Reducing Our Impact
TREES MATTER
Trees are an important part of our natural life support systems: they have a vital role to play in the sustainability of our towns and cities. There is a growing recognition that trees and woods also provide a sole variety of other benefits, which are particularly important to the quality of life for the millions of people who live and work in urban areas.
Benefits:
Urban environment: trees can save up to 10% of energy consumption through their moderation of the local climate. They also stablise the soil, present erosion, reduce the effects of air pollution and storm-water run-off and aid land reclamation.
Healthier lives: trees have a positive impact on the incidence of asthma, skin cancer and stress-related illness by filtering polluted air, reducing smog formation, shading out solar radiation and by providing an attractive, calming setting for recreation.(Refer below)
Community: trees strengthen neighbourhood communities by providing people with an opportunity to work together for the benefit of the local environment.
Wildlife: trees play a vital role in the urban ecosystem, by helping to support a great variety of wildlife which people can enjoy close to home.
Useful products; even in towns, trees yield traditional products such as timber and fruit, whilst emerging commercial products such as wood chip mulch, renewable fuel and even the chemical extract for an anti-cancer drug are now helping to finance urban tree and woodland management.
Landscape: trees soften the landscape of towns and cities, making them greener and more attractive
Local Economy: trees help to create jobs, encourage inward investment
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HEATHIER LIVES
Stress and lack of physical exercise, polluted air and ultra-violet solar radiation are all significant factors in the health of the nation. The trees and woods in towns can make a very positive contribution in reducing these problems.
Tree related therapy
The passive benefit to health of a well-treed urban landscape have been demonstrated by the increased rate of recovery of hospital patients who have a window view of greenery, as opposed to only buildings. The benefit can be measured in reduced periods of post-operative care and patients’ acceptance of less powerful pain killers.* These findings are echoed in two studies of prisoners who occupied cells with or without a natural view. Illness and complaints of illness were found to be less for those with a green outlook. **1
Emotional well-being
There is ample anecdotal evidence that people feel better in green, leafy surroundings, and many seek solace amongst trees and woodlands. The stress of life in urban Britain is a very significant factor in the health of the nation, and many people find a green environment more relaxing. Urban residents suffering from stress have been known to experience less anger, sadness and insecurity when viewing well-treed surroundings, as apposed to landscapes devoid of greenery***
*
Ulrich RS (1984) View Through a Window May influence Recovery from Surgery, Science Journal 224 “420 – 421
**
Moore EO (1981 – 82 A Prison Environment’s Effect on Health Care Service Demands, Journal of Environmental Systems 11(1):17– 34
West MJ (1985) Landscape Views and Stress Response in the Prison Environment, Department of Landscape Architecture, University of Washington, Seattle, unpublished masters thesis.
Botkin DB & Beveridege CE (1997) Cities as Environments, Urban Ecosystems 1:3-19
Exerpts from National Forest Urban Unit 1998
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