Category: trees

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Private Urban Forest trees

Seven Ways Trees Make Cities Better

Image describing the seven ways trees make cities better. The seven ways being: 1) Trees purify the air 2)Trees keep cities cool 3)Trees reduce flooding and erosion 4)Trees provide habitat for wildlife 5) Trees block out noise 6)Trees make cities look better 7) Trees reduce carbon emissions

by Carson Fong

Although you cannot tell just by looking at them, trees are an integral part of cities. Not only do they provide beauty, joy and comfort in the hustle and bustle of the city, they also serve key functions that improve the physical and mental health of city dwellers while also saving them money. Here are seven ways that trees make cities better.

Image describing the seven ways trees make cities better. The seven ways being: 1) Trees purify the air 2)Trees keep cities cool 3)Trees reduce flooding and erosion 4)Trees provide habitat for wildlife 5) Trees block out noise 6)Trees make cities look better 7) Trees reduce carbon emissions

  1. Trees purify the air
    Trees help improve air quality by absorbing harmful pollutants, like nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and carbon monoxide – all of which come out of vehicle exhausts. These toxic gasses are then broken down within the tree. Trees can also catch particulate matter on leaves and stems, removing them from the air and allowing them to be picked up and dissolved when it rains.
  2. Trees keep cities cool
    Cities often suffer from the “heat island effect,” where concrete and asphalt absorb and retain heat, causing higher temperatures. Trees fight this with shade and evaporative cooling. They can significantly reduce surface and air temperatures, making cities more comfortable and reducing the demand for energy-intensive air conditioning. Some studies in places like Los Angeles and Beijing found that trees helped to reduce air conditioning use by 50%.
  3. Trees reduce flooding and erosion
    Trees have roots that can absorb lots of rainwater. This provides natural infrastructure and reduces the strain on municipal drainage systems during big storms. Tree roots also improve soil permeability, allowing rainwater to infiltrate into the ground and replenish groundwater supplies.
  4. Trees provide habitats for wildlife
    Trees can provide essential habitats for birds, insects, and other wildlife. Many types of birds, insects, and furry critters like squirrels all thrive in environments with trees. Trees contribute to the overall ecological balance of cities and enhance urban biodiversity.
  5. Trees block out noise
    Trees act as natural sound barriers by absorbing and deflecting noise. This helps reduce noise pollution from various sources like traffic and construction, creating more peaceful and enjoyable urban environments.
  6. Trees make cities look better
    Who doesn’t like the look of a tree-lined street? Trees contribute to the beauty of a city, softening the harsh lines of buildings and adding color, texture, and a variety of colours during the seasons  to urban landscapes. In fact, research has linked being in the presence of trees to reduced stress levels. Trees help financially too. More attractive green spaces attract visitors, and properties with mature trees have been shown to have higher property values.
  7. Trees reduce carbon emissions
    Through photosynthesis, trees absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. This helps cities in the long run by reducing their carbon footprint and health and cost impacts due to climate change. In fact, recent research has found that trees in urban environments might be able to absorb more carbon dioxide than those deep in the middle of large forests.Trees quietly provide all these benefits to us, and are an important part of our cities. However, their benefits are only maximized when they grow into mature trees, which takes years. Mature trees need our support to help ensure they are preserved. Many of them are found on private property – you can check out our pilot study last year about the private urban forest in the Queen Alexandra neighbourhood to see what we learned and find out what you can do to help protect our urban forest.

 

References:

  1. “How trees clean the air.” One Tree Planted. Meaghan Weeden. November 5, 2021.  https://onetreeplanted.org/blogs/stories/how-trees-clean-air
  2. “2.4 What changes can communities make to the built environment to reduce urban heat islands?” in Reducing urban heat islands to protect health in Canada. Government of Canada, Health Canada. April 29, 2020. https://www.canada.ca/en/services/health/publications/healthy-living/reducing-urban-heat-islands-protect-health-canada.html#a2.4
  3. “This simple addition to a city can dramatically improve people’s mental health.” We Forum. Mark McCord. April 6, 2021. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/04/city-trees-reduce-stress-and-anxiety/
  4. “City Trees and Soil Are Sucking More Carbon Out of the Atmosphere Than Previously Thought.” The Brink. Jessica Colarossi. February 16, 2022. https://www.bu.edu/articles/2022/city-trees-and-soil-are-sucking-more-carbon-out-of-the-atmosphere-than-previously-thought/

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Private Urban Forest Projects trees

Adventures in Tree Count Training – The Private Urban Forest

Training tools
On a stormy Edmonton morning in August, we had our first training session for tree count volunteers! We arranged to meet in Queen Alex park at 10am and just at the stroke of 10, the heavens opened as a massive storm traveled overhead. We sheltered under the bandstand and watched as our hardy volunteers arrived – walking through the rain, thunder and lightning. We are so lucky to have such dedicated volunteers!
Rainy day at Queen Alex Park

As we waited out the storm, our resident tree expert Barbara was able to give us all some initial training and tips on identifying and measuring trees; showing us how to use the DBH tape, and the basics of leaf identification. She also gave a brief overview of the data collection table and how to map the tree locations.

Barbara presenting to a group of volunteers
Training tools

Once the storm had passed (after an hours’ wait!) we were able to enjoy some sunshine and put what we had learned into practice, identifying and measuring the trees in the park. We identified white and blue spruce, linden, elm, amongst many others! We did not have time to measure trees in the pilot area but now we have some trained volunteers, we can’t wait to get out there and finish gathering data on Edmonton’s Private Urban Forest!

Volunteers measuring
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Events Private Urban Forest trees Webinars

July 6 – Join Us To Discuss The Private Urban Forest

Tomorrow Foundation Tree Count
Tomorrow Foundation Tree Count
Join us for our Summer 2021 Community Science Project!

Sign up on Eventbrite for our launch on Tuesday July 6 at 7:30 pm!

Project Description

Have you ever pondered how the trees on your property benefit you?

Or what kind of trees are growing on your property?

Have you ever considered how much of our urban forest resides on private property?

We at Tomorrow Foundation are asking these questions, and more!

This summer we are piloting a project in the Queen Alexandra Neighbourhood where we want to gather information about the trees in your yard! This project has the potential to grow into other neighbourhoods in the coming years.

Why is it important to gather this information?

A growing city impacts the trees of our public land (public urban forest) and private land (private urban forest.) By gathering a baseline of information now, we can better understand how these changes will affect us in the future!

The City of Edmonton has a goal to plant 2 million trees to help combat climate change. Getting information about private trees will allow us to advise the city as to the best places to plant them!

Much of our urban forest is on private property. In order to create accurate assessments to meet Edmontons climate goals we need to know what we have!

We need you!

Here are ways you can help make our project a success!

  1. If you are in the Queen Alexandra Neighbourhood please give us permission to enter your property so we can measure your trees.
  2. You can measure your own trees and send us the information.
  3. Join our volunteer team and help us measure!

Contact us at [email protected]

What information are we gathering and why?

In order to get accurate results we are collecting this information.

  1. Tree species – Each species uniquely interacts with its environment.
  2. Circumference of the trunk and Height of tree – A sign of age and overall vigour.
  3. Dead branches – A sign of the tree’s health.
  4. Exposure to sunlight – A sign of the growing conditions of the tree.
  5. Distance to the house – An indicator of potential home energy savings.

Benefits to you

  1. You can get a personalized report about what services the trees provide for you (e.g. energy savings, reduction of air pollution)
  2. This data will be added to a larger report about the Queen Alexandra neighbourhood
  3. You could gain a free sapling!

Can I opt out?

Of course! This is volunteer only.…