Imagine walking through your neighborhood and all around you are towering trees flourishing in luscious green leaves; you smile as the crisp air rustles the tree leaves and enters your airways. Now, imagine walking through your neighborhood, and all around you are concrete sidewalks, brick buildings, monotone walls, and metal. Where would you rather be?
It’s not surprising that the presence of trees offers many priceless benefits to people and the environment. Most of us can intuitively feel the relief of taking a stroll in the forest, walking through a garden, or even just adding a few potted plants around the house.
One federal project done by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service highlighted the results of several studies done linking the presence of trees to improved physical and mental health in people and communities.
But that’s not all, here are 5 amazing facts about the benefits of trees:
#1 Trees Fight Illnesses & Diseases.
While we fill our lungs with the fresh air in the presence of plants, we breathe in phytoncides, an airborne chemical with antibacterial and antifungal qualities that plants give off to protect themselves against insects. When we breathe in phytoncides, our bodies respond by increasing the activity and number of white blood cells called natural killer cells (NK). These cells kill tumor- and virus-infected cells in our bodies.
Having trees and plants around quite literally makes your body healthier and stronger, and has been linked in an increase in overall immune system health.
#2 Trees Speed Up Recovery
Another study found that hospital patients who had a view of a grove of trees healed faster had fewer complications, and required fewer painkillers than patients who could only see a brick wall while they were recuperating.
#3 Trees Relieve Stress and Anxiety
There is nothing quite as satisfying as stepping out into the great outdoors and taking a big deep breath of fresh, crisp forest air. There are numerous studies that show that both exercising in forests and simply sitting looking at trees reduces the stress-related hormones cortisol and adrenaline, and even lowers blood pressure.
Researchers found that in urban environments, the ability to view trees and nature helped reduce stress in people. Specifically the color green has been shown to have lower total mood disturbance compared to the colors grey and red.
#4 Trees Increase Focus and Attention Span
If you have children, trees are especially beneficial to their mental health and development. Children with ADHD were found to be more able to concentrate, complete tasks, and follow directions after they had been playing in a natural setting with trees and greenery. The more natural the setting, the better they responded.
Study after study found that exposure to nature calmed people down and enabled them to do their tasks better, whether they were drivers who commuted on tree-lined highways or college students who had a view of the green from their dorm windows. Nature, which is filled with intriguing stimuli, modestly grabs attention in a bottom-up fashion, allowing top-down directed-attention abilities a chance to replenish.
#5 Trees Improve the Health of the World
Trees in urban neighborhoods decrease water runoff, noise pollution, and air pollution. They dramatically improve the health of the environment, which in turn directly relates to the health and wellness of people and animals. Trees even moderate temperature!
Life is a cycle, and the world functions together as a single organism. The trees are said to be the lungs of the world, so it’s no wonder we can all breathe a little better and relax a little deeper when they’re around.
A healthy tree is a healthier you, that’s why CHOP Tree Service in West Michigan is staffed with certified tree arborists who understand how healthy trees affect the environment around us, and are passionate about nursing trees back to good health.
Conclusion
Greener surroundings are key to a higher-quality life. It’s why so many people go camping or hiking on their vacations and care for their gardens in their spare time. Human beings crave the comfort that only nature can give.
If you’re a homeowner, one of the best things that you can do for both your own health and your property’s value is to plant trees and to nurture them. Properly maintained, trees will improve the lives of countless people who live, work, drive, and walk through your neighborhood for decades (even centuries) to come.
Make sure that you or the tree specialists you hire have the knowledge and passion to care for your trees and make them as beautiful and healthy as can be.
