SavATree - Tree Service & Lawn Care

Drought Data

As of January 6, 2015 the extent of drought conditions across the U.S. is at its lowest point since December 20, 2011.  However, drought conditions in parts of the west and southern plains remain severe. December 2014 brought heavy precipitation to southeastern and eastern portions of the country, significantly reducing levels of abnormal dryness (D0), moderate…

SavATree - Tree Service & Lawn Care

Bamboo Boom?

It may feel like deja vu; new, promising plant species will sustainably replace inefficient species to reduce carbon emissions, maintain biodiversity and save the world! Okay that may be a bit hyperbolic but the gist is the same; new species, new crops, new product to drastically change a former environmentally unfriendly material into a green…

SavATree - Tree Service & Lawn Care

Sustenance from Soil

Soil is one of the four elements upon which life on earth depends; soil, water, air and sunlight. 2015 has been declared the International Year of Soils (IYS) by the U.N., and the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) has organized themes for each month in an effort to further highlight the need for soil preservation…

SavATree - Tree Service & Lawn Care

Milkweed for Monarchs

Monarch butterfly habitat degradation and destruction has become a well-known issue and the public has responded to the call for action by planting their landscapes and gardens with their plant of preference, milkweed. But is any species of milkweed appropriate? Unfortunately, many people have been purchasing and planting a tropical species of milkweed, rather than the…

SavATree - Tree Service & Lawn Care

Catalyzing Conservation

Conservation banks are parcels of land which enjoy permanent protection due to the value of natural resources therein. These lands are methodically managed for habitat critical for species listed as endangered, threatened or candidates for listing or otherwise at risk. As the name implies, conservation banking acts to offset impacts to habitat occurring elsewhere, this can…

SavATree - Tree Service & Lawn Care

Larch Beetle Lookout-Tree Pest

The eastern larch beetle, Dendroctonus simplex, is native to North America but is a pest to the tamarack (or larch), Larix laricina. The beetles colonize the phloem of the main stem, exposed roots and larger branches of one of the very few species of deciduous needled trees. Beetles aggregate on stumps, fallen trees and standing trees, burrow through…

SavATree - Tree Service & Lawn Care

Plant Perspicacity

A species of pitcher plant growing in Borneo has been found to strategize its prey catching capabilities in order to maximize the windfall. This pitcher plant, Nepenthes spp.,  is able to  adjust the slipperiness of its characteristic pitfall trap in response to changing weather conditions so as to dine on large number of ants at…

SavATree - Tree Service & Lawn Care

Guerilla Gardening

Seed bombs, amalgamations of seed varieties and fertilizer rolled into a ball, were developed as an easy way to green up urban spaces, abandoned lots, brownfields and other areas which may be somewhat inaccessible or exist in a state of zoning oblivion. So-called “guerilla gardeners” will toss seed bombs into fenced-in or neglected lands quickly turning…