As humans, we depend on fertile soil to grow our food.  Soil that can grow food in it is called “arable.” Did you know that around 30% of the world’s once arable land can no longer grow food?  The soil can no longer grow food because 60% of it has been washed away into rivers, streams, and lakes. This process is known as “erosion” and it has made bodies of water flood more often and polluted them with pesticides and fertilizers from soil.  Sadly, once the soil is lost in an area, very few plants can grow on the land. It takes hundreds of years for plants to be able to grow on the soil like they used to. Wind and rain are the leading causes of soil erosion. Rainwater speeds up as it falls from the sky and then moves the soil when it hits the ground.  In areas with few plants, soil erosion often occurs because the land is exposed to the full force of the wind and rain without any plants providing a barrier.
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​We all know how hot it can get during the summer months in North America. It is not uncommon to be able to see heat waves radiating off of the asphalt on city streets or concrete sidewalks. Thankfully, nature provides us with an excellent and all-natural form of air conditioning – the shade from trees.