Be a friend to trees

Be a Friend to Trees

Trees are nice. They're nice to look at, nice to have around.

Trees are also useful. Both people and animals need trees of all kinds, sizes, and shapes.

Everything that is made of wood was once part of a tree. Look around you. How many wooden things do you see? Make a list-don't forget to count your pencil and maybe your house.

Paper also comes from trees. Wood is chopped into small pieces, mixed with chemicals, and heated. The wood softens and becomes pulp, which is used to make paper and cardboard-writing paper, books, newspapers, magazines, paper tówels, cereal boxes, milk cartons, and many other things. Make another list of everything you see that is paper or cardboard-and don't forget the paper you're writing on. Some trees can be tapped for their sap. Sap from different trees is used to make maple syrup, chewing gum, soap, paint thinner, and rubber.

Trees are green plants, and so they make their own food. Green plants are the only living things that can do this. Other living things depend on green plants for food. Some eat parts of plants. Some éat the plant eaters. Some eat both. You eat the parts of trees known as fruits and nuts-apples, oranges, pears, cherries, peaches, walnuts, almonds, pecans, hazelnuts, and lots of others. Chocolate also comes from a tree. It is made from the seeds of cacao trees.