“There he goes again!”
I’m sure you are tempted to react to the title of this thread that way. I don’t blame you. After all, would average web surfers think twice about the potential connection between the numbers of trees in urban areas and pediatrics?
Please bear with me, though, because this linkage is crucially important.
As the world becomes more and more industrialized and we westerners ever more acclimated to city living, the importance of urban forest value rises in proportion.
What do I really mean?
The specifics are these: medical science tells us that the presence of nature and natural spaces in our daily lives has a measurable impact on our health. For example, hospital patients whose room has a view of tree-lined parks often recover faster than those with a view of asphalt or, worse, are housed in a windowless room. People who work in offices with natural décor such as indoor gardens tend to have lower blood pressure levels and on average are more resistant to workplace tension and other stress factors.
The aforementioned facts are important, of course, but children benefit even more from exposure to nature. When I was in grade school, recess was mostly a time to blow off steam and frolic so that I could control my impulse to play kickball every waking hour. I didn’t know it at the time (some 30 years ago) but I derived an equally important benefit.
Being outside, whether I participated in recreation or just lay on the grass, enabled me to focus better on lectures and lessons throughout the day. Modern science has proved this.
Simply put, trees don’t just help the planet regulate temperature and remove greenhouse gases from the air. They help our children learn better in school.
Our cities are among the most difficult areas in which to maintain a healthy, natural, green canopy because of constant growth pressures. However, the time has come for us to realize that urban forest value actually influences childhood development.
Environmentalism, particularly in metropolitan areas, is not just for tree huggers anymore.
By keeping as many trees in place as possible and employing modern botanical planning methods for urban reforestation, we help the planet stave off the worst effects of global warming, reduce smog and give school children the atmosphere they need for solid learning.
Sustainable Justice For All!
Corbett Kroehler
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