates there are approximately 2.2 billion acres of land worldwide suitable for reforestation, which could ultimately capture two thirds of human-made carbon emissions. The global tree restoration potential report found that there is enough suitable land to increase the world’s forest cover by one-third without affecting existing cities or agriculture. It turns out that more than half the potential to restore trees can be found in just six countries: Russia, USA, Canada, Australia, Brazil, and China. These countries have so much potential because they’ve already removed much of their existing forests, said lead author of the study, Jean-Francois Bastin.

Monitoring Tree Planting is Essential

Successful tree reforestation needs to be done in the right manner. As The Gifted Tree works with tree planting partners around the world, we are learning that programs that work long-term take into account native plant species. There also needs to be a sustained commitment to monitoring forests, not just one-off tree planting events. The upside is this monitoring and educating economically benefits the local population by creating jobs and reduces erosion that damages homes and crops.

When done right, the impact is tremendous. The Swiss study concluded that if all available 2.2 billion acres of new trees were to be planted, around 500 billion saplings, once they reach maturity could absorb 220 gigatons of carbon, the equivalent to about two thirds of man-made carbon emissions since the start of the Industrial revolution. While some of these facts have been challenged as an easy solution to the climate change issue, it is pretty much agreed that the planting of trees matters.

Success Stories From Your Gift Trees

This is why The Gifted Tree is working with dedicated tree partners to not only plant trees, but to monitor their growth to help ensure long-term sustainability. To provide a few examples, take the planting project in Peru where a lot of the forest has been lost to illegal mining. Not only are old growth trees being cut and burned, but miners use diesel pumps to suck up deep layers of the earth, then push the soil through filters to extract gold particles. To turn the particles into nuggets, mercury is stirred in helping bind the particles but also poisoning the land, turning it into desert-like land – dry, sandy, stripped of topsoil and ringed by trunks of dead tree. Our partners are planting saplings of various species native to this part of the Peruvian Amazon, thus when you plant a gift tree in Peru, it is helping bring back the Amazon forest to its original grandeur.

The Gifted Tree’s planting project in the Appalachia Forest

In another project closer to home, focus is on former mining sites in the Appalachian forests of West Virginia and trying to reverse bad planting techniques employed by mining companies in the 1980s. Back then the companies used heavy machinery to push upturned soil back into place. The result was soil so compacted that rainwater would just wash off and not get into the tree roots. The planted species had shallow roots or were non-native trees that could endure but wouldn’t reach their full height or restore the forest to what it had been. Now we understand better what is needed, and your gift trees are native Appalachian trees that can prosper and bring back these forests to what they once were.

Deforestation Solutions: Not an Either-Or Choice

These and other planting projects undertaken by The Gifted Tree planting partners are helping with forest reforestation around the world which we think is one of the best climate change solutions available today. That does not alter the vital importance of protecting existing forests by limiting deforestation since new forests can take decades to mature. Slowing down or putting a halt to deforestation or planting new forests – it’s not an either-or choice. We can do both

October 10, 2019/by Doug Bell

How To

Understanding the Amazon Rainforest Fires (and Why we Need to Plant Trees to Help)

The Concern Behind Fires In The Amazon Rainforest

The Amazon Rainforest – the area in Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay and Peru – is burning at a rate never before seen. The Amazon is regarded as vital in the fight against global warming due to its ability to absorb carbon from the air. It’s often referred to as the “lungs of the Earth,” as more than 20 percent of the world’s oxygen is produced there. It is hard to get a handle on the exact number of fires, be it 75,000, 90,000, or over 100,000, but one thing is clear, it is a large number and seems to be growing every day, causing significant Amazon deforestation.

Left to its own devices, the Amazon Rainforest rarely burns, and the ecosystem is not adapted to deal with fire. The area has been “fire-resistant” for much of its history because of its natural environment, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. While drought can be a factor in Amazon rainforest fires, usually caused by major El Niño droughts, there is nothing abnormal about the climate or rainfall amounts in the Amazon this year. The fires can kill many of the trees they encounter, because the thin-barked Amazonian species are not adapted to deal with fire—unlike many species of trees in the western U.S. or Mediterranean climates, which evolved to deal with frequent fires.

The Cause of the Amazon Rainforest Fires

“The majority of the fires we’re seeing now are because of deforestation,” according to Ane Alencar, the Director of Science at the Amazon Environmental Research Institute. While the fires themselves are destructive and devastating, she continues, their primary cause and the way they are spreading is cause for more concern. This year, there are 45% more fires in Brazil than there were at this time last year. What’s most alarming is the fact that many of these fires are deliberately set, not lightening strikes or careless campers. Instead, they are planned out and propagated by farmers and large corporations for farming, drilling and mining. If you are like me, living in a metropolitan area, I did not understand the reason for the setting of these fires and the deliberate deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest. So, I set about trying to learn why and I thought I would relay my findings to help you understand about the Amazon Rainforest fires.

Most of the Amazon fires causing deforestation are due to the growth of industrial agriculture in the area. As the world’s population grows, demand for agricultural products also grows. Harvested crops are not just consumed by people in the area, but as cultivation and transportation systems get more advanced and sophisticated, production in these areas can be exported, much of it to China and its growing middle-class population. Brazil, now the world’s largest soybean producer, has converted 18% of its forest ecosystem since 1970 through clear-cutting and fire to aid livestock, soybean and oil palm cultivation.

Inspecting trees planted in the Amazon Rain Forest after fires

Inspecting trees planted after Amazon Rain Forest fires

The Factors of Deforestation

A number of factors contribute to the Amazon deforestation. Cattle farmers start fires deliberately to clear forests to make way for ranching. Additionally, the agro-economic model of the local populations is based on slash and burn farming, a temporary soil fertilization technique that consists of clear-cutting large numbers of trees and leaving the felled trees to dry out. Once the fallen trees have desiccated, they set them on fire providing the plot of soil with nitrogen, leaving behind an open swath of land ready for agricultural activity. While the soil is nutrient rich, it is planted with soybeans. After exhausting exploited land, local farmers abandon it and replicate the process on other nearby land, a circle of endless deforestation.

There is never enough time for reforestation as any regrowth is burned again the next season to plant more product, provided cattle grazing areas, or just never replanted. It is hard to place blame on the local small farmers as this is what they have been taught; they do not understand agroforestry and the techniques available to restore areas of degraded forests without ruining their livelihood. The Gifted Tree’s projects are attempting to reverse this vicious cycle, but more on that later.

The History of Amazon Rainforest Fires

Believe it or not, a few decades ago there used to be more fires in the Amazon Rainforest. Amazon deforestation peaked in the late 1990s and early 2000s. In the worst phases of those peak deforestation periods, over 10,000 square miles of forest could be cut down in a year, much of that cleared area converted directly to cropland for planting soybeans or grazing for cattle. In some years, like in 1998 and 2005, that deforestation activity coincided with major El Niño droughts, and fires were abundant and widespread.

A concerted effort from the Brazilian government after the mid-2000s, as well as coordinated international pressures, led to changes in the management of the forest and agricultural land. The efforts were largely successful: By 2012, the annual deforestation rate bottomed out at about 80 percent lower than the average rate between 1995 and 2006.

The Politics Behind The Amazon Rainforest

Now there is the question of whether the policies of new president, Jair Bolsonaro, are a reason for the increase in the current number of fires. As part of his election campaign, Bolsonaro pledged to increase agricultural activity in the Amazon and smooth the way for more development in the region, ignoring international concern over deforestation and climate change. Under his new administration, many scientists, indigenous leaders, and environmental advocates worry that deforestation rates were likely to shoot up again. That fear seems to be playing out. Under Bolsonaro, forest protections have been weakened and enforcement of illegal logging has diminished. The fires burning across the region and choking downwind communities are an all too visible result of this shift in policy. Furthermore, national policies are causing economic contraction in the cities, chasing workers into the rural areas. This swelling of the rural population is increasing agricultural activity further exacerbating the deforestation problem. As Doug Morton, the chief of the Biospheric Sciences Laboratory at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center exclaims, “These fires are ecologically devastating.”

The Gifted Tree Replanting Project in Brazil’s Amazon Rain Forest

Help Deforestation and Fight Global Warming With The Gifted Tree

While there is no single answer and reversing this destructive behavior will take a concerted global effort, The Gifted Tree is trying to do its part. Planting your gift tree in the Amazon Rainforest will have wide-ranging community benefits; restore burned areas, conservation of tropical biodiversity, improvement of the water cycle, diversify forest fruit production, ensure food and nutritional security, and store carbon to fight climate change. Besides tree planting, our program teaches local farmers to integrate agroforestry into their farming practices allowing them to earn more income per acre than before. Thus, they are becoming aware of the importance of forest cover for their food crops, and of the ability of trees planted in and around their fields to enrich cultivated soils. As a result, slash-and-burn farming loses its interest. Your gift tree thus makes it possible to mobilize local populations towards a sustainable agricultural production method and thus break the vicious circle of Amazon deforestation by the rainforest fires.

September 12, 2019/by Doug Bell