Find out the latest in forest news in this week’s Arbor Day edition of Forest Digest!

Today is Arbor Day! Credit: Richard BH/Flickr
  • This Is Why Arbor Day Is a Thing — Time
    Happy Arbor Day! In the spirit of the holiday, learn how a small initiative in Nebraska turned into a national effort, all thanks to J. Sterling Morton, a vice-president of the Nebraska State Board of Agriculture.
  • Primeval forest risks sparking new EU-Poland clash — Phys.org
    On Thursday, the EU threatened to take legal action if Poland did not stop logging in a UNESCO World Heritage forest. In doing so, they risk a new clash with Warsaw’s right-wing government. Although this issue has been addressed in the past, European Commission spokesman Enrico Brivio claims that Poland’s response was “not satisfactory.” Many are concerned that Poland’s logging will cause irreparable biodiversity loss.
  • On Forest Floors, Wood Anemone Provides a Burst of Spring — New York Times
    In this New York Times article, learn about a unique plant species that blankets forest floors– the wood anemone. Wood anemone grow in dense, circular colonies reaching up to 12 feet in diameter and can contain hundreds of individual stems.
  • Vt. Scientists Boost Biodiversity By Guiding Middle-Aged Forests To Mimic Ancient Ones — WBUR
    There is less than one percent of old growth forest left. These are forests that grow largely undisturbed, usually for several centuries. Bill Keeton, a forest ecologist at the University of Vermont, found in a study that harvesting trees in a way that mimics old growth forests boosts habitat restoration and stores a surprising amount of carbon.
  • FDR signs Soil Conservation Act, April 27, 1935 — Politico
    On April 27, 1935, Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Soil Conservation Act, which aimed to prevent soil erosion and preserve the nation’s natural resources. Among a plethora of benefits, the act gave farmers the ability to plant native grasses and trees as well as raise vegetables rather than crops that depleted soil nutrients.
  • China may build a smog-eating ‘forest city’ filled with tree-covered skyscrapers — Business Insider
    Like many of China’s urban areas, the city of Nanjing suffers from intense smog. Stefano Boeri Architetti, an Italian design firm, believes that building towers covered in plants could help the city greatly reduce its pollution. The company recently announced that it will build two such towers that will hold 1,100 trees and 2,500 cascading shrubs on their rooftops and balconies.