40 Reasons to Plant a Tree
- Apr 27, 2021
“The true meaning of life is to plant trees under whose shade you do not expect to sit.” – Nelson Henderson
Happy Arbor Day! Each April, Cincinnati Parks staff and volunteers celebrate and plant trees across the city.
This year, Cincinnati Parks also celebrates 40 years of commitment to The Tree City USA program. This program aims to green up cities across America and provides the framework necessary for communities to manage and expand their public trees. Since 1981, Cincinnati Parks has planted 65,000 and we are committed to continuing this important work.
We hope that you will join us in celebrating Arbor Day this year by planting a tree. And to convince you to plant one, we’re giving you FORTY reasons why:
- Trees create Oxygen
- Trees absorb Carbon Dioxide
- Trees have cooling effects – the evapotranspiration process of trees causes cooling of the air surrounding leaves
- Trees create cool heat islands – trees, green roofs, and vegetation can help reduce urban heat island effects by shading building surfaces, deflecting radiation from the sun, and releasing moisture into the atmosphere (EPA)
- Trees planted on the west side of a house can reduce energy bills by 3%; and reduce air conditioning needs by 20-30%
- Trees add value to property – trees can add 10% to a property’s value (USDA, Forest Service)
- Trees help with water retention – a large tree can capture and retain as much as 332 gallons of water (USA, Forest Service)
- Trees help with soil retention and slow erosion – tree root systems help reduce erosion by holding soil in place
- Trees soften harsh lines of buildings
- Trees clean air pollution – tree leaves act as filters catching particulates including the especially harmful PM2.5 (2.5 micrometers) fine inhalable particles
- Trees are used in lumber construction
- Trees can be used to make sports equipment
- Trees are used to create paper products
- Trees tell the history of weather – also known as dendrochronology, or the scientific discipline concerned with dating and interpreting past events based on the analysis of tree rings (Britannica)
- Firewood from trees can be used to heat our homes
- Trees can mark a legacy/celebratory purposes – plant a tree to mark a milestone in life (birth of a child, marriage)
- Trees are a food source for humans – fruits, nuts, seeds, leaves, bark and even sap
- Trees reduce wind – trees reduce and dampen the force of wind, especially along open fields and plains.
- Trees provide privacy
- Trees are a sign of changing seasons, such as spring blossoms that signal winter’s end
- Trees provide shade during summer as a respite from the heat
- Trees have amazing fall colors, which beautifies our landscape
- Trees block cold winter winds
- Trees are a food source for wildlife – some include berries, nuts, nectar and even the insects they support that feed other animals
- Trees provide habitats for wildlife
- Trees may help to reduce crime
- Trees beautify cities
- Trees absorb sound and control noise – in urban areas, there’s much more noise, which isn’t only annoying to humans but also negatively impacts wildlife. Foliage of trees has a muffling effect, which decreases noise levels
- Trees screen views
- Trees frame views
- Trees are the gift that keeps on giving – a gift to the future
- Trees reduce stress and anxiety – studies show that both exercising in forests and simply sitting looking at trees reduce stress
- Trees are a learning opportunity for children, especially in cities/urban areas
- Trees are beautiful
- Trees provide jobs
- Trees prevent light pollution – city lights can disrupt animal habitats and trees help block them
- Trees mark the seasons
- Trees help tie a street and neighborhood together
- Trees are nature’s umbrella when you’re stuck in the rain
- Old trees bridge the generations bringing young and old together
Make this an unforgettable Arbor Day by planting a tree that future generations will see, enjoy and benefit from.