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Private Urban Forest trees

Seven Ways Trees Make Cities Better

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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Categories
Private Urban Forest

Private Tree Bylaw – June 14 2022

The Tomorrow Foundation for a Sustainable Future needs you! 

On June 14 at the Urban Planning Committee Item 6.2 “Tree Preservation on Private Property” will be presented to City Council.

It’s great that the City is acknowledging the importance of trees on private property, but we need direct action to protect this important resource. Residentially-owned trees account for 58% of Edmonton’s urban forest. The City has a goal of planting 2 million trees by 2050, but without a plan to protect the largest existing component of the City’s urban forest, we’re concerned that these plans may fall flat.

Trees provide so many climate benefits: they cool down our houses and neighbourhoods in summer, reduce stormwater runoff, and capture and store carbon. Mature trees are especially in need of protection, as a smaller replacement will take decades to reach the same impact. That is time we simply do not have. Right now mature trees are being lost to development and often no new trees are planted, even though zoning bylaws require it. So far communication and zoning regulations have not adequately protected mature trees, which is why
the Tomorrow Foundation supports Option One: A Private Tree Bylaw.

Let the City know that Edmontonians want direct action when it comes to tree preservation!

We need you to: 

Email or phone your city councillor
Email office of the city clerk ( [email protected])

Post about it on social media! Be sure to tag us at @tomorrowfdn on Twitter!
Sign up to speak to this item the day of to voice your support!…

Categories
Private Urban Forest Projects

Private Urban Forest Property Survey

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Events Private Urban Forest

IDEA Presentation with The Private Urban Forest Project

Join us on Tuesday March 15, 2022 at 12pm MDT as we present

“How to Maximize Your Environmental Benefits Through Landscaping”

About this event

What you will learn about

  • Why and how the research was done
  • Different types of Environmental benefits
  • Tree and Landscaping Recommendations
  • Real Life Infill Stories

The Tomorrow Foundation for a Sustainable Future (TF) is a local Edmonton charity that obtained funding from the Alberta Real Estate Foundation and the Alberta EcoTrust to study trees on private property (the private urban forest) and their benefits to housing. The benefits were studied through a pilot project in the Queen Alexandra neighbourhood where tree data was collected to gain a better understanding of the kinds of trees present at a neighbourhood and property level. Part of this project was to understand how the private urban forest interacts with housing in a mature neighbourhood as the tree inventory is continuously changing through both tree plantings and removals. This webinar will provide information on the benefit of trees to property owners, the value of trees to home prices, and insights from interviews with developers and design architects. Ultimately the TF is interested in understanding how to support developers, property owners and the City to increase housing densification while also encouraging support for climate resilience and healthy communities. We hope you can join us for this engaging conversation.

Click here to RSVP on Eventbrite

Categories
Private Urban Forest

The Private Urban Forest Pop Up Exhibition!

Hello neighbour!

You might have noticed something special appearing on the Queen Alexandra boulevard trees – tree tags!

Trees are part of our everyday life which we often walk past and do not think too much about.

This exhibition intends to have you pause and consider the value of trees. It is also meant to help educate you about some of the challenges our boulevard trees are up against.

You might have noticed that there are a few repeat panels, so you don’t need to find each one or worry about missing out!

This exhibition is part of the Private Urban Forest project by the Tomorrow Foundation for a Sustainable Future. The exhibition is our way to say thank you for allowing us into your backyards to measure trees.

If you are not in Queen Alexandra, but would like to check out the tree tags, I suggest starting your journey at the Queen Alexandra Park 10722 73 Ave NW, Edmonton.

Feel free to use our hashtag #yegprivateforest or tag us on Twitter @tomorrowfdn 

If you would like your trees measured if you are in the Queen Alexandra neighbourhood or to learn more about the project, reach out to us at [email protected]

Categories
Events Private Urban Forest Projects

Tree Measuring Event: September 11

Barbara presenting to a group of volunteers

Are you passionate about trees?

Are you curious about the Private Urban Forest?

Come join us this Saturday to learn how to measure trees and collect data!
Feel free to bring a friend!

Location: Queen Alex Park 10722 73 Ave NW

Time: 2 pm – 5 pm

Bring: Water bottle, comfortable shoes, clothes you can work in.

When: Saturday, September 11

Covid precautions: Mask use is at your discretion. This event takes place outside.

Let us know you are coming by emailing [email protected]

Categories
Private Urban Forest Projects trees

Adventures in Tree Count Training – The Private Urban Forest

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