In all seasons, from all corners of the globe, trees supply us with so many goods to enhance our lives, directly or indirectly. Wood chemicals and components are found in ice cream, salad dressing, shampoo and toothpaste, just to name a few. Wood chemicals can also be found in cosmetics, photographic films, food additives and fillers for many types of plastics, according to research by Rita Hassert, of the Arboretum’s Sterling Morton Library.

Have a headache? Thanks to willow trees, we have the aspirin option. Trees even help put clothes on our backs. Some types of plant cellulose (including from trees) are used to produce rayon and acetate. These materials are often sewn to make shirts, ties, dresses and suits. Lyocell (also known as Tencel) is also made from wood pulp cellulose, and can be used to create fabric, Hassert says. Additionally, cellophane is derived in part from cellulose, and manufacturers often use cellulose gum to thicken and smooth foods and other items.

Wood pulp makes paper products such as toilet tissue, envelopes, boxes, paper towels, napkins, newspapers and facial tissue, books and, of course, money!

All sorts of sports equipment – such as baseball bats, cricket bats, tennis racquets, ping pong paddles, hockey sticks, oars, snowshoes, lacrosse sticks, billiard equipment sleds and skis – come from trees. And don’t forget musical instruments such as violins, violas, cellos, guitars, pianos, harpsichords and even bagpipes!
 
It can be said that you almost can’t make a pie without a tree, from cherry to apple to lemon, to peach, to pecan – and on it goes.

All these products are in addition to the remarkable benefits from trees. Studies show that trees filter the air, provide oxygen, shade and shelter for us and animals, cut air conditioning and heating costs, add value to our homes, encourage sales in business districts, and much, much more.

So as you enjoy your turkey and trimmings this Thanksgiving weekend, give thanks for all the products and benefits we get from trees. Then, have another slice of grandma’s famous apple and pecan pie!

In 40 years, the average tree returns $2.70 in benefits for every $1 of community investment. And trees improve the quality of the urban environment.

The environmental benefits depend on healthy trees:

The Chicago Urban Forest Climate Project (U.S. Forest Service 1991) was a three-year study of the environmental impacts of the urban forest of the Chicago region. It found that the estimated 50.8 million trees in Cook and DuPage counties combined contributed the following benefits:

1. Trees store an estimated 6.1 million tons of carbon. Further studies led to the estimate that 100 mature trees remove five tons of CO₂from the atmosphere per year, which is equivalent to emissions from one car in a year.

2. The trees in our region remove these pollutants from our air:

3. The estimated value of this pollution removal in 1991 was $9.2 million.

4. Localized air quality improvement could be 5-10% with high tree cover.

5. The U.S. Forest Service estimates 100 trees remove 1,000 lbs. of pollutants per year, worth about $4,500 in emission credits (in the Central Valley of California).

6. Optimally placed landscape shade trees could reduce local cooling energy use for 1.3%, cooling energy use by 7%, and peak cooling energy use by 6%.

7. Increasing the region’s tree canopy by 10% could reduce total heating and cooling energy by 5-10%.

8. Reduced air-conditioning demands avoids CO₂ generated from “peak” energy production, which is usually coal generated in Illinois.

9. The U.S. Forest Service estimates 100 mature trees intercept about 250,000 gallons of rainfall per year in their crowns, reducing runoff of polluted stormwater.

Here are just a few of those benefits categorized by contributions in the Economic, Environmental, and Social spheres and in Energy Conservation. For the full list and detailed resources, click here.

Economic Contributions
• Research shows that shoppers in well-landscaped business districts are willing to pay more for parking and up to 12% more for goods and services.

• Trees reduce runoff and erosion from storms by about 7% and reduce the need for erosion control structures.

• Desk workers with and without views of nature were surveyed. Those without views of nature, when asked about 11 different ailments, claimed 23% more incidence of illness in the prior 6 months.

• Amenity and comfort ratings were about 80% higher for a tree-lined sidewalk compared with those for a non-shaded street.

Energy Conservation
• The net cooling effect of a young, healthy tree is equivalent to 10 room-size air conditioners operating 20 hours a day.

• Trees properly placed around buildings as windbreaks can save up to 25% on winter heating costs.

• As few as 3 trees properly positioned can save an average Illinois household about 6.5% of annual heating and cooling costs, or between $100 and $250.

• Rows of trees reduce windspeed by up to about 85%. Dense rows are most effective. Because even a single row of dense conifers significantly reduce windspeed, windbreaks can be effective on relatively small house lots.

Environmental Contributions
• Leafy tree canopies catch precipitation before it reaches the ground, allowing some of it to gently drip and the rest to evaporate. This lessens the force of storms and reduces runoff and erosion. Research indicates that 100 mature tree crowns intercept about 100,000 gallons of rainfall per year, reducing runoff and providing cleaner water.

• Trees reduce noise pollution by absorbing sounds. A belt of trees 98 feet wide and 49 feet tall can reduce highway noise by 6 to 10 decibels.

• A typical community forest of 10,000 trees will retain approximately 10 million gallons of rainwater per year.

Social Contributions
• Trees in urban parks and recreation areas are estimated to improve outdoor leisure and recreation experiences in the United States by $2 billion per year.

• Trees reduce crime. Apartment buildings with high levels of greenery had 52% fewer crimes than those without any trees. Buildings with medium amounts of greenery had 42% fewer crimes.

• Hospital patients recovering from surgery who had a view of a grove of trees through their windows required fewer pain relievers, experienced fewer complications, and left the hospital sooner than similar patients who had a view of a brick wall.

• Americans travel about 2.3 billion miles per day on urban freeways and highways. Studies show drivers exposed to roadside nature scenes had a greater ability to cope with driving stresses.

For a full list of benefits and the supporting resources, click here.

Trees also provide fruits, nuts, oils, and syrups; pulp for paper, cloth, and rope; and wood for innumerable products and heat.

Economic Benefits
Trees provide both direct and indirect economic benefits. Air-conditioning costs are less in a tree-shaded home, and heating costs are reduced when a home has properly selected and placed windbreaks. Beyond energy savings, landscaping with mature trees increases the value of property.

Indirect economic benefits extend beyond the individual to the community or region. Customers pay lower electricity bills when power companies use less water in their cooling towers and fewer measures to control air pollution. Communities also save money if fewer facilities must be built to control storm water.

Biological Benefits
Trees and woodlands release oxygen and remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, helping reduce the effects of global warming.

A mature tree intercepts about 1,000 gallons of water a year, decreasing the severity of downpours, and helping control flooding and soil erosion.

Trees also absorb dust and other particulates, like ozone, carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide, thereby improving air quality.

 By using trees in cities, we are able to moderate the “heat-island” effect caused by pavement and buildings in commercial areas.

Trees are good for people too. People living in “greener” surroundings report lower levels of fear and less violent behavior.

Aesthetic Benefits
Trees make the world more beautiful. They add color, structure, height and grace to our neighborhoods, parkways and streetscapes. Trees also neutralize the harshness and stress of urban life. They enrich our lives.

Our forests, woodlands, parks and preserves help us feel more relaxed and serene. A day or even an hour in the woods can help us feel rejuvenated. Trees are magnets for wildlife, which also add beauty, value and interest to our world.

City and suburban trees often serve several architectural functions. They provide privacy, frame views and screen out objectionable sights. They reduce glare and reflection, direct pedestrian traffic and provide background for and soften, complement or enhance architecture or topography.

The historic communities of Beverly, Morgan Park and Ridge are some of the most beautiful neighborhoods in the city. Charming architecture and pride of ownership certainly account for much of the area’s character and ambiance. But credit also should go to their trees, especially the glorious mature oaks.

The century-old oaks lining the parkways and gracing the lawns a of these communities are among the oldest in the city. Once part of a magnificent oak-hickory forest, these heritage trees are now extremely rare in Chicago. These impressive trees, with their imposing trunks, sprawling, glossy-leaved branches and towering crowns have highly prized cultural meaning. They imply strength, dignity, trustworthiness. Oaks say:  We are a community that respects our history and we intend to hand down our legacy to the next generation.

After all, when an urban tree lives for 50, 80 or 100 years (the average life of an urban parkway tree is less than two decades), they have endured much and seen a lot of changes.

So, when an otherwise healthy mature oak tree is cut down for inconsequential reasons—for a better view or for a thicker turf grass lawn, for example—that is a great shame.

Yes, a tree on private property belongs to that private owner. But trees are public assets, too. We should acknowledge trees’ benefits for the community as a whole and preserve and protect them whenever we can. It’s not a matter of yours or mine. It’s a matter of ours.

Local organizations such as Keeping Beverly Green: Protecting Beverly’s Wooded Heritage, are stepping up and speaking out on behalf of trees, working to increase public awareness about the benefits of trees and how to take care of them.

For the past several years, Keeping Beverly Green, led by Beverly residents Karla Winterbottom and Kathleen Tobin, has been meeting with city officials to advocate for a much-needed tree preservation policy in the city of Chicago. As the saying goes, you can’t fight city hall, but they sure are trying. I wholeheartedly support their efforts to preserve and protect urban trees. Here are some of the many economic, environmental and social benefits of trees, and why you should stand up for our trees, too.

Our trees increase home values. Quality landscaping can add 7-15% to a home’s value, according to The Gallup Organization. Large trees can affect home values in an entire neighborhood, as well as for individual homes.

Our trees help commercial districts thrive. According to research by the University of Washington, shoppers return more often to greened business districts, spend more time shopping, pay more for parking and pay up to 12% more for goods.

Our trees reduce energy usage. Air temperature can be as much as 20° F. cooler in the shade of trees than in open areas, according to the Center for Urban Forest Research in Davis, CA. Overall energy savings throughout the year can amount to 7% annually from strategically placed trees.

Our trees cool heat islands on a neighborhood scale. Collectively, concrete, pavement and structures retain excessive summer heat, driving local temperatures up 4° – 7° F. higher than vegetated areas.

Our trees sequester and store carbon. According to the U.S. Forest Service, compared to a small young tree, a large healthy tree sequesters 48 kg of carbon annually (47 times more than a small tree) and stores 2.6 metric tons of carbon (530 times more than a small tree).

Our trees clean the air. A large tree removes about 2 kg of pollution per year (65 times more than a small tree).

Our trees reduce stress, increase concentration and improve the perception of safety in a neighborhood, according to research by the University of Illinois. One study conducted in Chicago showed that levels of aggression and use of physical violence to resolve conflicts were lower when public housing residents had views of trees and nature. Other studies suggest that symptoms of ADHD were relieved after contact with nature; when children played in natural settings, they had higher levels of concentration.

Our trees speed healing. Research by Texas A & M University showed that hospital patients recovered more quickly following surgery when they had a view of a tree outside their window.

These benefits improve the quality of life for all in the community. So, let’s broaden our perspective from seeing individual trees to appreciating the urban forest that shelters the entire neighborhood.

Keeping Beverly Green needs your help to protect and care for OUR trees.