Trees offer a multitude of benefits that many of us take for granted. Scientists are now discovering that trees are far more sophisticated and valuable as a living resource than we ever imagined.

Here are just a few of the many benefits trees offer:

• Trees give us food, fruit, medicine, shelter, shade, beauty and serenity.
• Without trees the Earth would be uninhabitable by humans.
• Trees are the planet’s lungs and good for our lungs. Trees breathe out oxygen, we breathe in purified air.
• Trees clean and purify air and create fertile soil.
• Residents living on streets with mature trees have reduced levels of asthma.
• Trees provide habitat for wildlife, endangered species, insects, other plant life and people.
• Trees increase neighbourhood pride, provide a sense of place and have historical significance.
• Trees have significant economic value and increase real-estate values by 3-15%. Neighbourhoods with mature trees are generally the highest priced neighbourhoods.
• Treed commercial areas encourage customers to linger and shop at local businesses.
• Tree roots bind the soil and fight erosion by shielding it from the drying effects of wind and sun.
• Trees help people save money on energy bills by providing cooling shade in summer and breaking the wind in winter.
• In addition to providing cooling shade (up to 10 degrees less), trees are constantly transpiring a fine mist of water pulled up by the roots that then cools and freshens the air.
• A mature oak can transpire as much as 100 gallons of water a day.
• Tree shade is better ecologically than shade from a building because leaves filter rather than block light, allowing understory plants to grow.
• Trees store carbon and help regulate global warming. Protecting mature trees and planting new trees is the number one way to help mitigate climate change.
• Trees maximize watershed health, biodiversity, and conservation of sensitive ecosystems.
• Trees offer privacy from neighbours and buildings.
• Cutting mature and old growth trees severely disrupts nature’s balance by destroying long-established, nutrient-rich ecosystems that support food systems and habitats. Nature depends on the balance that forests provide.
• Mosses and mushrooms that inhabit the soil around trees are said to interconnect forests as part of an organic communications network.
• Trees provide food and habitat to thousands of species, especially birds. Oak trees support more species of moths and butterflies than any other tree, thus providing food for all types of birds.
• Trees stimulate our senses by offering beauty to our eyes and music to our ears with the sights and sounds of birds, beautiful designs, foliage, etc.
• Trees make wonderful living memorials to honour loved ones.
• Trees offer protection from heat, wind, rain and noisy traffic or neighbours.
• Trees filter pollutants and absorb storm water runoff, reducing the cost of storm water management in communities.
• Trees make communities safer and contribute to fewer traffic accidents by providing a calming effect that results in less crime and reduced traffic speeds.
• By shading asphalt and other dark surfaces, trees cool the urban area allowing the asphalt to last 10-25 years longer.
• Trees are the hardest working, non-paid labourer on the planet, working 24/7, 365 days a year creating all the benefits listed above and more!
• Trees are great for relaxing under and peaceful to be around.
• Trees are perfect for hugging when you don’t have a friend nearby.

There is no substitute for mature trees. It can take up to 200 saplings to create the climate benefits of one mature tree. Maximum benefits to natural ecosystems come from larger, older trees with sizeable root and canopy masses.

Mature trees are the most resilient. They have withstood the test of time, weather, and humans. Despite being damaged by cars, roads and other extreme events, mature trees should be championed and protected.

Healthy mature trees, including those more than 100 years old, can often survive extreme storms and do not have to be removed if their damaged limbs are properly pruned and given time to recover.

Mature trees increase property values. Often the most coveted places to live are those neighbourhoods with the most mature trees.

One of the biggest reasons why mature trees fall or fail is due to improper planting and pruning, according to arborist and municipal urban forester, Ryan Senechal, who advocates for protecting and preserving mature trees.

“The single greatest impact to the urban forest comes from the incremental loss of green space associated with development and densification. In addition to removal of large mature trees, there is a loss of soils and space that could be used for future generations of trees.”
-City of Victoria Urban Forest Master Plan (2013)

According to Christopher Roddick, author of The Tree Care Primer and head arborist at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, “planting new trees is a fantastic ambition; the old saying goes that the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, and the second best time is today. But it can take 25 to 30 years before a new tree is large enough to start giving a return on ecosystem service investments: the environmental costs associated with growing and planting a tree are far greater than those the tree provides until the tree has reached a certain age, size, and output level.”

“The sad truth is that the survival rate of new plantings in many cities is only 7-13 years on average and 30 years for suburban trees. Mature trees offer the most benefits when it comes to the environment.

Oddly enough, tree planting initiatives themselves can sometimes be a culprit in mature tree removal. City officials and builders have a far easier (and sometimes profitable) time removing older trees for development when they are allowed to simply plant multiple new trees to “replace” those chopped down. Unfortunately, given survival rates and the pace of land development, many of those new trees may never reach the point of providing a net ecological benefit, much less equalling the benefits of a mature tree.”

Roddick sums it up like this: “Ask any arborist why people hire them and, more often than not, the number one answer is fear. People do love their trees, but most call an arborist because they are afraid of big trees or big branches falling on their houses. While there are many reasons to hire a tree care professional, it’s fear that actually makes people open their wallets.

The fact is, trees do fall over and do hurt people – that’s why tree care is so important. But how afraid should we really be? The odds are much greater that a person will die falling out of bed (about 500 a year in the U.S.) than being killed by a falling tree (fewer than 50). People’s fears don’t always match the likelihood of bad things actually happening, because one of the down sides of having a large brain is also having a vast imagination.”

• Learn more about the trees you see every day.
• Get involved with local community groups or neighbour-hood associations that advocate for trees, or start your own group.
• Follow the Community Trees Matter Network on Facebook. Stay engaged with the CreativelyUnited.org Solutions Hub by sharing information, ideas, events and resources.
• Ask your town or city about volunteering to plant trees or remove invasive species on public land.
• Attend area council meetings and ask for stronger protection of public trees and incentive programs to help maintain private trees as part of the regional climate action strategy.
• Lobby local government to buy private land to convert to public forests and parks.
• Advocate to local government to require developers to build carefully around mature trees.
• Ask your local government to fund incentive programs to reward private land owners or developers for retaining trees beyond bylaw requirements.
• Develop and maintain strong community-wide support for urban trees.
• Urge local government to manage the urban forest in a way that maximizes watershed health, biodiversity, and conservation of sensitive ecosystems.
• Ask your local government to hire experienced experts with knowledge of permaculture, conservation and landscape ecology.
• Consider creating your own legacy with the gift of a land or a tree covenant.

“Trees or wooded environments of particular value can be protected on private property by registering a tree protection or natural state covenant on the land title. Where a tree on private land is deemed to be significant, the City could also consider helping the homeowner to care for and protect the tree.

Another approach might be to provide financial incentives, such as a small reduction in municipal property tax or storm water utility bill, for people with a significant tree on their property.”
– City of Victoria Urban Forest Master Plan (2013)

It can take up to three years of care to ensure a sapling survives and thrives. Here are a few tips to consider when planting saplings and trees from Christopher Roddick’s Tree Care Primer and municipal urban forester, Ryan Senechal:

• Think to the future and find the best possible location it could remain for decades free from human intervention (ie: telephone lines, cars, driveways, sidewalks, intended development).
• Pick a species that can establish itself quickly, is draught and pest resistant, and resilient. Trees that are native to the region and have survived the longest are generally the most resilient and the best choice.
• Be sure to research the best growing conditions for your species and pick the most appropriate location.
• Give your new tree the best chance of survival by giving it adequate soil type and volume for best outcomes in tree health and stability. Leave plenty of room for it to grow with no heavy or sustained weight on its roots zone. Protect it from being eaten or disturbed.
• The best time to plant a tree is during the dormant season when soil conditions are moist, rainfall is intermittent, and planting materials are available.
• Be sure to water and care for your tree. Early morning watering is considered best. Avoid watering the tree’s foliage or watering during the heat of the day. The first three years are critical to getting your tree established. Water and mulch are essential to its survival. Call on municipal arborists or ISA Certified Arborists for help.
• Once the young tree is established, stake to ensure a solid structural foundation and prune as required.
• Protecting the tree’s root zone and maintaining proper soil biology through mulching is critical for ensuring healthy mature trees.
• For very old or dying trees, techniques like retrenchment pruning to reduce canopy, cabling and bracing to support limbs, root monitoring, and safety evaluations become important.

Sources: Tree Care Primer by Christopher Roddick, ecolandscaping.org, City of Victoria Urban Forest Master Plan, Safe Streets

“It’s not as simple as knowing how to cut; it’s knowing how much, when, where, and how many times to prune that makes the decisions difficult and requires specialized training and skills,” warns Christopher Roddick, who recommends hiring a skilled arborist trained in age appropriate tree care (AATC).

Want to help address climate change and reduce your emissions? Switch your gas powered mowers and blowers to quieter, smog free rechargeable battery and electric alternatives and let your friends, family, municipal authorities, lawn and yard maintenance companies know that healthy options exist.

Air and noise pollution from gas-powered lawn and yard maintenance is not only annoying to your neighbours, but is also harmful to your health and the environment.

The World Health Organization recommends that general daytime outdoor noise levels should not exceed 55 decibels (dB), however, the average gasoline powered lawnmower and leaf blower ranges between 75 and 105 dB. Considering that hearing loss occurs around 90 dB, it’s no surprise that it’s hard to escape the noise of a leaf blower or lawn mower.

Despite their small size, gas-powered lawn mowers produce excessive amounts of air pollution. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, a gasoline-powered lawn mower operating for an hour emits smog-forming emissions equivalent to 40 automobiles. In addition, more than 17 million gallons of fuel, mostly gasoline, is spilled each year while refuelling lawn equipment, contaminating groundwater.

Source: peoplepoweredmachines.com

How we invest has an effect on the world we live in. We have a choice to invest responsibly and need to take the time to understand the companies we do business with.

Ask your financial institution how it supports the local economy. Do they follow zero waste management principles, offer socially responsible programs, embrace fossil free fuel alternatives with a low carbon footprint, and work with suppliers who share those values? Get to know their values and make sure they are aligned with your own.

Often, credit unions and community banks have accountability practices that larger banks do not have. With the environment and climate change being such important issues, we must educate ourselves on how our money is being used.

When we choose to entrust our money with organizations that support local businesses, non-profits, and ethical and sustainable work practices, everyone wins! So get curious and start asking questions. If it’s the right place for you to invest, they will happily share with you how they walk their talk.