Trees stories
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Trees stories
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Protecting the world’s forests should be our very first priority in fighting global warming and climate change. Forests are critical to life on earth. 1.6 billion people rely on them directly for food, shelter, fuel and income. A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people.~ Franklin D. Roosevelt Forests maintain and support the environment in which we live by regulating the climate, improving air quality by removing harmful CO2 emissions, conserving and cleaning water and supporting wildlife. A few of the environmental benefits include cleaning the air by absorbing noxious gases and pollutants, improving air quality serving as home for wildlife, improving groundwater level, providing shade to homes, which results in reduced energy costs and controlling floods. Forests also provide protection against Natural disasters like floods and landslides, provide a great place for survival for a variety of ecosystems and beautify our communities. They are also a great place for adventure and sports. In short, we need our forests, and our forests need us! What Can the Average Person do to Help Prevent Deforestation? 1. Ditch the Printer The less you print, the less paper is used. Trees are cut down for paper. 2. Use Double-sided Paper If you need to print, then print on both sides of the page. This will cut down the paper consumption by half, which saves half the number of trees in a forest. 3. Go Digital With Your Bills In the same way, printing less causes less of a demand for paper; 4. Buy Only FSC Certified Wood Products The FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) monitors that these products were sourced in an environmentally responsible way 5. Switch to Bamboo Paper Bamboo is easily sustainable and grows to maturity within five years, a lot faster than trees. They have exactly the same functions as well. 6. Switch to Digital Books Again, this creates less of a demand for paper. Digital books are also more convenient as you have an endless supply of books on a single device. 7. Use the Library If you still prefer to read the real thing, borrow books from your local library 8. Read Your Magazines Online Most magazines offer the exact same content online if you sign up for a subscription with them 9. Switch Cards For E-cards This will let your friends know you care about them and also the environment. 10. Reuse Gift Bags and Others If you think this is tacky, opt for a recyclable gift bag. Explorers even love playing with cardboard boxes, empty toilet paper and paper towel rolls, and also shoeboxes. 11. Use Reusable Containers Use containers that can be used again and again for your food, trinkets, and just anything. 12. Use Cutlery While paper plates and cups are convenient and not an environmentally aware of choice. 13. Avoid the Paper Towels Use the hand dryer in the bathroom instead of paper towels. You need paper towels, buy tree-free or recycled paper towels instead of paper towels made from tree pulp. 15. Switch From Paper Napkins to Cloth Napkins There are also other tree-free options available. 16. Use Cloth Diapers Paper diapers are a strain on The environment. 17. Buy Used Wooden Furniture You’ll pay less for it and help prevent deforestation. 18. Educate Others Whether it is your children, friends, or colleagues, the more aware are the people of what they can do to help prevent deforestation, is the better. Effective Ways to Conserve Forest19. Laws and Rules Help Prevent Deforestation Regulations help to prevent deforestation because it allows for a time of re-growth due to the rotational approach most of these regulations have. This can also be referred to as sustained yield. 19. Planned and Regulated Tree-cutting- The commercial felling of trees is one of the main reasons for deforestation. If trees are cut down at this level, their revival cannot be possible. Therefore, cutting should be regulated by adopting methods like:
This technique is adopted by many countries. In regulated cutting, only one-tenth of the forest area is selected for use, and the rotational system is always followed for their protection. The time gap between these cuttings is helpful in the re-growth of trees. The forest is managed in such a way that a timber crop may be harvested indefinitely year after year without being depleted. 21. Reforestation The sustainable yield method also requires that every tree that gets cut down must be replanted 22.Reforestration Fresh afforestation programs should also be started 23. Monitor Agriculture Many forested areas are cleared to make room for agricultural lands. 24.Protect Existing Forests In addition to the threat that humans pose for forests, they are also endangered by parasitic fungi, rusts, mistletoe, viruses and nematodes. These all destroy the trees. An effort should be made to administer a chemical spray or some other treatment in order to destroy the parasites. 25. Produce Less Waste A shocking amount of wood gets wasted when trees are cut down for logs. 26. Raise Awareness Through Tourism Forests could become popular tourist destinations. This will give the forest more value and protect it. It will also improve the local economy, thanks to the tourists spending their money there. 27. The Government Role There are many proposed things that the government can do, such as:
The Forest department can also play a huge role in preventing deforestation. Managing the forest would include the following steps:
Forest fires also contribute to Deforestation. Forest fires occurred in the following ways. Natural disasters: Some forest fires are caused by nature through lightning, or trees rubbing against each other during a strong wind and creating friction. We can do the least about it. Manmade: Most forest fires are due to human negligence. There are ways to prevent this from happening such as:
Throughout the world, a forest fire is common, and in most cases, they were begun by man. As John D. Guthrie, former fire inspector of US Forest Service, has written: “To stage a forest fire you need only few things a forest, the right atmospheric conditions, and a spark either from a lightning bolt or a match in the hands of a fool or a knave. The formula is simple the larger the forest, the drier the air, the bigger the fool, the bigger the fire you will have.” 30. Prevent Forest Fires You can help prevent forest fires by educating others about the causes of forest fires and also about the ways to prevent a forest fire. Join an organization that works to protect our forests At the end of the day, the only way that we can combat deforestation is by joining together and raising awareness. If every person on earth decided to start caring about our forests today, the problem would be solved. Unfortunately, many people are ignorant of what is happening, while many others simply do not care. Do not be one of these people. Rather, fight to save our planet! SOURCE-https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/fabulous-ways-to-protect-trees-and-conserve-forests.php
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Hiking can be a great way to get some exercise and enjoy the solitude of nature. However, if your planning on hiking, especially in isolated or remote areas, there are some basic precautions you should take to help prevent you from becoming lost while hiking. While you might think you would never get lost while hiking, it might surprise you to learn just how many hikers get lost a year? While the number varies from year to year, on average around 2,000 hikers get lost each year while hiking. Leading to numerous Search and Rescue (SAR) operations being launched to locate and extract lost hikers. Why Do Hikers Get Lost?Perhaps one of the best ways to make sure you don’t get lost while hiking is to learn how other hikers got lost so you can avoid their pitfalls and mistakes while hiking. Below are some of the most common ways hikers get lost while hiking starting with the most common and ending with the least common.
1. Did Not Stay on the Trail So one of the best ways to ensure that you don’t get lost while hiking is to not venture off the trail and to make sure you stay on the designated hiking trail at all times. While you might think there is no harm in heading off the trail for a short while to check something out, it’s very easy to get turned around and lost while hiking especially in densely forested areas or desolate areas with few landmarks. 2. Bad Weather or Storms The second most common way hikers end up getting lost while hiking is due to bad weather or a storm rolling in while there hiking, causing them to become disoriented or to lose their bearings. 3.Falling Off the Trail Often times while hiking there can be very narrow sections of trail with steep drop-offs or even cliff faces which can pose a serious risk to those hikers that get to close or are not paying attention, causing them to go over the edge or fall of the trail only to become disoriented and lost at the bottom. 4.Separated from Their Hiking Group Another common way hikers get lost while hiking is that they get separated from their hiking group, which unfortunately was acting as their guide and navigation for the hike. 5.Injury While you might not be able to prevent injuries while hiking, you can take steps to ensure if you do become hurt or injured while hiking you don’t become stranded or lost. The first of these ways is to never hike alone while hiking, that way in case you were to become hurt or incapacitated someone could hike out of the area to go get help. The second way is to always let someone know where you will be hiking and when you plan to return, that way in case you do get injured and don’t return when you said you were going to, someone knows to come looking for you and where. 6.Darkness Hikers can often get lost in darkness and at night while hiking, even if they are generally familiar with the area, as the lack of light can become very disorienting while trying to navigate, potentially causing them to miss specific landmarks or trail turnoffs. 7.Failure or Loss of Equipment (GPS) While this is the rarest way hikers get lost while hiking, failure, or loss of the equipment such as a GPS unit while hiking does occasionally happen and can cause hikers to become lost if they don’t have a backup form of navigation or rely too heavily on external equipment for their navigation while hiking. Source: https://www.outsidepulse.com/how-many-hikers-get-lost-a-year-what-to-do-if-you-get-lost/ The weather could hamper our visibility, the vegetation could limit our view, or the terrain may obscure the local landmarks. Certainly, being unlucky or under-prepared can put us in a tough situation, and one that Mother Nature may not abide. So what kind of blunders leave people floundering and lost? Read on to discover the common pitfalls of wilderness navigation, and how to avoid them. 1. Misjudging Distances With a heavily laden backpack, every mile you trudge may feel like two miles. And when you’re wandering through the wild in an ideal setting (like a cool, dry autumn forest), you may travel farther than you have realized.Actually counting your steps can be irksome, but counting time is much easier. Figure out how many miles you can typically cover in one hour when traveling uphill, flat, and downhill, with different loads on your back and in different terrain. Once you have a handle on the amount of ground you normally cover in any given situation, you can use the amount of time to help you calculate your distance traveled. 2. Inattention Surroundings It’s important to pay attention to your surroundings for many reasons.When we let our powers of observation lapse, we might step on a rattlesnake, walk right by a trail marker or take a wrong turn that would lead us into a dangerous place. The fix for this problem is to stay tuned in to your senses when you travel the wild. Listen and use your sense of smell to engage with the landscape. And use your vision most of all. When people hike with their head down, looking only at their feet and a few yards of trail ahead, they miss the beauty of nature—and the dangers as well. 3. Letting Egos Run Wild We all know “that” guy. He’s arrogant, bombastic, and feels he can do no wrong. He’s also a statistic.They are also certain that they have a great sense of direction, and that you should follow their lead. But this chap’s own hubris often blinds him to the danger that he poses to himself and his companions. Don’t be “that” guy. Ask for directions and check your map often. And if you’re not him, don’t bring him with you into the wild. 4. Traveling in Tricky Terrain The terrain may feature valleys and ridges that can give you a constant sense of directions. Other types of terrain, however, can challenge even the best navigators among us. Flat and featureless landscapes with no distant landmarks can be trying to travel. Worse yet, it’s easy to get swallowed by flat terrain that has vegetation taller than you. Swamps, canyon lands, and mountainous terrain are also thorny. For these vexing landscapes, don’t leave home without a GPS device, as well as a map and compass. 5. Map Mishaps Bring a waterproof map. You may still lose your map, but at least you started out with a chance of finding your way. 6. Following a Game Trail when you find yourself on a trail that doesn’t lead anywhere, turn around and look for your own footprints as you go. Checking for tread lugs in the dirt is an easy way to track humans, and it can help you get back to the designated people trail. 7. Getting Caught in the Dark The best thing you can do after dark is to stay put. Rather than wasting energy wandering around, build a shelter and a fire. If you told someone responsible where you were going and when you should return, they can call the authorities when you are overdue and you may even get rescued that first night. 8. A Turn in the Weather The day’s weather prediction may be stellar – but then you get out into the backcountry, miles away from your vehicle, and the weather takes an unexpected turn. Fog, snow, rain and other weather events can limit your visibility. Worse still, it can erase trails and hide trail markers. Check the local weather forecast before you head out into the wilderness, and keep your own watch on the horizon—just in case the weather forecast was way off. 9. Taking a “Shortcut” Frodo’s wisdom “short cuts make long delays,” !!!And when people try to find a shortcut off the trail, their bushwhacking often places them in an area where it’s easy to get lost. Stick to the designated trails, and you’ll likely get there faster—and avoid getting lost. 10. Splitting Up There’s definitely strength in numbers. We all seem to know this instinctively. Yet, for a wide range of reasons, people will leave their hiking, camping or hunting group and become lost. Especially when traveling, the group has more eyes and minds to keep track of the bearing, trails and terrain. So don’t even think about venturing away from your group. This could be a life or death decision. Stick together, even when someone irritates you or tries to pick a fight. You’re more vulnerable alone and more likely to get lost. source- https://www.outdoorlife.com/10-reasons-people-get-lost-in-wild/ One story ended in a rescue, the other in tragedy. Here’s what we should take from both In two separate cases, hikers became lost in the wilds of Maui Hawaii last month. Both were 35 years old and each one was in great physical condition. One hiker was found alive by rescuers, the other, sadly, was found dead. Amanda Eller’s StoryAmanda Eller survived 17 days in the steep mountainous jungle with a broken leg, severe sunburn, dehydration, and painful skin infections. She had gone for a hike on May 8 and took a break to meditate. But she lost her bearings on the way back and ended up wandering away from her car rather than back to it. Eller was ultimately spotted with helicopter near a waterfall and airlifted to nearby medical care. Noah Mina’s StoryDuring the time that Amanda Eller was still lost, Noah “Kekai” Mina went for a hike in a nearby area on May 20 and was “reported possibly missing” late in the day. Early in the morning on May 20, a helicopter crew spotted Mina’s body 300 feet below a fall line near the summit of Mauna Kahalawaia.
In the midst of this tragedy, it’s important to remember that things can go wrong anytime you venture into the wild. Don’t let that stop you, but keep the following rules in mind. 1. Don’t Go Alone Unfortunately, going into the wilderness alone is how many tragic stories begin. None of us should ever forget the buddy system, and we should always have at least one person with us when we head into treacherous terrain. There’s safety in numbers, and with one other person or a group, you have someone to care for you if you are injured. 2. Carry Your Phone It’s unlikely that Amanda Eller would have had enough phone signal to call or text in the remote wilderness areas she frequented, but that’s no excuse to leave your mobile phone in the vehicle (as she did). You should always carry your phone because there just might be enough signal to call or text (text messaging can work when there isn’t enough signal for a call to connect). 3. Have A Plan You should have a plan for every excursion. Know which vehicle you will take, where you will park, what your route will be, and when you will return. 4. Share Your Plan The beauty of your excursion plan comes into play when you miss that check in phone call or you don’t return home on time. Your friend or loved one can call the authorities and explain that you are likely a lost hiker, angler or hunter. When the authorities know what you are driving, where it should be parked and where you have gone – search and rescue can be mobilized for a fast turn out. Most SAR cases are resolved happily, and in less than 72 hours . 5.Bring the right Gear Survival gear isn’t just for the paranoid – it’s for everyone. Since you never know when bad luck will strike, you should carry a little extra gear on all outings. Assuming you’d like to survive in the wild for any good length of time, you’ll need gear for shelter, water, fire, signaling and first aid. Here’s a simple list of affordable supplies that you can easily shove in a pouch, purse or pocket.
Panic is unrestrained fear, and it may cause us to turn into a quivering pile of goo or take off running at full speed in a random direction. Fear is natural and it usually keeps us safe, but panic is fear run amok. Eller was able to focus on her yoga practice to control negative emotions like panic and sorrow. In a situation that’s out of control, focus on something you can control – your breathing. By paying close attention to your breathing, you can lower your pulse. Think positive thoughts while repeating this breathing exercise, as many times as needed. 7. Get Some Training Eller and her friends had all received extensive survival training. She knew how to find safe water to drink, which wild plants were safe to eat, how to find shelter and many other vital skills. These skills saved her life. And whether you take a survival class, or just spend some time practicing survival on your own – once you have a skill under your belt, it’s yours forever. Source:https://www.outdoorlife.com/what-we-can-learn-from-two-lost-hikers-in-hawaii-wilderness/ Some years ago Kenneth Hill, a psychologist at St Mary’s University in Halifax, Canada, who has dedicated his career to studying how lost people behave, reviewed more than 800 search and rescue reports from his home province of Nova Scotia, which is 80 percent forest and is known as the "lost person capital of North America." In Nova Scotia you can get lost by stepping away from your backyard. He found only two cases out of those 800-plus in which the lost person had stayed put: an 80-year-old woman out picking apples, and an 11-year-old boy who had taken a "Hug a Tree and Survive" course at school (as the name implies, it teaches kids to stay where they are). He says most lost people are stationary when they are found, but only because they have run themselves into the ground and are too tired or ill to continue.
The compulsion to move, no matter what, is likely an evolutionary adaptation: In prehistoric times, hanging around in a place you didn’t know would probably have ensured you were eaten by predators. More confusing is another quirk of lost behavior, the tendency to walk in circles when you can’t see any spatial cues (this doesn’t only happen in the movies). In dense woodland, on a boundless plain or in fog, it is almost impossible to walk in a straight line for more than a few meters. This perverse habit could have its uses: As you panic-charge through the forest or across the open moor, at least you can reckon on ending up somewhere in the vicinity of where you started and no worse off than you were before. It’s a small consolation. Circling happens where there are no prominent landmarks (a cell phone mast or a tall tree, for example) or spatial boundaries (a fence or a line of hills), and where all the vistas look similar. Without a fixed reference point, we drift. A view of the sun or the moon can help keep us grounded, though the sun is a dangerous guide if you’re not aware of how it moves across the sky. In an appendix to Canadian Crusoes, Catharine Traill relates the true story of a girl who, lost in the woods of Ontario for three weeks, believed the sun would lead her out and so followed it hopefully all day as it arced from east to west and thus, inevitably, found herself at night in almost the same place she had been that morning. The idea that in places without landmarks, disorientation causes people to walk in circles or to loop back on themselves seems improbable, but many experiments have found it to be true. One popular theory blames body asymmetry: We all have one leg longer than the other, which can cause us to veer. But this doesn’t explain why some people veer both ways depending on where they are. PEOPLE WHO HAVE been truly lost never forget the experience. Suddenly disconnected from all that surrounds them, they are plunged into a relationship with an utterly alien world. They think they are going to die. Horror-struck, their behavior becomes so confounding that finding them is as much a psychological challenge as a geographical one. One ranger with 30 years’ experience told me, "You’ll never be able to figure out why lost people make their decisions." Lost is a cognitive state. Your internal map has become detached from the external world, and nothing in your spatial memory matches what you see. But at its core, it is an emotional state. It delivers a psychic double whammy: Not only are you stricken with fear, you also lose your ability to reason. You suffer what neuroscientist Joseph LeDoux calls a "hostile takeover of consciousness by emotion." 90 percent of people make things a lot worse for themselves when they realize they are lost—by running, for instance. Because they are afraid, they can’t solve problems or figure out what to do. They fail to notice landmarks, or fail to remember them. They lose track of how far they’ve travelled. They feel claustrophobic, as if their surroundings are closing in on them. They can’t help it; it’s a quick-fire evolutionary response. Robert Koester, a search and rescue specialist with a background in neurobiology, describes it as a "full-flown fight-or-flight catecholamine1 dump. It’s essentially a panic attack. If you are lost out in the woods there is a chance you will die. That’s pretty real. You feel like you’re separating from reality. You feel like you’re going crazy." What does our powerful response to being lost tell us about our relationship with space? For one thing, it shows how important it is for us to be grounded in physical reality and to have a sense of place—however much time we spend in our digital worlds, we still need to know where we are. Where we are has a big impact on how we feel. Places can frighten and excite us, and make us feel safe. Cognitive maps are atlases of feeling as much as geometry; they capture emotional as well as spatial information. It can be hard to separate the two: People who have been hopelessly lost in a place are usually not keen to go back, and they may avoid visiting anywhere that looks similar. The terror they felt has become part of the landscape. Excerpt adapted from From Here to There: The Art and Science of Finding and Losing Our Way, by Michael Bond, published by Harvard University Press. Source: https://www.wired.com/ |