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The Crawford Soil & Water Conservation District offers a variety of information and programs to help landowners plan tree plantings. Currently, the office is offering for sale evergreen and hardwood tree seedlings and transplants. These trees are selected for their hardiness, aesthetic value and wildlife benefits. Landowners can choose from a variety of individual species or packets designed for specific purposes like nut production, flowering, shade or wildlife.
Landowners choose from a variety of reasons to plant trees on their property. For instance, a windbreak of evergreens around a home can provide relief from cold winter winds while at the same time helping to manage the drifting snow. Deciduous hardwood trees properly placed around a home can provide much needed shade during the hot summer months, while allowing the warming benefits of sunlight during the cold winter months. Properly planned tree plantings are a great way to reduce energy costs around your home. Upwards of 15 percent energy savings have been attributed to trees being planted around homesteads. Trees offer tremendous aesthetic value to any property, whether you plant a few trees around a home or establish a 10 acre woods on your property. These larger tree plantings may also provide income to landowners through selective timber harvesting while providing food and shelter for a variety of wildlife species.
Field windbreaks established on cropland greatly reduce the amount of valuable topsoil lost due to wind erosion. Regardless of your reasons for planting trees, planning where and what trees you are going to plant provides tremendous benefits to the land, people and wildlife. For more information contact the Crawford SWCD/NRCS office at 419-562-8280 or visit our website at www.crawfordswcd.org to download order forms and tree descriptions.