- Trees produce oxygen. One large tree, like a maple or an oak, can provide a day’s supply of oxygen for up to four people.
- Trees filter pollutants and absorb carbon dioxide.
- Trees help save energy by providing shade to cool our homes in the summer and shelter them from cold
in the winter. - Trees cool our cities and our playgrounds by providing shade and helping to reduce the amount of heat absorbed by materials like concrete and asphalt.
- Trees hold soil in place. Tree roots grow deep into the soil, keeping it firmly in place to prevent erosion
and slow stormwater runoff. - Trees feed us with fruit and nuts, like apples, pears, peaches, plums, nectarines, chestnuts and walnuts.
- Trees boost our mental health. Being surrounded by trees and green spaces makes us feel better.
- Trees reduce noise pollution by absorbing and deflecting sound energy.
- Trees make stronger communities. Standing tall and immobile, they are a focal point in our neighbourhoods and our memories.
- Trees mark a moment in time. The distinct patterns and size of the rings inside the trunk tell the age of the tree and provide a record of the year-to-year fluctuations in their growth, containing a weather history at the location where the tree grew.
- Trees are beautiful! All trees are remarkable, and trees that flower in the spring, like magnolia, cherry and redbud, are some of the most beautiful specimens we see all year, for those of us fortunate to live in a zone where they can thrive.
- Trees are gifts for the future. Just as we are able to offer and pass on the wealth of our knowledge as we age, so too does a growing tree in terms of the benefits it can provide.
