Granite Transformations Celebrates Arbor Day 2015

Last Updated on January 6, 2020

Happy Arbor Day, everyone! We know…we know…this holiday isn’t as famous as Halloween or Thanksgiving – but all of us at Granite Transformations consider this a holiday that deserves more celebration than it has received. Read on, please, to our “Arbor Day 2015” blog. Who knows? You may find yourself calling out “Happy Arbor Day” with the same fervor as you yell “Happy New Year” once you have finished reading.

Let us begin with a brief history lesson. Arbor Day, many may presume, began in America. Not so. The idea was born in a Spanish village called Villanueva de la Sierra, back in the year 1805. (Don’t worry; we’re not going to write about EVERY Arbor Day since then!) A local priest by the name of don Ramón Vacas Roxo became inspired to do something as a stand against the Napoleonic Wars. This stand was to plant a tree. In the words of environmentalist Miguel Herrero Uceda, don Roxo was “convinced of the importance of trees for health, hygiene, decoration, nature, environment and customs…” And from one tree, many trees have been planted since then, all over the world. (America, it should be noted, did not join the movement until 1872, when our first Arbor Day was initiated in Nebraska City, NE. The U.S. was admittedly more than a few years behind…but made up for the time lag by planting one million trees.)

A few words in the last paragraph: “health,” “hygiene,” “nature,” and “environment” are why the people here at Granite Transformations think that Arbor Day deserves a true celebration. And while we are not in the business of growing trees, our practice in ensuring the durability of our eco-friendly quartz and granite countertops, the use of recycled materials in our glass countertops, and being aware of any number of energy saving tips are but a few examples of how we observe what Arbor Day stands for. But now, let us move onto the awesomeness of trees.

In the highly industrialized world we live in, we tend to take the basics of nature for granted. Trees are a staple to our natural world and aside from the obvious bonuses of giving us cooling shade and attracting wildlife, the “talents” (for lack of a better word) that trees have are amazing. Trees fight climate change by removing carbon dioxide from the air and releasing oxygen. Additionally, trees prevent soil erosion, and protect us from the effects of stormwater damage. Homeowners should be especially be interested to know that planting trees in the “right” places on the property will help conserve energy and reduce the energy bills. (How do you like that? Of all the energy saving tips that we hear of all the time, one obvious and far-reaching one comes from Mother Nature herself.) For more details and information about all things trees, check out this terrific organization, the Arbor Day Foundation®. So, If already have one or two (or more) trees on your property, you are already ahead of the game.

With comparatively little care, trees will last and stay around for a long time. As it turns out, this is true for the products that are manufactured at Granite Transformations. Our quartz, glass and granite countertops are created with durability in mind. Quartz is one of the earth’s hardest surfaces (ah, there’s our connection to nature, again!), and this choice of countertop is as attractive as it is functional. The granite countertops we produce are also built to last for virtually a lifetime. And our glass countertops are made with up to 72% post-consumer recycled glass combined with man-made semi-precious stones, cementing (no pun intended) our goal of being friendly to the earth.

If you are considering a home makeover project, you should know that Granite Transformations infuses each and every glass, quartz and granite countertop with ForeverSeal®, a polymer resin that helps strengthen and seal these products. As we said earlier, the products from Granite Transformations all have durability in common; the same durability that is in the tree (or trees) growing outside your home. And, like trees, our products require only a minimum of care and maintenance.

As a final topic of today’s blog (and which perfectly complements the “tree theme” of Arbor Day), we would like to call attention to our cabinet refacing services. With a variety of colors such as Blonde Maple, Classic Cherry, and Light ­– or Dark – Italian Walnut (among many others), your appreciation for trees will be enhanced by this attractive and practical option of cabinetry from Granite Transformations.

And so, as we commemorate Arbor Day 2015, we hope that we have brought awareness to this important holiday. While planting a tree may not be an immediate option for everyone this season, keep in mind that being environmentally-conscious and practicing energy saving tips can make a big impact in helping save and sustain the earth’s resources. Thanks for reading. Granite Transformations ends this blog with how we began it: “Happy Arbor Day, everyone!”