trees

Washington planted 507 Norway maples in 1920 to honor WWI soldiers; the trees later spread into nearby Rock Creek Park as an invasive species

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A Norway maple, the species Washington used to line 16th Street as a World War I memorial. (Wikimedia Commons)

You have probably walked down a leafy street without giving a second thought to who planted the trees. On 16th Street in Washington, D.C., the answer is a city remembering the people it lost in World War I. The Association of the Oldest Inhabitants of the District of Columbia notes the city planted the first … Read more

In 1910, Japans gift of 2,000 cherry trees to Washington was burned after pest checks, helping spur a new US plant-quarantine law

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The first Japanese cherry trees sent to Washington in 1910 were burned after inspectors found pests. The episode strengthened support for the Plant Quarantine Act of 1912. Japan sent 3,020 replacement trees, two of which were planted on the Tidal Basin in 1912, beginning a lasting tradition. (Wikimedia Commons)

Every spring, Washington, D.C., turns pink and white, and crowds gather along the Tidal Basin to take photos. Few know that the first cherry trees Japan sent to the capital ended up in a bonfire. U.S. Customs and Border Protection says the trees had to be destroyed because of an insect infestation. The incident helped … Read more

Confirmed tornado touchdown causes destruction in Santa Fe; knocked-down trees, structural damage and torn-off roofs reported

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‘Confirmed tornado touchdown’ causes destructionin Santa Fe (Pexel - representational image)

A tornado caused significant damage in Santa Fe on Saturday night, October 24, the city said, according to KOAT Action News 7. Residents reported knocked-down trees, structural damage, torn-off roofs, and debris strewn about. Emergency services reportedly responded to the area of Rancho Siringo and Camino Chueco. ‘Confirmed tornado touchdown’ causes destructionin Santa Fe (Pexel … Read more

Actor Peter Strauss restored a California ranch he bought in 1976; it later became a public recreation area hosting concerts beneath oak trees

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Peter Strauss Ranch evolved from automotive engineer Harry Miller’s private retreat into the Lake Enchanto amusement destination, then returned to residential use under actor Peter Strauss. Now part of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, its historic structures and natural setting host visitors and cultural events. (Wikimedia Commons)

Large oaks shade a California ranch where visitors gather for outdoor music performances. Peter Strauss Ranch is now part of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, but its history spans several generations and uses. It began as a private retreat, developed into a recreational destination, and later returned to residential use before becoming public … Read more

Beach Boys co-founder Mike Love put six acres around his Lake Tahoe home into conservation, protecting its pine trees and wildlife from development

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Beach Boys co-founder Mike Love has placed six acres around his Lake Tahoe estate under conservation protection. (Wikimedia Commons)

Beach Boys co-founder Mike Love has put six acres around his Lake Tahoe home into conservation. The move gives the pine trees and wildlife around the property legal protection from development, People magazine reports. The 85-year-old musician now resides in Incline Village, Nevada. Earlier this year, he put his $43 million estate up for sale, … Read more

An Arkansas family treated the same fence as its property line for nearly six decades; after new neighbours removed fencing and trees, an appeals court upheld $12,000 in treble damages and an order to rebuild the fence

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An Arkansas family treated the same fence as its property line for nearly six decades; after new neighbours removed fencing and trees, an appeals court upheld $12,000 in treble damages and an order to rebuild the fence

A fence that had been treated as a property boundary since 1967 has been upheld as the dividing line between two Arkansas properties, after a dispute over trees and fencing reached the state Court of Appeals. The ruling in Floyd v. Bowlin-Lemon, reported by Justia, Leagle and Case Law Wire, affirmed the Bowlins’ boundary claim, … Read more

North Carolina lost about 21% of its coastal forests between 1985 and 2021, roughly 64,220 hectares; researchers found the decline accelerated after 2010 as marsh, ghost forest and shrubs replaced trees

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North Carolina lost about 21% of its coastal forests between 1985 and 2021, roughly 64,220 hectares; researchers found the decline accelerated after 2010 as marsh, ghost forest and shrubs replaced trees

North Carolina’s coastal forests are retreating at a faster pace, with a new study finding that more than one-fifth of forest cover across part of the state’s coastal plain disappeared between 1985 and 2021. The findings, published in PLOS One and reported by North Carolina State University and Phys.org, show that forest loss accelerated significantly … Read more

American chestnut returns to Bronx Zoo more than 120 years after blight was first documented; 25 hybrid saplings planted on 265-acre grounds; NYC expands 1,000-tree restoration drive after disease killed nearly 4 billion trees

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American chestnut returns to Bronx Zoo more than 120 years after blight was first documented; 25 hybrid saplings planted on 265-acre grounds; NYC expands 1,000-tree restoration drive after disease killed nearly 4 billion trees

American chestnut trees are returning to the Bronx Zoo more than 120 years after the blight was first documented. (Photo: TACF.org) More than 120 years after the American chestnut blight was first documented at the Bronx Zoo, the iconic tree is making a historic return to the same grounds where its devastating decline was first … Read more

In 2022, loggers working for neighbours crossed onto a Mississippi couple’s land and cut 1,299 trees; their handwritten tally helped secure a $41,920 award later upheld on appeal

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In 2022, loggers working for neighbours crossed onto a Mississippi couple's land and cut 1,299 trees; their handwritten tally helped secure a $41,920 award later upheld on appeal

Representative Image (AI-generated) A logging job that was supposed to take place on neighbouring property ended with 1,299 trees cut from a Mississippi couple’s land, turning a boundary mistake into a legal dispute over more than $40,000. According to the Court of Appeals of Mississippi’s October 7, 2025 decision in Payne Logging LLC v. Gerald … Read more

In 2024, Texas biologists turned more than 160 donated Christmas trees into an underwater reef at Granger Lake, where fish can use them as habitat within 15 minutes

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In 2024, Texas biologists turned more than 160 donated Christmas trees into an underwater reef at Granger Lake, where fish can use them as habitat within 15 minutes

The Christmas season is around the corner, and the must-have Christmas tree often ends up on the curb once the holidays are over, needles trailing down the driveway. They rarely get a second act. In 2024, more than 160 of them got a second act. None of them were headed for a living room, but … Read more