Click below to listen to my podcast: Arbor Day 2026
Happy Arbor Day! The first Arbor Day was celebrated in 1872. Proposed by J. Sterling Morton, a Nebraska journalist and politician, the holiday was designed to encourage tree planting for fuel, building materials, and environmental benefits, with over 1 million trees planted on the first day.
Why are trees so important? Trees play a vital role in combating climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide (CO2) and storing the carbon while releasing oxygen back into the air. In one year, an acre of mature trees can absorb as much CO2 as a car produces when driven 26,000 miles. A single large tree can supply a day’s worth of oxygen for up to four people.
Airborne pollutants are absorbed when they land on leaves. That little nugget, from the Environmental Protection Agency, was something I’d never heard before.
- Trees support water quality.
- They reduce stormwater runoff and help mitigate flooding.
- Trees filter fertilizers and other pollutants which aids in our water quality. They provide shade for us and wildlife.
- Trees shelter wildlife throughout their lives and as they decay. I’ve talked about snags before, those dead trees that provide habitat to insects, birds and small mammals.
- Food for humans from fruits to nuts!
- Studies have shown for years that being among trees helps humans feel better, literally. They help lower your heart rate and blood pressure while increasing our immune systems.
- Trees in cities help reduce heat islands as they provide shade.
It’s super important to have inner city parks not just due to the heat due to lots of pavement but also because they just, literally, make humans feel better.
It is a fact that spending time in nature, be it at a park or in your yard, boosts serotonin levels, directly contributing to feelings of happiness, calm, and well-being.
AHHH, fresh air, sunlight, and green spaces, nature’s antidepressants. Go for a long walk or a short walk in nature and hug a tree or three…
and say thank you.