What Can Trees Do For You?

• Trees enhance our environment! Trees create natural elements close to our homes and businesses.

• Trees planted on a residential lot increase property values. (Estimated 7% to 20%)

• Trees placed around a retail business can enhance shopping experiences and increase revenue by 10% to 17%

• A single mature tree can capture between 2000 to 4000 gallons of rain water each year.

• Trees reducing soil erosion helping prevent water pollution created from runoff containing sediment and chemicals that end up in streams, lakes, and oceans; and ultimately our drinking water.

• Trees and shrubs decrease noise pollution along streets and intersections. A row of trees can reduce the noise levels approximately in half.

• Trees provide natural cooling in the summer and insulation in the winter. The effects from trees mean less energy use from dams, coal mining, power plants, and nuclear generators.

• Trees help reduce complications for children with ADD and ADHD.

• Shade from trees can reduce air conditioning utility bills in residential and commercial buildings by 20% to 50%

• Tree windbreaks around homes can shield against cold winter winds and snow reducing heating costs by as much as 30%

• Tree shade prevents streets, parking lots, and roof-tops from heating our cities. Heat maps show urban environments lacking trees are 7 to 12 degrees hotter than surrounding rural areas with tree canopies.

• Research indicates that trees help reduce stress at home and in the workplace. Studies show that trees even speed recovery of hospital patients and reduce complications of children with ADHD.

• Trees protect children from cancer causing UV rays the most common and rapidly growing form of cancer in the country. Plant trees in playgrounds!

• Trees remove carbon dioxide at a rate of 45 to 95 lbs. each year. Trees also remove carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, ammonia, ozone, and nitrogen dioxide from the air.

• Trees replenish the oxygen in the air we breathe. A single mature tree can absorb carbon dioxide at a rate of 48 lbs. each year.

• Many people enjoy trees simply to see them change with the seasons.

• Trees provide habitat for animals.

• Trees provide habitat for Bees and other important bugs and cool critters.