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ANDREA CELEBRATES ARBOR DAY Elaine Torres Tineo

All things share the same breath the beast the tree the man the air shares its spirit with all the life it supports Chief Seattle

ANDREA CELEBRATES ARBOR DAY A project inspired by a series of art and conservation workshops sponsored by the Lawrence Anthony Earth Organization NJ Chapter at the Cre8sArt School in Fort Lee New Jersey Elaine Torres Tineo Project Director Mher Khach Art Consultant Jason Weisbrot Coloring book illustrations All proceeds to benefit The Lawrence Anthony Earth Org NJ Chapter Copyright 2020 ISBN XXXXXXXXXXXXX https www laeonj org

Nebraska was a largely treeless prairie region when on April 10 1872 it became the first state to celebrate Arbor Day by planting an estimated one million trees Arbor Day is celebrated every year in the US on the last Friday in April Although the most common way is by planting tree events there are many ways to appreciate and recognize trees importance Andrea Celebrates Arbor day was inspired by an Art Conservation children s workshop at the Cre8s Art School in Fort Lee New Jersey That Arbor Day in 2017 25 young art students participated in learning about the origins and importance of this holiday by painting the official state tree of New Jersey The Northern Red Oak The innate curiosity and understanding of these young art students was a surprise and a revelation Today young activist around the world are taking brave initiatives in addressing our daunting environmental challenges Their restlessness and refusal to tolerate inaction has made the world take notice We can only be grateful for their sense of urgency Elaine Torres Tineo Director November 2019 https www laeonj org

ARTIST NOTE Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot Nothing is going to get better It s not Dr Seuss The Lorax TREES ARE AWESOME They produce oxygen clean our air and water protect our shorelines beautify our cities and provide shelter to wildlife They have inhabited our planet for millions of years and have always been revered because of their usefulness A world without trees is unimaginable Yet the rapid pace of deforestation is threatening some of earths most important ecosystems Trees have always inspired visual artist their magical presence stunning colors and remarkable diversity are truly amazing Now more than ever the importance of trees in our lives cannot be underestimated I hope my book inspires students to paint plant and protect trees Every day is a good day to cool the earth and protect our planet Every day is Arbor Day Andrea

ACACIA ACACIA trees are native to tropical and subtropical regions and are abundant on the savannahs of southern and eastern Africa They are an important food source for many of Africa s largest herbivores such as giraffes zebras and elephants and provide habitats for birds and countless species of insects Although acacias have long sharp thorns giraffes are known to carefully insert their long tongues between the spikes and delicately remove the leaves

ACACIA

APPLE APPLE trees are native to Central Asia and were brought to North America by the Europeans during colonial times although the crabapple is native to North America The apple tree may have been the earliest tree that humans cultivated and growers have improved its fruits through selection over thousands of years Over 7 500 varieties of apples are now grown throughout the world Deer mice bears raccoons turkeys and many songbirds eat apples and spread the seeds

APPLE

ARGAN ARGAN trees are found only in the southwest of Morocco North Africa They are thorny and their trunk is twisted and bent allowing goats to climb the branches and feed on the leaves and fruit They can reach heights of 30 feet and live up to 200 years Argan trees are a major source of food for sheep goats camels and cattle Bees also nest in argan trees making them sites for wildhoney harvesting

ARGAN

BAMBOO BAMBOOS are not trees but provide the same environmental benefits They belong to the evergreen grass family and are found in tropical and subtropical regions with the largest number of species found in East and Southeast Asia China has more than 500 types of native bamboo and it is also the home of the giant panda whose diet consists almost exclusively of bamboo For centuries bamboo has been a familiar theme in East Asian art

BAMBOO

BAOBAB BAOBAB TREES are a prehistoric species found mainly in arid regions of Madagascar and mainland Africa They are known as the tree of life because they store life sustaining water inside its trunk and branches The health benefits of the fruit and leaves of the baobab have been well known for centuries Baobabs also provide food and shelter for myriad species from tiny insects to the African elephant They can live for up to 5 000 years

BAOBAB

CHERRY BLOSSOM CHERRY BLOSSOM TREES have long been associated with Japan They symbolize hope and renewal and reach full bloom in early spring In 1912 Japan gave 3 020 cherry blossom trees as a gift to the United States to celebrate the nations growing friendship Many of these trees were planted in Washington DC the site of the annual National Cherry Blossom Festival a popular tourist attraction that commemorates the friendship between Japan and the United States

CHERRY BLOSSOM

COTTON WOOD COTTONWOOD TREES are native to North America Their foliage is green during the growing season but changes to yellow during the fall before dropping in the winter The older large cottonwoods make excellent nest platforms for a variety of predatory birds and the leaves serve as food for the caterpillars of various insects One of the few trees found by people who settled on the Great Plains it has been called the pioneer of the prairie

COTTONWOOD

GIANT SEQUOIA GIANT SEQUOIA TREES occur naturally only in one area of the western Sierra Nevada mountain range in California They are known for being the largest tree in the world growing to an average height of 164 279 feet with a trunk diameter ranging from 20 26 feet and branches up to 8 feet in diameter The giant sequoia is named in honor of Sequoyah 1767 1843 the inventor of the Cherokee syllabary Giant Sequoias can live up to 3 000 years

GIANT SEQUOIA

HORSE CHESTNUT HORSE CHESTNUT TREES are native to the forests of South East Europe During spring their white or pink flower spikes brighten the trees like candles They are a rich source of nectar and pollen for insects while moth caterpillars found on the trees provide food for many birds Deer and other mammals eat the seeds which are known as conkers The city of Kiev in Ukraine is known for its copious horse chestnut trees

HORSE CHESTNUT

KELP KELP are large brown algae that occur worldwide in cool relatively shallow waters close to the shore their groupings are known as forests due to their density Kelp reduce coastal erosion and serve as a buffer against strong storm born waves They provide food and shelter for a wide variety of marine species and are recognized as one of the most productive and dynamic ecosystems on the planet Sea otters play a key role in stabilizing sea urchin populations so that kelp forests may thrive

KELP

MANGO MANGO TREES are native to southern Asia in particular Burma and eastern India They are cultivated in the most frost free tropical and warmer subtropical climates Their small flowers are pollinated by insects and very few flowers mature and become the fruit Mango fruits that receive the most sunlight will develop a red blush at their stem end Mango trees are long lived with some specimens still fruiting after 300 years The mango tree is the national tree of Bangladesh

MANGO

OAK OAK TREES are native to the northern hemisphere and can live more than a thousand years Due to their size and longevity they are often associated with strength and wisdom The fruit of the oak is called the acorn and is a valuable food source sustaining at least 100 species In 2004 the oak tree was designated the official national tree of the United States while the northern red oak is the official state tree of New Jersey

OAK

PALM PALM TREES are found mostly in tropical subtropical and warm temperate climates There are over 2 500 species of palm tree many of which produce both fruit and flowers The coconut palm tree is the most widely grown palm tree in the world In the United States palm trees are mostly limited to Florida and California The royal palm tree Roystonea regia appears on the seal of the City of Miami and is often featured in advertisements for the area The royal palm is also the national tree of Cuba

PALM

RAINBOW EUCALYPTUS RAINBOW EUCALYPTUS is a large evergreen tree that can grow to about 200 feet It is native to the Philippines Papua New Guinea and Indonesia and is famous for its multicolored trunk with hues of purple blue green orange and maroon It is the only eucalyptus species that lives in the rainforest and is native to the northern hemisphere The rainbow eucalyptus is also important for reforestation of areas eroded by landslides and areas of recent volcanic activity

RAINBOW EUCALYPTUS

RHODODENDRON RHODODENDRON TREES are indigenous to the high Himalayas and are widespread throughout the highlands of the Appalachian Mountains of North America More than 1 000 species have been identified ranging in height from 4 inches to 98 feet Hummingbirds butterflies and bees are attracted to their blooms The rhododendron flower is the national flower of Nepal and the state flower of West Virginia and Washington Under optimal environmental conditions rhododendrons can survive up to 100 years

RHODODENDRON

ROYAL POINCIANA ROYAL POINCIANA TREES are native to Madagascar s dry tropical forests but have been introduced into tropical and subtropical regions worldwide where they are grown as ornamentals In Madagascar the wild tree is endangered as a result of being cut down for firewood The royal poinciana is also known as the flamboyant or flame tree due to its imposing display of orangered flowers during the summer season It is much loved in the Caribbean and features in many paintings of the region

ROYAL POINCIANA

WISTERIA WISTERIA is not a tree but a vining plant with cascades of blue to purple fragrant flowers that grow like grape clusters Wisteria is native to China Korea Japan and the eastern United States Non native trees are considered invasive species due to their ability to overtake and choke out other native plant species but American wisteria supports local biodiversity and several species of butterflies and moths use native wisteria as a larval host American wisteria can grow 20 to 30 feet high

WISTERIA

WITCH HAZEL WITCH HAZEL TREES grow in China Japan and North America The North American species which is sometimes known as winterbloom is a small tree with bright spidery flowers and is widely grown as an ornamental The Chinese witch hazels are the most fragrant of all the species have larger flowers and begin to bloom as early as January Witch hazels are well known for their medicinal uses and contain many compounds with potent antiinflammatory properties

WITCH HAZEL

YELLOW ASPEN YELLOW ASPEN TREES are the most widely distributed tree in North America and are found from Canada to central Mexico Aspens are well known for their beautiful goldenyellow fall foliage They are also very important to wildlife Beavers eat their bark leaves and twigs and use the branches to construct dams During summer deer moose and elk seek shade in aspen groves Songbirds eat the seeds flower buds and fruit and the leaves serve as food for various moth and butterfly caterpillars

YELLOW ASPEN

The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only a green thing that stands in the way Some see nature all ridicule and deformity and some scarce see nature at all But to the eyes of the person of imagination nature is imagination itself William Blake

As individuals we are responsible for more than just ourselves and own kind There is more to life than just these We must each one of us also bring the natural world back into proper perspective in our lives and realize that doing so is not some lofty ideal but a vital part of our personal survival Lawrence Anthony 1950 2012 Born in 1950 in Johannesburg South Africa Lawrence Anthony was a passionate environmentalist and wildlife conservationist His life vision and many conservation undertakings are memorialized in his books Babylon s Ark 2007 about his efforts to save the animals in the Baghdad Zoo during the early stages of the Iraqi war The Elephant Whisperer 2009 about his relationship with a herd of wild elephants and The Last Rhino published posthumously in 2012 about his efforts to save the rare northern white rhino from extinction by meeting with leaders of the rebel group the Lord s Resistance Army All co written with author Graham Spense In 2003 Dr Anthony founded The Earth Organization After his sudden death in 2012 The Earth Organization was renamed in his honor With more than 20 chapters worldwide they address many of his concerns among them the protection of endangered species and the need to rethink our relationship with the natural world a view which he would eventually call cooperative ecology The main mission of the New Jersey Chapter is to promote a better understanding of the environment and wildlife conservation through art projects https www laeonj org