Trees are more than just a habitat for birds or a nice thing to look at — they help us breathe! A tree has the ability to provide an essential of life for all living things on our planet – oxygen, and the power to remove harmful gases like carbon dioxide making the air we breathe healthier.

As humans, we breathe in air, which contains oxygen. Oxygen is essential for us and all other animals to survive. Once we breathe in oxygen, our body uses it to produce energy. This process is known as respiration. During respiration, both energy and a gas known as carbon dioxide are produced. When we breathe out, the carbon dioxide that is produced is released into the air.

Plants such as trees, on the other hand, can take in this carbon dioxide, which is unusable for humans, and use it to produce their own energy.

They do this by a process known as photosynthesis. In photosynthesis, plants take in light from the sun and, through a complex series of steps, use this sunlight, carbon dioxide from the air, and water that they take in through their roots to produce sugars, which can be used by the plant and oxygen, and is then sent into the air.

Through photosynthesis, humans can again breathe in the oxygen that was produced and survive. Photosynthesis and respiration are the two essential processes that allow life to sustain on earth.

Trees also store carbon dioxide in their fibers helping to clean the air and reduce the negative effects that this CO2 could have had on our environment. According to the Arbor Day Foundation, in one year a mature tree will absorb more than 48 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and release oxygen in exchange.

So next time you take a deep breath of air give credit to a tree or hug a tree in thanks for what it gives us – the very air we breathe.

Whistlefish recognise that paper is the main resource that we use in our business and without it we wouldn’t be able to bring our vision and creations to life for you all the see. 

We decided to take action to offset the cost to the environment that results from our use of this wonderful natural resource and plant more than enough trees to cover our paper use.

We have teamed up with the wonderful team at Plant 1 Cornwall to plant trees in Cornish soil. We have targeted to plant over 1000 trees in Cornwall.

Read more about Plant 1 Cornwall here >

As part of our Plant A Tree Pledge, we are asking our lovely customers, if you want to get involved with us and donate to the Cornish tree planting campaign to boost the numbers of new trees being grown in the Duchy. This way by simply adding a pound to their order, our customers can offset their own order's carbon footprint by helping to plant a tree that will stand for years to come.

SHOP GREETING CARDS AND PLANT TREES HERE >