Trees are good for nature—of course, because they are a central part of nature. They retain soil and moisture, spread shade, remove carbon from the atmosphere, and provide food and shelter for innumerable species of animals, from tiny wasp larvae to chunky caterpillars, from squirrels to eagles.
Trees are also good for people, who, whether they think about it or not, depend on nature. Trees cool asphalt, enhance the attraction of city streets and yards, and soothe our daily stresses. In parks, they create an outdoor haven for nature and people to flourish in; and they offer the esthetic inspiration of any work of art. And in the wild, they create vast expanses where the life of plants and animals goes on pretty much as in the pre-human era.
It is important, in the urban setting, to think of Tree Equity to ensure that areas of differing demographics receive fair and equal access to the many benefits of trees.
West Chester Borough has been conducting an ambitious tree-planting program, and similar efforts are underway in surrounding communities; see, e.g., Goshen Tree Tenders HERE.
West Chester Borough has long been recognized as a Tree City USA and West Chester University as a Tree Campus USA.
As a public education measure, our allies in the West Chester Tree Team have helped by distributing a 2-page brochure of the International Society of Arboriculture, entitled “Benefits of Trees.” (Download it from the Borough site HERE.)
The brochure sets forth:
• Social Benefits: Trees in our communities make us feel at home, calm, personally connected to them (and nature)….
• Communal Benefits: privacy, views, glare reduction….
• Environmental Benefits: heat moderation, air quality improvement, runoff absorption, wildlife habitats, wind reduction, reduction of pollutants….
• Economic Benefits: increased property values, reduction of heating and cooling costs, less need for storm water control facilities….
• Trees Require an Investment: of course, maintenance is needed to acquire the benefits….
For educational info from ISA, see Trees Are Good. According to the site’s Tree Benefit Calculator, one large white oak tree in our area confers benefits of about $500 a year!
See also our post “Value and Savings from 800 street trees, West Chester Borough” HERE. and the WC Tree Team / Living Landscape’s 2021 tree report here. See also more on the benefits of trees from the Arbor Day Foundation HERE.
West Chester Green Team 
One response to “Benefits of Trees”
[…] of seeing that street trees are maintained and, as needed, replaced. Trees are recognized as enhancements to environmental quality and everyday life, as seen for example in resident support for Everhart Park and Marshall Square Park. The Borough […]
LikeLike