OUR IMPACT & THE STORY OF TREES

There are many stories about tree, from the children’s book The Giving Tree written in 1964 by Shel Silverstein, to The Overstory by Richard Powers. They all showcase our relationship we have with trees.

They are an integral part of our planet. In fact, they are the 2nd largest nation on it (counting the ocean as the first). 

 

AIR - trees filtering the air we breathe, by absorbing harmful carbon and releasing oxygen back into the atmosphere.

 

WATER - Trees filter the water we drink. According to the Food and Agriculture Association of the United Nations, a mature evergreen tree can intercept more than 15,000 liters of water every year. Their intricate root systems act like filters; removing pollutants and slowing down the water’s absorption into the ground. This process prevents harmful waterside erosion and reduces the risk of over-saturation and flooding.

 

SHELTER - Trees provide animals shelter from the weather and from enemies. It provides us human shelter from the sun on a sunny day. Even dead trees provide shelter and food for many insects. Sustainable tree farming provides timber to build homes and shelter, and wood to burn for cooking and heating.

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FOOD - Trees provide food in the form of fruits, nuts, leaves, bark, and roots.

 

HEALTH - Trees are key ingredients in 25% of all medicines. In addition adults with 30% or more of their neighborhood covered in some form of tree canopy had 31% lower odds of developing psychological distress. The same amount of tree cover was linked to 33% lower odds of developing fair to poor general health. Not to mention that the shade provided by tree coverage helps protect our skin from the ever-increasing harshness of the sun.

 

CLIMATE - Trees help cool the planet by sucking in and storing harmful greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide, into their trunks, branches, and leaves, and releasing oxygen back into the atmosphere. In cities, trees can reduce overall temperature by up to eight degrees Celsius. With more than 50% of the world’s population living in cities—a number expected to increase to 66% by the year 2050—pollution and overheating are becoming a real threat. Fortunately, a mature tree can absorb an average of 48 lbs of carbon dioxide per year, making cities a healthier, safer place to live.

Don’t just take our world for it, scientists have proven it time after time.

 

BIODIVERSITY - trees provide habitat to over 80% of the world's terrestrial biodiversity.

A single tree can be home to hundreds of species of plants, mammals, birds, insects, and fungi. Depending on the kind of food and shelter they need, different forest animals require different types of habitat. Without trees, forest creatures would have nowhere to call home.

 

JOBS - Trees provide jobs to over 1.6 billion people. From arborists, to loggers, researchers, the job opportunities provided by the forestry industry are endless.