So, I have this great idea.
My landscape partner, a.k.a. the Hubby, usually rolls his eyes and slowly shakes his head back and forth when I spout those six words. Feel free to do the same.
But please, hear me out.
To start out with, I need to tell you the three reasons I came up with this "great idea."
First, my younger brother David shared this conversation he had with his third-grade son Emery. They were on their way home from church traveling south on State Road 37 (soon to be Interstate 69.) Emery had obviously been taking in his science class very intently.
Emery: “Hey Dad?”
David: “Yes, Emery?”
“I know how the earth is going to end and everyone dies," Emery stated matter-of-factly, as they passed all the barren land with no trees along SR 37.
David, probably with raised eyebrows wondering what they taught in Sunday school class, responded like any normal father, “Wait, what!? – I mean, how Emery???”
Emery: “We’re all going to suffocate from not having enough oxygen.”
Obviously that great school of his taught him about the power of one tree. I wasn’t in the car to enjoy the conversation, but I imagine that Emery began to explain, probably along with his two sisters making up a powerful triple-strength knowledge bank.
He probably said something like, "Through a process called photosynthesis, leaves pull in carbon dioxide and water and use the energy of the sun to convert this into chemical compounds such as sugars that feed the tree. But as a by-product of that chemical reaction oxygen is produced and released by the tree. It is proposed that one large tree can provide a day’s supply of oxygen for up to four people."
I’m sure the three kids didn’t fail to reinforce the fact that trees also store carbon dioxide in their fibers, helping to clean the air and reduce the negative effects that CO2 could have had on our environment. If I had been in the car, I would have googled the fact that, according to the Arbor Day Foundation, in one year a mature tree will absorb more than 48 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and release oxygen in exchange.
The second inspiration behind my great idea came while I recently looked up the list of American Conifer Society Reference Gardens, which recognizes noteworthy conifer collections throughout the U.S. In case you were curious, of the 20 states listed, Tennessee has five, our neighbors in Ohio have two, Kentucky has one and Georgia has five. Indiana has none.
Of course we do have 16 botanical gardens and arboretums listed in a Wikipedia search in Indiana — most of which I’ve visited. A new one that I’m excited to check out is Hayes Arboretum — private property and classified forest — in Richmond. And of course, we also have 15 state forests, which are equally beautiful.
The third thing is, I couldn’t help but notice that Indiana Department of Natural Resources is planting a million trees in five years. YAY! Governor Holcomb said last year he was matching the Central Indiana Land Trust’s goal to plant 1 million trees by ordering DNR to plant 1 million more trees in the next five years.
ForestIN is a program to increase the state’s tree canopy by planting a million trees. Reports note that Indiana’s Division of Forestry will manage the effort, provide seedlings, and coordinate with divisions, non-profits, businesses and the general public to bring more trees to the Hoosier state. More than 200,000 trees will be planted in the first year.
So back to my great idea: Let’s plant an Indiana arboretum along the new I-69. Can you imagine the color and texture variety of hundreds of cultivars of redbuds, dogwood, conifers, blasting their variation from the side of our Indiana roads? I can see it — a Green Arrow chamaecyparis, next to a Blue Arrow juniper and weeping Canadian hemlock in front of a dawn redwood.
And I don’t mean buy the pencil-stick seedlings — let’s sponsor a real tree. One that can supply oxygen for four people sooner than later.
Go ahead, shake your head. But I can still dream it and I’ll donate the first tree along SR 37 — I mean I-69.
<em>Janet Hommel Mangas grew up on the east side of Greenwood. The Center Grove area resident and her husband are the parents of three daughters. Send comments to <a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>.</em>
