April 24, 2020

AIA New Jersey Arbor Day 2020 Reminder

Today, AIA New Jersey recognizes Arbor Day, a day for everyone to plant trees!  While you may be homeschooling or working or avoiding the rain instead of planting a tree, it is certainly a day that you can take a minute to appreciate all the trees that have been planted on Arbor Days past. While we are all respecting the Stay-At-Home Orders in response to COVID-19, it is likely that most of us take at least few minutes each day to get outside and in doing so encounter TREES and all that they give back to us!  Trees provide us with food and oxygen, improve air quality, slow climate change, support wildlife, conserve water and preserve soil. Trees contribute to providing shelter, tools and medicine. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, “One acre of forest absorbs six tons of carbon dioxide and puts out four tons of oxygen. This is enough to meet the annual needs of 18 people.”

Communities value trees to line streets and create cool, peaceful environments in parks and yards. Preserving or incorporating trees into developed communities helps to offset the heat island effect by deflecting sunlight.  Very old trees are often a celebrated part of town history and a great contributor to community pride. 

Trees keep us cool by providing shade from the sun. Trees keep us warm by buffering us from harsh winds. They shield us from precipitation. Trees help to lower the air temperature and reduce carbon dioxide levels. Tree roots help hold soil in place and fight erosion. Trees reduce runoff and sediment deposits after storms, allowing groundwater supplies to recharge. 

Trees provide food and shelter to both animals and humans, in their natural form and through the use of their byproducts. Trees are natural architecture, beautiful, constantly changing, majestic. Their presence evokes a feeling of relaxation and comfort. People use trees as living memorials, landmarks, and they often share a place in our sentimental memories.  

Trees have always supported life. They provide nuts, syrup, fruit and some bark is made into medicine. Cork and latex both come from trees. Wood was the first fuel used by humans and is still used for cooking and heating by a significant portion of the world’s population.  Trees provide materials for paper manufacture, construction, furniture fabrication, tools, sporting equipment, and thousands of household items. 

A beautiful, thoughtful landscape, natural or cultivated, has a great impact on property value. Saving can be realized in cooling costs due to tree shading of a building and heating costs savings due to the trees’ windbreak. According to the USDA Forest Service, “Trees properly placed around buildings can reduce air conditioning needs by 30% and save 20-50 percent in energy used for heating.” Properties with maintained landscapes are valued higher than otherwise comparable neglected or barren ones. Both employees and customers are attracted to businesses with thoughtful landscaping.  

So today, on Arbor Day, and every day, appreciate trees, take care of trees and plant more trees for a more wonderful planet for many Arbor Days to come. 

By Stacey Ruhle Kliesch, AIA, AIA NJ Advocacy Consultant | Posted in AIA-NJ News, Uncategorized | Tagged: #ArborDay, #Trees | Comments (0)