This Wednesday, September 26, is the first ever National Tree Day! To celebrate, here are 10 reasons why we love trees (and you should too!):
- They provide us with oxygen! A mature tree can create as much oxygen in one season as 10 people would breathe in a year.
- Trees purify the air for us! Carbon dioxide is a global warming threat, but luckily, trees need carbon dioxide to produce their food.
- Trees bring peace and quiet! The city can be a noisy place, but trees are natural allies in the fight against noise pollution.
- Trees are homes! Many birds, animals and insects use trees as their homes. In the city it can be difficult to see much nature, but trees invite all sorts of wildlife.
- Trees help cut down your energy costs! In the hot, sticky summertime, a tree can provide a cool shade, so you don’t need to use an air conditioner. In the freezing, windy wintertime, trees block those strong, icy winds, so you don’t have to use your heater as much. On top of that, the way trees naturally clean the air means you don’t need an air purifier, either!
- Trees keep your water clean! With trees around, you are less likely to have contaminated drinking water because trees naturally absorb dangerous chemicals and other pollutants from the soil. They can even turn these bad chemicals into good chemicals!
- Trees are a long term investment! Trees can live for thousands of years and some can grow to be over 300 feet tall. How a tree grows can be seen in its growth rings on the wood and you can even estimate the age of a tree by counting the rings.
- Trees can protect you! Often times, trees give shelter from rain, hail and sleet. They also slow down the chances of a flash flood by intercepting and slowing down water flow.
- Trees are the oldest living organism! There are more than 23,000 different types of trees in the world.
- Trees make you happy! It’s been proven that the presence of trees gives humans a psychological boost. It is also known that a view of trees and greenery actually helps speed up patient recovery in hospitals and also lowers stress all around.
You can celebrate National Tree Day by taking part in some of the many events happening nationwide! Just clickhere to find the event closest to you!