May 16th is National Love A Tree Day!
4 Reasons Why You Should Appreciate Trees this Love a Tree Day & Everyday!
1. Trees are an excellent resource that is available to us all. I’m sure you have all learned that trees provide us with clean oxygen to breathe. Did you know that in the process, they also act as a carbon sink? In just one year, a mature tree is able to absorb half a Metric ton of carbon dioxide. Think about what a sprawling forest can do!
2. In addition to providing us with air to breathe, trees clean our drinking water. That’s right, our forests are a natural Brita filter for rainwater! Their wide expanse of leaves slows the fall of rain, leading to less sediment erosion on the forest floor. Tree roots absorb dirty rainwater and filter out nutrients that would otherwise pollute our waterways. Their massive root systems also help to hold sediment in place and reduce the amount of soil that ends up in our reservoirs! The USDA created a very cool StoryMap illustrating just how incredible trees really are at cleaning up our water.
3. Trees improve human health as well. There are numerous studies proving that even just looking at a tree from inside your home can reduce stress and improve your mood. There is scientific evidence that the trees themselves are calming your body down and improving your health. Trees release a natural pesticide called a “phytoncide” that has proven benefits to humans. It can help your immune system, reduce inflammation, reduce blood glucose levels, help you sleep, and even improve your mood! There is even a whole community of people called “forest bathers ” who will take some time to be in the woods as a form of medicine.
4. Studies have shown that even a fifteen-minute walk in the woods can improve your health and make you feel kinder and more generous. There is evidence that neighborhoods with more trees have lower crime rates, and that the crimes that are committed are less violent. That’s pretty incredible!
When we consider all of the things that trees do for us, it is easy to see why so many of our great writers and poets gain such inspiration from the forest. Feel free to comment on your favorite line from a poem or book that shows appreciation for nature! I find myself remembering a quote from Walden today: “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”
So take some time today to go for a walk in the woods, breathe in the fresh air, and maybe plant a tree with Friends of the Rappahannock!
By Sofie Marino, FOR Environmental Educator