How Urban Trees Support Our Lives

The decrease of green space due to urbanization has many negative impacts on our cities. This includes increases in air and noise pollution, floods from extreme storms, increases in temperatures caused by the urban heat island effect, and removal of biodiversity. Trees play an important role in our lives! It’s important that we increase awareness of tree benefits by educating the public on the importance of planting trees and caring for those in cities! Urban forests can benefit our communities by reducing pollution, providing food and shelter for wildlife, and improving our mental and physical health.

How Trees Can Help Us:

1. Increases biodiversity by providing food and protection for wildlife!

Trees support the lives of many large organisms. Many animals use trees for food, shelter, reproduction, resting, nesting, and for places from which to hunt or capture prey. When the trees mature, animals are able to enjoy delicious fruits and foraging opportunities.

2. Urban trees can improve air quality and reduce the impacts of climate change!

Trees can improve air quality by removing the air pollutants and trapping the particles (such as nitrogen oxides, ammonia, sulfur dioxide and ozone) in their leaves, needles, and bark. They can also reduce the Urban Heat Island Effect by conserving energy as they cool the surrounding area in the summer by 2°C to 8°C.

3. Urban trees can help with financial costs!

There are many quantifiable returns on investment in tree planting and maintenance such as reducing the amount of energy used during the winter/summer months, atmospheric CO2 reductions, stormwater runoff reductions, reduced road maintenance, and much more!

4. Urban trees can support our mental and physical well-being!

Trees in the community have been shown to improve both our mental and physical health by reducing stress, increase in physical activity, faster recovery for hospital patients, and breathing cleaner air.

5. Urban trees support our community!

Trees encourage neighbourhood connections by increasing community development and social ties. They are viewed as valuable contributors to the health and happiness of a community. Trees are associated with measurably lower crime rates, lower aggression and violence, and as a consequence a greater sense of safety.

What We Can Do for Trees

These are just some of the amazing ways trees benefit us. But what can you do for trees? Here are 10 things you can do for trees (from the City’s Urban Forest Strategy, page 13):

Preserve existing trees on your property whenever possible
Respect city tree by-laws
Plant new trees on your property and participate in community tree planting events
Advocate for better tree protection in Hamilton
Water your trees during periods of low rainfall
Participate in citizen science
Have mature trees assessed by a qualified arborist
Spend time with trees – go for a hike in the woods or a walk in your local park
Protect tree stems and roots from damage during construction and landscaping
Talk to your neighbours about why trees are important

Complete tasks on the Communi-TREE Checklist for a chance to win a $100 credit to Kayanase to purchase a native tree. Now you know all the ways trees can help us so complete one of the tasks today – show a tree that you care!

For more on our Communi-TREE campaign checkout the following blogs:

Welcome to Communi-TREE

Good Things Come in Trees