DEC Urgently Asking New York Residents to NOT Do This

It might seem cute, but it can be very harmful to the environment.

I remember pretty vividly being a young kid on a walk and coming across a few trees that had people's initials carved into them. I always thought it was really cute and hoped as I got older someone would do that for me (still waiting for that by the way). Well, maybe nature is better off that didn't happen because turns out it's pretty harmful to a tree when someone does that.

The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation is giving residents a huge warning about the dangers of carving you and your significant others' names into trees.

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Why is it harmful to carve your initials into a tree?

According to the DEC, when you carve your initials or something else into a tree it can cause an early death for the tree YIKES.

The DEC mentions how the bark is like skin (yes, just like our skin) and it helps protect the living tissue inside of the tree. So it's really not something you want to be messing with. or carving with I should say.

What can happen to a tree if you carve something into it?

The DEC says when you carve into tree bark it literally creates an open wound for the tree.

When a tree has an open wound, the tree becomes more vulnerable to fungal and bacterial diseases, insect pests, and other damages. Again, not really something you want to be part of or contribute to.

The DEC also mentioned how simply taking a picture helps capture a special moment and no one is harmed during the process.

#LeaveNoTraceTuesday

Who knew doing something with the best of intentions could be dangerous? Thank you to the NYS DEC for putting out this message and helping keep our environment safe.

So....back to something more positive, here are some awesome spots to propose: