10 Reasons Why We Love Trees
“The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson
There is a very good reason why environmentalists and nature lovers are called “tree huggers”—trees are a symbol of Nature’s health and beauty.
For thousands of years, trees have been considered sacred and special. Millennia ago, the Druids are said to have worshipped and practiced rites in oak groves. The magnificent redwoods of the Pacific coast were central to the lives and spiritual practices of many tribes of Native people in what is now California—they may have performed ceremonies when harvesting the trees’ wood for use in canoes and homes. In Africa, the baobab tree is central to folklore and myth and is used in many traditional remedies. And, tree nymphs and tree spirits figure prominently in ancient Greek myths as well as in stories told today (just think of the brave and long-suffering Ents in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings).
Trees are at the heart of our modern conservation movement. Forests cover 347 million hectares of Canadian lands, accounting for nearly 9% of the forested areas of the world. In our increasingly stressful modern times, we value forests for their beauty and their ability to restore our sense of peace and calm. In fact, over the last 40 years, the Japanese art of “forest bathing,” or walking mindfully in the woods, has gained in popularity throughout the world. More recently, during the COVID-19 pandemic, families have embraced the great outdoors, visiting forest preserves and hiking as ways to escape the confinement of lockdowns.
Perhaps it’s that trees have taken root in our human spirit. Or perhaps it’s that some part of our genetic memory mysteriously recalls when trees were home to our primate ancestors, millions of years ago. Whatever the reason, here are 10 reasons we love trees—and why they are important to life as we know it.
#1. Trees provide shelter.
Trees are home to many creatures. They provide food and shelter for many species of birds, including the hummingbird, who has a special place here at Blloomigo. Trees also provide security for orangutans, who build nests in them each night; for koalas, flying squirrels, and many other mammals; and for thousands of the world’s insects. Without trees, our animal and insect kingdom would be a lot smaller.
#2. Trees produce oxygen.
Simply put, trees clean the air we breathe. A tree can produce as much oxygen during its growing season as 10 people will inhale in a year. Trees also absorb pollutants like carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide.
#3. Trees clean the soil.
Trees absorb chemicals and pollutants through the soil, including from sewage, animal waste, and farm runoff. Trees either store these pollutants or transform them into less harmful byproducts. This process is called phytoremediation.
#4. Trees trap carbon dioxide.
A greenhouse gas considered a major cause of global warming, carbon dioxide is harmful in a climate out of balance. Trees absorb and store carbon dioxide in their wood, roots, and leaves—preventing it from entering the atmosphere.
#5. Trees reduce erosion.
Erosion can devastate the environment, and it often begins when trees are cleared from forested areas. Tree roots hold onto soil and can protect it from the forces of wind and rain.
#6. Trees save energy.
By acting as windbreaks, trees can help reduce residential and commercial energy usage during cold seasons. In warmer weather, they can provide shade and help reduce the costs of cooling homes and businesses.
#7. Trees can mitigate droughts.
Much as trees can help to reduce soil erosion, they can also help to reduce the impact of flood and storm water runoff. Some trees can “intercept,” or absorb, more than a thousand gallons of water each season. This water is ultimately deposited in soil aquifers, which when full can help mitigate the threat of droughts.
#8. Trees decrease noise pollution.
When planted strategically, trees can reduce the noise pollution from roads, highways, and airports, helping us live more peacefully closer to urban areas.
#9. Trees can reduce our stress.
Just looking at trees can improve our well-being. A recent study found that people who simply looked at the view of a forest for 20 minutes benefited from a 13% reduction in the level of the stress hormone cortisol in their systems.
#10. Trees affect children’s health, too.
A School of Forest Resources and Conservation study found that children living in places with greater tree density were less likely to suffer from asthma. Another study by the University of Illinois found that “green time” near trees helped children suffering from ADHD with a reduction in overall symptom severity.
Nature is connected, and trees are an important part of a balanced system. Today, people cut down 15 billion trees annually, and there has been a 46% reduction in the global tree count since the dawn of human civilization.
At Blloomigo, we love trees and believe they are a key to our planet’s shared future. This is why we donate a portion of the proceeds from every product sold to One Tree Planted, a nonprofit dedicated to planting trees around the world. We feel that together, we can make a difference. We believe in the heartfelt connection between welcoming new lives to our human families and to our forests.
How do you celebrate your connection to trees? Why are they special to you?
