Have you ever thought about all of the benefits trees provide? It’s quite a long list, in fact. Here are just a few.
cost Economic Benefits
Trees increase property values.
Homes that are landscaped with trees are worth four to 15 percent more and sell faster than homes without trees. Trees can also increase the property values of a whole neighborhood or business district. americanforests.org
I believe that trees and designing around nature are what made buyers flock to this area.
Tammy Navarre, Lakeland, TN
Carefully positioned trees can reduce a household’s energy consumption for heating and cooling by up to 25%. Computer models devised by the U.S. Department of Energy predict that the proper placement of only three trees can save an average household between $100 and $250 in energy costs annually. Energy.gov
Trees are saving me hundreds of dollars a year. They do a lot of good!
Doug Roberts, Sacramento, CA
Studies have shown that people walking or driving down a street lined with trees are willing to pay up to 12 percent more for goods and services, and the presence of trees encourages patrons to spend a longer time shopping. americanforests.org
These trees created a desirable outdoor dining area and increased overall traffic.
Paul Weckman, Covington, KY
Among minor crimes, there is less graffiti, vandalism and littering in outdoor spaces with trees as a part of the natural landscape than in comparable plant-less spaces. University of Washington
Our neighborhood was awarded a National Sheriff’s Association Award for reducing crime . . . by 31 percent.
Barrie Schuster, Reno, NV
Exposure to environment-based education significantly increases student performance on tests of their critical thinking skills. National Wildlife Federation
Through environmental education offered in schools, students increase their critical thinking skills of performance on tests. National Wildlife Federation
Most of the kids have never seen a forest before. It is something foreign to them.
Em LeBlanc, Baton Rouge, LA
In one year, an acre of mature trees absorbs the amount of CO2 produced by a car driven 26,000 miles.
During one year, a mature tree will absorb more than 48 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and release oxygen in exchange. European Environment Agency
Trees provide much-needed cooling.
Trees lower surface and air temperatures by providing shade. Shaded surfaces may be 20–45°F cooler than the peak temperatures of unshaded materials. U.S. EPA
Trees cool the city by up to 10°F by shading our homes and streets and releasing water vapor into the air through their leaves.
Evaporation of water from trees has a cooling influence. Carnegie Institution, 2011
Once the trees went in, it felt 10 degrees cooler when I walked down the block.
Paul Gallagher, Cincinnati, OH
Office workers with a view of trees report significantly less stress and more satisfaction. Chungbuk National University, South Korea, 2007
Trees in urban parks and recreation areas are estimated to improve outdoor leisure and recreation experiences in the United States by $2 billion per year. Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission
Hospital patients recovering from surgery who had a view of a grove of trees through their windows required fewer pain relievers, experienced fewer complications, and left the hospital sooner than similar patients who had a view of a brick wall. Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission
It’s been a long journey of healing from 9-11. I can’t say it’s been easy. I owe a lot to the community forestry program.
Jeanne Kavinsky, Jersey City, NJ