00:00Why did the US build a massive wall made of trees from Canada to Texas? It was created to stop
00:07a
00:07disaster caused by farming in the Great Plains. This region, east of the Rocky Mountains, was
00:13once covered with deep-rooted grasses that held the soil together. But in the early 20th century,
00:18heavy ploughing removed these grasses, leaving the soil loose. Strong winds and the drought of
00:24the 1930s then created massive dust storms, known as black blizzards, turning day into
00:30night and forcing millions to leave their homes. To fix this, the US launched the Great Plains
00:36Shelter Belt, planting around 220 million trees in a long strip. These trees acted as windbreaks,
00:43reducing wind speed and stopping the dust storms, allowing people to return home.
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