Trees are Your Friends By Marilyn Simpson-Johnson, LMSW & Stephanie Love, USDA Forest Service

Trees add aesthetic and social qualities to our environment and have life-giving, psychological, family development, community revitalization, and financial values we should be aware of and appreciate.

Environmental Benefits

1. Trees reduce temperature by shading.
2. Trees block winter winds and reduce the "chill factor." Trees also block winds that could cause property damage.
3. Trees help control pollution by acting as "nets" that catch poisons in the air.
4. Each day, one acre of trees makes enough oxygen for 18 people.
5. Trees and forests slow run-off from rain, decreasing erosion and flooding.
6. The sound of the tree leaves and branches in the wind masks other manmade noises.
7. Trees block and reflect sunlight to minimize eyestrain.
8. Trees are homes to many birds and mammals.

Economic Benefits Trees and forests generate many products for cash value such as lumber, paper, firewood, chewing gum, and rubber. Trees produce food such as fruit, maple syrup, and nuts.

Social Benefits

1. Trees are signs of an attractive community. We feel more at peace where there are lots of trees. They make life more pleasant.
2. Many people enjoy hiking, picnicking, or camping in an area that is shaded by trees.
3. Outdoor spaces with trees in low-income neighborhoods attract more people.
4. Residents in public housing with trees find more constructive ways to deal with conflict in their homes.
5. When trees surround your house, bird songs fill the air, adding delight to daily routine.
6. Tree-lined streets make people feel welcome and comfortable.
7. Uplifted spirits is one important benefit of trees in neighborhoods and around homes.
8. Neighborhood tree planting programs can generate community identity, strengthen social ties, and enhance cooperation within neighborhoods.
9. Higher self-discipline in girls can be achieved through increased exposure to nature. Essentially, girls exposed to green settings are better able to handle things like peer pressure, sexual pressure, and challenging situations.
10. A study found that the greener a building's surroundings in urban areas, the fewer reported crimes. Trees cultivate healthier, safer urban communities.
11. Contact with nature may actually help reduce the incidence of violence in urban neighborhoods. Trees are valuable community assets.
12. Green views and access to green spaces in urban areas have been shown to reduce chronic mental fatigue, restore attention and relieve the everyday pressures of living in poverty. Trees are valuable urban assets that give people hope.
13. Green outdoor spaces tend to allow for more creative play and improved adult interaction ­ both of which are considered highly beneficial to healthy child development.
14. It's extremely important for parents, teachers, and caregivers to recognize the value of green settings in healthy child development. Playing outdoors, particularly in green settings, has proven to be an effective way to restore focus and improve concentration.
15. When trees are planted, communities grow. Studies found that the more trees and grass in the common spaces of inner-city neighborhoods, the stronger the social ties of the residents.
16. It's no longer a secret!!!!! Natural, green places contribute to the viability of all communities.