A Few Trees Go a Long Way
By Gail Hayman Cohen
Often when people think of preservation, historic buildings come to mind first. But the story of our nation also unfolded on the land—the mountains, valleys, plains, and rivers that have harbored and inspired us for millennia.
Wildwood was originally a coastal forest, covered with Oak and Holly trees, grasses, salt hay, bayberries bushes and vegetation that grew abundantly across the island. It was nearly untouched until about 1880, when Wildwood Improvement Company under the leadership of Latimus Baker and his brother purchased 100 acres of land and proceeded to clear it for development, a mindset that has been handed down to this very day. Trees have almost all disappeared from that once made the island unique. Out of the nothingness of wild nature, the developers have turned The Wildwoods into a land of concrete and black tar roads. Our landscape reflects the physical, biological and cultural character of our community.
Besides being part of our historic landscape, why should we care whether there are abundant trees and indigenous plantings in our communities? Outside of the obvious fact that they make properties more attractive, they also provide numerous environmental, economic and even health benefits. Here are some examples.
Foliage reduces runoff. Trees absorb the first 30% of most precipitation through their leaf system, allowing evaporation back into the atmosphere. This moisture never hits the ground. Another percentage (up to 30%) of precipitation is absorbed back into the ground and taken in and held onto by the root structure, then absorbed and transported back to the air. Some of this water also naturally percolates into the groundwater and aquifer. Storm water runoff and flooding potential to urban properties is therefore reduced.
It helps small businesses. It has been proven that businesses on trees lined streets show 12% higher income streams, which is often the essential competitive edge needed for main street store success versus competition from plaza discount stores.
Trees absorb pollutants, converting harmful gasses (like tailpipe emissions that increase asthma and ozone) back into oxygen and other useful natural gasses. One adult tree removes 48 pounds of carbon a year.
They provide shade and lower air temperature. Asphalt and concrete streets and parking lots are known to increase temperatures by 3 to 7 degrees. A properly tree shaded neighborhood can reduce energy bills for a household from 15-35%.
Trees are one of the easiest and cheapest ways to raise property values. Research has proven that trees provide significant benefits for developers and property owners by increasing property values and selling prices up to 20%. One US study even determined that street trees and plantings were the single most important indicator of attractiveness in a community.
Let’s make a difference in our communities by planting more trees and indigenous plants. A future with fewer trees is a future less secure for humans. If you’d like a FREE list of native trees and plants recommended by local horticulturist Steve Murray, email us at preservingthewildwoods@gmail.com with “TREES” in the subject line.
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