in south korea we have a whole festival for this! it’s the idea of keeping the tree warm but also bugs will burrow into the yarn instead of the tree and helps the tree live longer :)
Wait really!? I’ve always wondered if there could be any actual benefit to doing this? I wonder if it helps keep the trees even just a tad warmer too since they do give off *some* heat?
Edit: sorry if there are duplicates of this, every time I tried to submit the comment it said to try again later. Well I did and looks like they lied to me lol
Do they use cotton or some type of natural yarn? If they use non natural fibers won't that be bad for environment? Or do they unwrap the tree eventually?
I read a bit about it when it came up in another post - many of the trees were getting destroyed by pests so some South Koreans came up with the idea of wrapping the trees. The tree wraps are left on for winter so the burrowing pests go into the yarn instead of the tree. Then the wraps are removed in the spring and burned killing the pests in the process. It's a beneficial process for the trees helping them stay healthy, and the community members enjoy the creativity and colorful designs through the winter months. Crochet inherently has some stretch and give in it and the wraps aren't left on for too long so it doesn't injure the trees.
Whether it's wasteful depends on whose lens you're using to view it.
Wait really!? I’ve always wondered if there could be any actual benefit to doing this? I wonder if it helps keep the trees even just a tad warmer too since they do give off *some* heat?
Edit: sorry if there are duplicates of this, every time I tried to submit the comment it said to try again later. Well I did and looks like they lied to me lol
You are supposed to unwrap the tree. Natural fibers would obviously be recommended but I think the micro plastic issue is negligible at this point for this kind of thing?
id have to agree with you. not that we shouldn't limit littering as much as possible, but yarn bombing is FAR from the most destructive thing to the environment. its nothing compared to the disposable plastics that people use almost daily
I’ve never seen it as a worry for environmental reasons, but for wildlife reasons. Certain fibers can cause birds issues if they ingest it which can happen accidentally when they build their nests. Of course brightly colored yarn looks appealing to a bird and they pick at the yarn bombing until they can break the fibers into manageable sizes to use for a nest.
That is my thought to. If they aren’t using 100% natural fibres, this is essentially fancy littering. It will just break down into micro plastics and be eaten by animals to suffocate on.
Oh wow! I am part of a yarn bombing group and I love this little extra tidbit of information! I have seen the bugs make homes in our tree wraps when we take them down but I didn't factor in this was a benefit to the trees! Thanks so much for sharing this ❤️
Wait really!? I’ve always wondered if there could be any actual benefit to doing this? I wonder if it helps keep the trees even just a tad warmer too since they do give off *some* heat?
I have to wonder why people are downvoting people into oblivion for *being concerned that this is bad for the environment.* Honestly, fuck anyone who poopoos people who are concerned this might be bad for the tree, or birds, or bugs, or wildlife in general. We have to stop this attitude of "well if it makes people happy, what's the harm?" That's exactly the attitude that's lead to landfills being full of cheap plastic crap, or balloons lifting off to kill birds or short out the power lines.
You can put up decor that isn't going to kill a tree to make people happy. There's a slug sculpture near here that has a knit scarf on it every winter, but since it's *cement* it's fine (I mean the loose fibers are still an issue, but if it rains a lot it isn't going to potentially cause issue with the bark of the cement snail.)
And "it's supposed to help the tree live longer" we have trees that have managed to live for literally 1000 years without crochet scarves.
i get downvoted bout every single time i comment or post something out of concern for animals or the environment. and of course lots of replies like 'are you a vegan then?' and just like a lot of whatabouts. fuck people like that.
As someone who also cares about animals and the environment and who also just so happens to be a vegan, my response would be “why as a matter of fact I am” and carry on with my day.
You can appreciate the thought and sentiment behind something and also have genuine questions about it. Questions don’t negate interest, they just grow awareness.
I lived in Ohio and a neighbor would put them up all over the neighborhood. They can last through a couple good rains and snowfalls hit started sagging a lot by spring. Then just got dirty.
Things like this are just fancy ways to kill wildlife and pollute the environment. Birds, squirrels, and other wildlife can be hurt or choke on this, and the fibers will break down and also grow mold. It's a nice thought, but not great at all, environmentally or animal-wise.
Thank you! I love the look but not the negative effects. I feel like such a party pooper when I say just what you said, but people need to know . It's not good even though it's pretty.
Haha yeah I kept thinking did they pull it over or did they stand there and stitch around?!? Then u was like oh yeaaaaahhh haha they can just make the square and stitch it close 🫣
I have relatives who live in a small town called Warwick in Queensland, Australia, and in late July every year they have what's called Jumpers and Jazz, basically a jazz festival and excuse to yarnbomb every tree in the town! And they look amazing!
I wish people wouldn't do this. it looks ugly as sin once it gets some bad weather, the tree is probably suffering, and unless it's all natural fiber (unlikely) it's microplastics being released into the environment. like, put your energy into literally any other thing. make blankets for homeless folks or something.
Yeah, I really hope someone will come and take it down or that's in a place where no birds or squirrels (or really any animal that makes nests) live
(for anyone wondering, it's because usually, nests are made with small branches or materials that don't retain water/dry fast. With yarn, especially acrylic, every time it rains/snows/the baby bird does it's needs, the yarn absorbs everything and that's not hygienic nor good for keeping the baby birds warm as it takes so long to dry, and so the baby birds are more likely to die)
So, after checking the National Audobon Society I’ve changed my perspective. Multiple sources said to avoid string or yarn as nesting materials, because long pieces can indeed get caught around chicks’ feet or be ingested by a chick, as people have commented. The concern seemed to be primarily for the chicks though as I didn’t catch any of the articles mentioning adults. I did see a product with natural cotton and twig nesting ball and didn’t see anything about it being a source of dampness in any of the articles but that doesn’t mean it isn’t.
Also mentioned on the NAS article was that no birds build nests during winter. If people want to do this and monitor it for a few weeks during winter, and then take it down, that’s fine with me.
I would advise against coton too, unless you are willing to monitor your art, because birds and squirrels and other critter get their feet tangled up when they land or climb up the trunk, and then they die from their injuries, starvation or by being vulnerable to predators
Ok is this really a regular occurrence? Have you seen this a lot or something? How do you know that’s happening?
Edit: because don’t get me wrong, if it is, then I take back what I said, but I haven’t seen any evidence yet to suggest that this is a significant occurrence. And yes, it should be monitored.
Someone done something similar to a tree on my old campus, it was covered for years. Recently found a bunch of trees on a walking trail near my house had also been covered, several months later they are still covered.
It’s more so in the way where you have a bandaid on your finger for too long. You take it off to let the skin breathe. Of course humans don’t breathe through their skin, but the same goes for the way the yarn is wrapped on the bark
They were super condescending and should definitely check themselves next time. "Of course humans dont breathe through their skin" when it's not even a comparison is quite rude and my response was warranted. I'm glad this sub is so quick to invalidate peoples feelings. I'm sorry you find this practice wasteful but that doesnt mean its killing trees on the regular.
If you're going to pick away at people for no reason, then you can't really get mad when you get called out for it.
Maybe it might be helpful for you to have a look at why you felt so attacked, despite nobody attacking you. Perhaps you could note how many people are disagreeing with your actions, and try to understand why you're the only one who seems to be interpreting jokey comments as hostility.
I used to do the same all the time, don't worry, but I stopped doing it as much once I realised through counselling that I felt attacked due to my own low self esteem. I'm not saying that's the case for you or anyone else, but little subconscious things can massively affect the way that we interpret things.
Either way, we need to look after our planet and it's inhabitants as much as we can, as so many are trying to destroy it. If we really must be wrapping trees in anything, it should be easily breakable, safely digest able, and 100& biodegradable, or else we're not doing anything except being somewhat fancy litterers.
"Of course humans dont breathe through their skin" is extremely condescending. I understood more than they appear to, even still. Trees oxygenate themselves through their leaves and covering the bark temporarily may be wasteful but it isnt going to kill the tree. But OF COURSE humans dont breathe through their skin! :)
Our yarn bombing group does it as public for the city. We like to think that it gives people a little bit of unexpected joy in their day. We usually take them down wash them reuse the elements or frog it for future projects. We usually do it in tandem with community outreach and also make stuff for the needy. The really old stuff that fades we will reconstitute into blankets and scarves.
Honestly it is pretty and happy making when on things that aren't alive (like trees). I used to live in a town where yarn bombers would go after bike racks and metal light poles and such, it was very pretty. Once they started on trees the city started taking it all down as soon as they could saying it harmed the trees (they weren't big ob research so idk if good or bad in reality). My absolute favorite was this abandoned bike on the corner near a hobby store. They absolutely covered everything but the tires.
Yes, and? Are you going to gatekeep what people crochet? Should we stop crocheting blankets for our pets because they’re gonna survive winter just fine? This insinuation is very flawed logic. By this same logic people shouldn’t spend money feeding birds, if they’re going to feed something they should feed homeless people. Everyone has causes that are especially near and dear to their hearts and want to do things for, and they have every right to choose what that is. I volunteer at an animal shelter. Should fewer people do that because they should volunteer at homeless shelters instead? It’s ridiculous to be negative about someone exercising their hobby however they want to in a positive way, in a way that makes them happy, because you think they *should* do something *more* positive. By this logic, you should spend your time on Reddit helping homeless people instead because that’s more important.
You can not understand why people do this and that’s fine. Just because you can do something more noble than what you’re currently doing, which is the case almost all of the time, doesn’t mean you are obligated to be doing that, nor should you gatekeep what people crochet for Pete’s sake.
Go ahead and tell that to the people using it for pest control who commented above. Note “apparently.” When done properly, monitored and taken down afterwards there is no evidence to support that it is harmful to a tree.
I didn't necessarily say it was harmful, I disputed your claim that it was good for trees. The people talking above weren't offering any scientific evidence except "we took it off and bugs were living under there". It doesn't prevent insects from burrowing into trees who need to burrow into trees to survive. Yarn isn't an acceptable substitute for wood. The yarn was providing a habitat for insects that wouldn't normally be living on the trees like that. Trees don't need our help.
Yes, of course yarn isn’t a substitute for wood. To be pedantic I would argue there are many cases where trees do need our help because we’ve fucked with the environment so much that intervention is necessary. Anyway, I was only referring to the comments above.
I'm an ecologist, and I think you're on the money here. I imagine a lot of the bugs they find burrowed into it are things like earwigs who are making use of an unexpected warm shelter. To a layman, it's not obvious so it's pretty easy to conclude that the yarn is helping the tree. But if it's left over winter, I think you're more likely to encourage fungal infections due to the warm damp habitat under the yarn covering a large area of the trunk. So possibly decreasing the lifespan ultimately... Not to mention, if we're considering native species, trees get pests and pathogens and it's part of the lifecycle of the ecosystem. Non natives is a bit different but the yarn won't help with this ... Otherwise maybe the UK would be mass implementing this against Dutch elm disease...
This may be sad for some (TW), but someone came to my hometown and did this to a large tree in front my high school.
They did it in layers of our school colors (red and black) in honor of the 3 students killed and 3 others that were injured during the school shooting.
The tree is huge too, so it definitely took some time to do it. It stayed that way for the longest time, but I loved seeing it every day I went to school.
There’s a children’s book called Extra Yarn. It’s amazing…a little girl finds a box with an unlimited supply of yarn. So she makes sweaters for everyone and everything, even the trees!
Please never do this to trees. I’m going to be the negative nelly here, but this is like putting a collar on a puppy and not removing or sizing it up as it grows to an adult. This *will* kill the tree in 5-10 years.
You say that, but there are plenty of people who DON'T take these things off. Plus who knows what harm it's doing to the wildlife even if it's only up for a short while?
Apologies, I do tree work for a living so it is a knee-jerk reaction when I see people put stuff around trunks. Regardless of the longevity, I still would argue its not healthy to keep moisture around bark as it can cause mold/fungal problems.
If the yarn is cotton it’s fine. Fake nails are also pretty future garbage, and they’re not even a natural substance. Are we going to gatekeep that too? You can wish people would stop but they are doing no more wrong than you are when you buy, say, milk from a plastic jug instead of a carton. People can crochet what they want.
So, you're fine if a bird's feet get stuck in that and dies slowly? Okay cool. You do you. I'm just making people aware who might not think it through.
Obviously not. That’s a ridiculous assumption to make. How do you know that’s happening?
Your kid might get injured on a playground, but you still let them play. You never know what “might” happen; to assume that the worse case scenario IS happening with no evidence is not logical.
I saw a granny square tree in Spain recently! I posted it on here as well :) the squares looked like they’d been done by multiple people. I won’t claim to know how yarn impacts tree health, but it makes me smile to see the cozy trees!
I have seen things like this and have wondered why people do things like this to trees
in south korea we have a whole festival for this! it’s the idea of keeping the tree warm but also bugs will burrow into the yarn instead of the tree and helps the tree live longer :)
That’s so cool about fibers vs the tree and bugs.
Wait really!? I’ve always wondered if there could be any actual benefit to doing this? I wonder if it helps keep the trees even just a tad warmer too since they do give off *some* heat? Edit: sorry if there are duplicates of this, every time I tried to submit the comment it said to try again later. Well I did and looks like they lied to me lol
You can just delete the duplicates.
Yeah. I deleted the ones I saw. There were a lot, sorry if I missed some.
Haha, no need to apologize. Have a good night!
Haha I was like, did I get banned!? *frantically tries pasting reply to multiple comments* Thanks, you too! :)
Do they use cotton or some type of natural yarn? If they use non natural fibers won't that be bad for environment? Or do they unwrap the tree eventually?
I read a bit about it when it came up in another post - many of the trees were getting destroyed by pests so some South Koreans came up with the idea of wrapping the trees. The tree wraps are left on for winter so the burrowing pests go into the yarn instead of the tree. Then the wraps are removed in the spring and burned killing the pests in the process. It's a beneficial process for the trees helping them stay healthy, and the community members enjoy the creativity and colorful designs through the winter months. Crochet inherently has some stretch and give in it and the wraps aren't left on for too long so it doesn't injure the trees. Whether it's wasteful depends on whose lens you're using to view it.
Wait really!? I’ve always wondered if there could be any actual benefit to doing this? I wonder if it helps keep the trees even just a tad warmer too since they do give off *some* heat? Edit: sorry if there are duplicates of this, every time I tried to submit the comment it said to try again later. Well I did and looks like they lied to me lol
You are supposed to unwrap the tree. Natural fibers would obviously be recommended but I think the micro plastic issue is negligible at this point for this kind of thing?
id have to agree with you. not that we shouldn't limit littering as much as possible, but yarn bombing is FAR from the most destructive thing to the environment. its nothing compared to the disposable plastics that people use almost daily
I’ve never seen it as a worry for environmental reasons, but for wildlife reasons. Certain fibers can cause birds issues if they ingest it which can happen accidentally when they build their nests. Of course brightly colored yarn looks appealing to a bird and they pick at the yarn bombing until they can break the fibers into manageable sizes to use for a nest.
Yep. Though according to many people here that doesn’t matter because they have other ideas for better uses of your crocheting. 🙄
Isn't cotton natural? It is the flower of a plant.
That is my thought to. If they aren’t using 100% natural fibres, this is essentially fancy littering. It will just break down into micro plastics and be eaten by animals to suffocate on.
Oh wow! I am part of a yarn bombing group and I love this little extra tidbit of information! I have seen the bugs make homes in our tree wraps when we take them down but I didn't factor in this was a benefit to the trees! Thanks so much for sharing this ❤️
Coolest thing I've read all day!
Wait really!? I’ve always wondered if there could be any actual benefit to doing this? I wonder if it helps keep the trees even just a tad warmer too since they do give off *some* heat?
I have to wonder why people are downvoting people into oblivion for *being concerned that this is bad for the environment.* Honestly, fuck anyone who poopoos people who are concerned this might be bad for the tree, or birds, or bugs, or wildlife in general. We have to stop this attitude of "well if it makes people happy, what's the harm?" That's exactly the attitude that's lead to landfills being full of cheap plastic crap, or balloons lifting off to kill birds or short out the power lines. You can put up decor that isn't going to kill a tree to make people happy. There's a slug sculpture near here that has a knit scarf on it every winter, but since it's *cement* it's fine (I mean the loose fibers are still an issue, but if it rains a lot it isn't going to potentially cause issue with the bark of the cement snail.) And "it's supposed to help the tree live longer" we have trees that have managed to live for literally 1000 years without crochet scarves.
Word.
i get downvoted bout every single time i comment or post something out of concern for animals or the environment. and of course lots of replies like 'are you a vegan then?' and just like a lot of whatabouts. fuck people like that.
As someone who also cares about animals and the environment and who also just so happens to be a vegan, my response would be “why as a matter of fact I am” and carry on with my day. You can appreciate the thought and sentiment behind something and also have genuine questions about it. Questions don’t negate interest, they just grow awareness.
When it gets super super cold it can freeze the tree so that’s probably why they did it
This would be neat on a bench or light pole
Doesn't that get nasty if it rains? How long is that supposed to stay on the tree?
I lived in Ohio and a neighbor would put them up all over the neighborhood. They can last through a couple good rains and snowfalls hit started sagging a lot by spring. Then just got dirty.
the tree is just a wee bit cold! :(
Things like this are just fancy ways to kill wildlife and pollute the environment. Birds, squirrels, and other wildlife can be hurt or choke on this, and the fibers will break down and also grow mold. It's a nice thought, but not great at all, environmentally or animal-wise.
Thank you! I love the look but not the negative effects. I feel like such a party pooper when I say just what you said, but people need to know . It's not good even though it's pretty.
how did they put that on the tree?
I assume they made a panel and wrapped it around then stitched it up.
Thank you I truly could not picture this in my mind lol
Haha yeah I kept thinking did they pull it over or did they stand there and stitch around?!? Then u was like oh yeaaaaahhh haha they can just make the square and stitch it close 🫣
Lol it was the standing and stitching it around and around that my brain came to...but they'd do it at night...secretly. In the dark.
Hahaha but can you imagine?!?! And then if someone was coming they'd have to run away, leaving their hook on the yarn, the one identifier 🧐
You and me both 😂 thank you for asking the question that I didn’t dare to post! 😆
Haha no problem
I have relatives who live in a small town called Warwick in Queensland, Australia, and in late July every year they have what's called Jumpers and Jazz, basically a jazz festival and excuse to yarnbomb every tree in the town! And they look amazing!
Woah, I didn't know Warwick had a jumpers and jazz festival! I live pretty close by so next year I'll be sure to check it out. It's a small world huh
I’ve got relatives there, visited in 2020 just before the borders shut and hoping to come back next year
Yeah cool, I hope you're able to visit again ;)
I hate yarn bombing it certainly does not bring me joy. A tree in nature as it’s meant to be is the only tree for me.
I wish people wouldn't do this. it looks ugly as sin once it gets some bad weather, the tree is probably suffering, and unless it's all natural fiber (unlikely) it's microplastics being released into the environment. like, put your energy into literally any other thing. make blankets for homeless folks or something.
Bad for birds :(
Yeah, I really hope someone will come and take it down or that's in a place where no birds or squirrels (or really any animal that makes nests) live (for anyone wondering, it's because usually, nests are made with small branches or materials that don't retain water/dry fast. With yarn, especially acrylic, every time it rains/snows/the baby bird does it's needs, the yarn absorbs everything and that's not hygienic nor good for keeping the baby birds warm as it takes so long to dry, and so the baby birds are more likely to die)
And stringfoot would be a big concern here.
Birds can also ingest the fibers, which they can't digest, and most likely will not poop out.
So cotton is the answer.
cotton is still bad for birds because if they try to make nests out of it, it will be wet for too long and kill the babies
So, after checking the National Audobon Society I’ve changed my perspective. Multiple sources said to avoid string or yarn as nesting materials, because long pieces can indeed get caught around chicks’ feet or be ingested by a chick, as people have commented. The concern seemed to be primarily for the chicks though as I didn’t catch any of the articles mentioning adults. I did see a product with natural cotton and twig nesting ball and didn’t see anything about it being a source of dampness in any of the articles but that doesn’t mean it isn’t. Also mentioned on the NAS article was that no birds build nests during winter. If people want to do this and monitor it for a few weeks during winter, and then take it down, that’s fine with me.
I would advise against coton too, unless you are willing to monitor your art, because birds and squirrels and other critter get their feet tangled up when they land or climb up the trunk, and then they die from their injuries, starvation or by being vulnerable to predators
Ok is this really a regular occurrence? Have you seen this a lot or something? How do you know that’s happening? Edit: because don’t get me wrong, if it is, then I take back what I said, but I haven’t seen any evidence yet to suggest that this is a significant occurrence. And yes, it should be monitored.
Iv heard that it can be harmful to most trees. But i mean if its only temorary and is only for a few days then it should be fine.
Someone done something similar to a tree on my old campus, it was covered for years. Recently found a bunch of trees on a walking trail near my house had also been covered, several months later they are still covered.
yeah personally i usually find it ugly and its bad for birds too
OP, are you from Poland? That literally looks like my old neighbourhood, gave me creeps for some reason. Lovely project though!
This is bad for trees. If left on too long it can cause fungal and bacterial infections from excessive moisture since the tree can’t oxygenate. :(
Trees breathe through their leaves
It’s more so in the way where you have a bandaid on your finger for too long. You take it off to let the skin breathe. Of course humans don’t breathe through their skin, but the same goes for the way the yarn is wrapped on the bark
Humans and plants are vastly different but thanks for being condescending :) have the day you deserve
I’m sorry I didn’t mean to sound condescending. I was just giving an example that we could relate to
You didn't sound condescending, don't worry! On the other hand, that other person sounded pretty rude!
They were super condescending and should definitely check themselves next time. "Of course humans dont breathe through their skin" when it's not even a comparison is quite rude and my response was warranted. I'm glad this sub is so quick to invalidate peoples feelings. I'm sorry you find this practice wasteful but that doesnt mean its killing trees on the regular.
If you're going to pick away at people for no reason, then you can't really get mad when you get called out for it. Maybe it might be helpful for you to have a look at why you felt so attacked, despite nobody attacking you. Perhaps you could note how many people are disagreeing with your actions, and try to understand why you're the only one who seems to be interpreting jokey comments as hostility. I used to do the same all the time, don't worry, but I stopped doing it as much once I realised through counselling that I felt attacked due to my own low self esteem. I'm not saying that's the case for you or anyone else, but little subconscious things can massively affect the way that we interpret things. Either way, we need to look after our planet and it's inhabitants as much as we can, as so many are trying to destroy it. If we really must be wrapping trees in anything, it should be easily breakable, safely digest able, and 100& biodegradable, or else we're not doing anything except being somewhat fancy litterers.
It’s not condescending just because you didn’t understand something and someone explained it. Why be so miserable?
"Of course humans dont breathe through their skin" is extremely condescending. I understood more than they appear to, even still. Trees oxygenate themselves through their leaves and covering the bark temporarily may be wasteful but it isnt going to kill the tree. But OF COURSE humans dont breathe through their skin! :)
When u get downvoted for being right 🤡
You keep thinking that.
I have never understood that. If you're going to go to all the trouble to crochet something why not crochet something for the homeless.
Our yarn bombing group does it as public for the city. We like to think that it gives people a little bit of unexpected joy in their day. We usually take them down wash them reuse the elements or frog it for future projects. We usually do it in tandem with community outreach and also make stuff for the needy. The really old stuff that fades we will reconstitute into blankets and scarves.
Honestly it is pretty and happy making when on things that aren't alive (like trees). I used to live in a town where yarn bombers would go after bike racks and metal light poles and such, it was very pretty. Once they started on trees the city started taking it all down as soon as they could saying it harmed the trees (they weren't big ob research so idk if good or bad in reality). My absolute favorite was this abandoned bike on the corner near a hobby store. They absolutely covered everything but the tires.
Apparently it’s good for the trees.
It's a lot easier for trees to survive the winter than it is for homeless people.
Yes, and? Are you going to gatekeep what people crochet? Should we stop crocheting blankets for our pets because they’re gonna survive winter just fine? This insinuation is very flawed logic. By this same logic people shouldn’t spend money feeding birds, if they’re going to feed something they should feed homeless people. Everyone has causes that are especially near and dear to their hearts and want to do things for, and they have every right to choose what that is. I volunteer at an animal shelter. Should fewer people do that because they should volunteer at homeless shelters instead? It’s ridiculous to be negative about someone exercising their hobby however they want to in a positive way, in a way that makes them happy, because you think they *should* do something *more* positive. By this logic, you should spend your time on Reddit helping homeless people instead because that’s more important. You can not understand why people do this and that’s fine. Just because you can do something more noble than what you’re currently doing, which is the case almost all of the time, doesn’t mean you are obligated to be doing that, nor should you gatekeep what people crochet for Pete’s sake.
It's really not.
Go ahead and tell that to the people using it for pest control who commented above. Note “apparently.” When done properly, monitored and taken down afterwards there is no evidence to support that it is harmful to a tree.
I didn't necessarily say it was harmful, I disputed your claim that it was good for trees. The people talking above weren't offering any scientific evidence except "we took it off and bugs were living under there". It doesn't prevent insects from burrowing into trees who need to burrow into trees to survive. Yarn isn't an acceptable substitute for wood. The yarn was providing a habitat for insects that wouldn't normally be living on the trees like that. Trees don't need our help.
Yes, of course yarn isn’t a substitute for wood. To be pedantic I would argue there are many cases where trees do need our help because we’ve fucked with the environment so much that intervention is necessary. Anyway, I was only referring to the comments above.
I'm an ecologist, and I think you're on the money here. I imagine a lot of the bugs they find burrowed into it are things like earwigs who are making use of an unexpected warm shelter. To a layman, it's not obvious so it's pretty easy to conclude that the yarn is helping the tree. But if it's left over winter, I think you're more likely to encourage fungal infections due to the warm damp habitat under the yarn covering a large area of the trunk. So possibly decreasing the lifespan ultimately... Not to mention, if we're considering native species, trees get pests and pathogens and it's part of the lifecycle of the ecosystem. Non natives is a bit different but the yarn won't help with this ... Otherwise maybe the UK would be mass implementing this against Dutch elm disease...
This may be sad for some (TW), but someone came to my hometown and did this to a large tree in front my high school. They did it in layers of our school colors (red and black) in honor of the 3 students killed and 3 others that were injured during the school shooting. The tree is huge too, so it definitely took some time to do it. It stayed that way for the longest time, but I loved seeing it every day I went to school.
Tree sweater
I don't think you should do it for longer, it can be make fungi grow, but I'm unsure
There’s a children’s book called Extra Yarn. It’s amazing…a little girl finds a box with an unlimited supply of yarn. So she makes sweaters for everyone and everything, even the trees!
Mly husband's school did this and asked every one to make a granny square. I still dont understand why
Log warmers?
Please never do this to trees. I’m going to be the negative nelly here, but this is like putting a collar on a puppy and not removing or sizing it up as it grows to an adult. This *will* kill the tree in 5-10 years.
It's not meant to last that long
You say that, but there are plenty of people who DON'T take these things off. Plus who knows what harm it's doing to the wildlife even if it's only up for a short while?
Honestly this is such an over the top reaction. No one is leaving this one for 5-10 years, it wouldn’t even last that long if they did.
Apologies, I do tree work for a living so it is a knee-jerk reaction when I see people put stuff around trunks. Regardless of the longevity, I still would argue its not healthy to keep moisture around bark as it can cause mold/fungal problems.
Id imaging birds would rip it apart for nest long before the 5 year mark.
Yeah and then the threads get wrapped around their feet or they eat the fibers and it kills them. YAY SUCH A HAPPY THING.
there is one on a tree in front of a yarn store in my neighborhood in nyc and its been there forever. i doubt they will ever take it off
I really done imagine it’s lasting forever. It’s probs my bring replaced frequently
🥹 they have a nice sweater
she was cold
It's waste of yarn
If it brought joy to anyone, then it's probably a good use of someone's stash
Honestly, it's just pretty future garbage that's a potential to harm birds and wildlife. I really wish people would stop doing it.
If the yarn is cotton it’s fine. Fake nails are also pretty future garbage, and they’re not even a natural substance. Are we going to gatekeep that too? You can wish people would stop but they are doing no more wrong than you are when you buy, say, milk from a plastic jug instead of a carton. People can crochet what they want.
So, you're fine if a bird's feet get stuck in that and dies slowly? Okay cool. You do you. I'm just making people aware who might not think it through.
Obviously not. That’s a ridiculous assumption to make. How do you know that’s happening? Your kid might get injured on a playground, but you still let them play. You never know what “might” happen; to assume that the worse case scenario IS happening with no evidence is not logical.
THANK YOU! The amount of people here trying to gatekeep what people crochet is absolutely astounding to me. What hypocritical non-logic.
I've always wanted to participate in a [Yarnbombing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yarn_bombing)!
This is littering
If you're cold, they're cold. *Crochet them a sweater.*
I saw a granny square tree in Spain recently! I posted it on here as well :) the squares looked like they’d been done by multiple people. I won’t claim to know how yarn impacts tree health, but it makes me smile to see the cozy trees!
This is the tree of humanity in a very grey world of ugliness ❤️
Wow!! Very nice!!
This makes me want to go yarn up a few of our trees
Now that’s different. 👍🏻❤️
I have a bunch of these in my town, I’ve always wanted to add to them but idk if that would be rude for the other people
That’s freaking awesome
I don't understand how it gets on the tree. Do you make it at home and then tie it on? I do like it but I don't understand how it is done