skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Arbor Day: Social Distancing Doesn't Apply to Trees

play audio
Play

Friday, April 24, 2020   

INDIANAPOLIS -- Arbor Day looks a little different in Indiana this year - however, advocates of the annual event say the spirit of the day is still strong.

Indiana has recognized Arbor Day since 1884, and typically schools and community groups host large tree-planting events.

While those types of gatherings aren't possible with social distancing, Carrie Tauscher -- the community and urban forestry coordinator for the Division of Forestry in the Indiana Department of Natural Resources -- encourages Hoosiers to pause and celebrate the benefits of trees.

"It seems like a far stretch, but people really are interconnected with trees, and they help us in a lot of different ways," says Tauscher. "On a hot sunny day, shade is appreciated by just about everyone out there. So if nothing else, protection from the sun is something that trees provide to all of us."

Tauscher adds trees help the ecosystem by reducing soil erosion and improving air quality as they absorb carbon in the atmosphere. Studies also link access to trees and green spaces to people's reduced stress levels and lower blood pressure.

Tauscher explains most of Indiana's deforestation occurred before the 1930s, and is now more often found in urban communities.

"As municipalities grow and change, parcels that were less desirable - now they're taking the additional cost to improve the land, strip the trees, add drainage and then develop that," says Tauscher. "Or as communities grow, what was a wooded lot becomes a subdivision."

Planting a tree is a time-honored Arbor Day tradition, but Tauscher says there are things to consider before putting the shovel in the ground, including a tree's potential size and its specific needs.

"So, making sure that you don't have mulch up against the trunk of your tree," says Tauscher. "If you are mulching, making sure that you are not over mulching. Those are all really easy things that you can do at any age, at any ability, and it's going to help promote healthier trees in our communities."

The Division of Forestry has a series of online posts dedicated to Arbor Day, including videos and tips on how to plant and care for trees.




get more stories like this via email

more stories
A report from the Tennessee HealthCare Campaign recommended the federal government needs to strengthen 340B drug pricing and other federal negotiation mechanisms to make needed medicines more readily available and less expensive for hospitals to purchase and administer. (Spotmatikphoto/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …


Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…


Nearly 13 million Americans receive health coverage through unique plans under both Medicare and Medicaid. They are known as Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021