September/October 2022: The Benefits of Trees

Meet Our Team

Thank You

SEP TEMBER/OCTOBER 2022

Bat Conservation Project Takes Flight

Our Arbor Day Fundraising Appeal was a success!

T

Thank you for your generosity at a critical moment. We are honored that you chose to plant a grove of trees this year in celebration of Arbor Day. Gifts like these are what can create positive change in our world — supporting biodiversity, reestablishing ecosystems, and slowing the rate of climate change.

Protecting Bats in Indiana

The Arbor Day Foundation recently teamed up with The Nature Conservancy to plant trees on its Wallier Woods nature preserve in Indiana. This 672-acre preserve is located on the bluffs of the Ohio River and was used for agriculture before being acquired by the Conservancy in 2018.

Your dedication is truly making a difference for our planet.

How did you develop a connection with trees?

When I was in second grade, my dad decided to cut down our cherry tree in our front yard on Earth Day. Granted, the tree was dead, but I was so devastated by this “deforestation” that I saved the sawdust from the discarded trunk and took it to school with me to smell and mourn the loss of this tree. I still kindly remind my dad of this “heinous crime” every year — but now I’m making up for it by working to plant and replace lost trees all over the world.

© Matt Williams/TNC

Tucked within the property is a large cave which houses three federally endangered bat species — the gray bat, the Indiana bat, and the northern long-eared bat.

What is your favorite tree?

I love the quaking aspen. We lived in Colorado when I was little, and the mountainsides full of fluttering golden leaves have always captured my heart. Their root system being all connected is a fascinating parallel of how we are all more connected than we realize!

Arbor Day Foundation

Unfortunately, a fungal disease known as white-nose syndrome has killed millions of these misunderstood creatures since 2006. And with some species close to extinction, conservation groups are turning to a triedand-true solution: trees.

We wanted to go big for this important milestone, and you made it happen. Thanks to our amazing members and donors, a total of 864,634 trees will be planted where they are needed most.

What do you love about your work at the Arbor Day Foundation?

I love that I get to use my skills and talents to make a positive difference in the environment and in communities all over the globe. I have the honor of receiving the final reporting that comes from our urban tree plantings and distributions, and being the first eyes on the stories and photos from the work we do is incredibly rewarding.

espite their negative reputation, bats are an important part of our natural world.

They can consume their entire body weight in insects every night, preventing pests from damaging crops and saving U.S. farmers an estimated $1 billion each year.

Additionally, 300 different species of fruit depend on bats for pollination.

his spring, you may have received an invitation to support the Arbor Day Foundation’s annual Arbor Day Fundraising Appeal.

And while each Arbor Day is special, this year marked the 150th anniversary of the tree planter’s holiday.

Amy Lester, Ventures Project Coordinator

50135301

D

The bats hibernate in the cave in the winter. But in the spring, they emerge to roost in the surrounding trees and use the forest as a hunting ground for bugs.

Before this partnership, the land surrounding the cave mostly consisted of large, open fields. Now, there are 29,000 new trees growing across the preserve — giving these bats the additional forest they need to live and thrive.

A Project That Benefits All

Preserving the local bat population isn’t the only benefit stemming from this project.

Wallier Woods is located above an aquifer that provides drinking water to nearby residents. Now that nitrates are no longer being applied to the property for agricultural purposes, the South Harrison Water Company has reported that water quality has already improved. And the new trees above the aquifer will continue to purify the water for years to come.

The forest will also support the Allegheny woodrat, a threatened species of small rodent.

Your support is critical to helping us complete these projects. Thank you for helping us make a difference in Indiana, as well as so many other states.

Pictured: Wallier Woods nature preserve, located on the bluffs of the Ohio River. The preserve supports more than 6,000 endangered bats.

Bat Facts

•

211 N. 12th St.

•

Lincoln, Nebraska 68508

There are

They can live

They are the only

Most bats give

40 species of bats

for more than

mammal capable of

birth to one baby,

in the United States.

30 years.

continuous flight.

or “pup,” per year.

The

Benefits of Trees Trees and Air Quality

H

ave you ever thought about the air you’re breathing? Just how clean is it? Depending on where you live, this could be a real concern. Air pollution is a major problem worldwide — one that affects not only the environment but also our health.

The World Health Organization (WHO) paints a clear picture of the reality we must face about air pollution. Approximately nine out of 10 people are breathing air that does not comply with the WHO Air Quality Guidelines. Air that is filled with pollutants such as nitrous oxides, ozone, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxides, and particulate matter. Particulate matter is one of the air pollutants studied more thoroughly.

Of the most concern is small particulate matter (measuring 10 micrometers or less in diameter) and fine particulate matter (measuring 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter), which can get deep inside the lungs.

In 2015 alone, 4.2 million deaths were attributable to ambient air pollution from particulate matter.

While awareness of this issue is beginning to grow, urban air quality in particular continues to decline.

And conversely, people living in urban areas are experiencing an increase in the risk of stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, and chronic and acute respiratory diseases such as asthma.

It is clear that a problem this serious and of this magnitude requires dramatic response. And the course of action is simple: plant trees.

2

A r b o r D ay F o u n d at i o n O a k S o c i e t y I n s i g h t s • S e p t e m b e r / O c t o b e r 2 0 2 2

More Trees = Cleaner Air Trees act as natural biological filters due to their large leaf areas relative to the ground and the physical properties of their surface. And there is virtually no limit to what they can filter out of the air. They absorb carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxides, and other pollutants. Trees can even capture heavy metals such as lead, iron, manganese, chromium, and barium from the atmosphere.

Across the country, it is estimated that America’s urban trees are removing 711,000 metric tons of air pollution (including O3, NO2, SO2, CO, and small particulate matter) annually, at a value of $3.8 billion.

Each mature urban tree is capable of capturing up to 50 pounds of particulate matter alone from the air each year.

In addition to removing pollutants from the air, the presence of trees can also reduce the amount of pollutants released into the air. This benefit is specifically tied to trees that shade parking areas. By reducing the temperature in these spaces, the trees are reducing the rate of evaporative hydrocarbon emissions being released from leaky fuel tanks, worn hoses, and saturated carbon canisters of parked cars.

By reducing the amount of hydrocarbon emissions, the trees are reducing the occurrence of the ozone pollution that results from a photochemical reaction between hydrocarbons and nitrous oxide.

So what does all of this mean? It means that trees are cleaning our air and ultimately saving lives. According to the Northern Research Station of the USDA Forest Service, scientists calculate that trees in the U.S. save more than 850 lives each year and prevent 670,000 cases of acute respiratory symptoms by reducing air pollutants. Additional research states that urban trees and forests save an average of one life every year per city, with trees saving an average of eight lives each year in New York City.

Our Path Forward To improve air quality moving forward, more trees must be strategically planted. Every tree will immediately go to work filtering out pollutants and improving air quality for the entire planet. And as it grows, so does its ability to provide cleaner air.

A r b o r D ay F o u n d at i o n O a k S o c i e t y I n s i g h t s • S e p t e m b e r / O c t o b e r 2 0 2 2

3

The

Benefits of Trees Trees and Air Quality

H

ave you ever thought about the air you’re breathing? Just how clean is it? Depending on where you live, this could be a real concern. Air pollution is a major problem worldwide — one that affects not only the environment but also our health.

The World Health Organization (WHO) paints a clear picture of the reality we must face about air pollution. Approximately nine out of 10 people are breathing air that does not comply with the WHO Air Quality Guidelines. Air that is filled with pollutants such as nitrous oxides, ozone, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxides, and particulate matter. Particulate matter is one of the air pollutants studied more thoroughly.

Of the most concern is small particulate matter (measuring 10 micrometers or less in diameter) and fine particulate matter (measuring 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter), which can get deep inside the lungs.

In 2015 alone, 4.2 million deaths were attributable to ambient air pollution from particulate matter.

While awareness of this issue is beginning to grow, urban air quality in particular continues to decline.

And conversely, people living in urban areas are experiencing an increase in the risk of stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, and chronic and acute respiratory diseases such as asthma.

It is clear that a problem this serious and of this magnitude requires dramatic response. And the course of action is simple: plant trees.

2

A r b o r D ay F o u n d at i o n O a k S o c i e t y I n s i g h t s • S e p t e m b e r / O c t o b e r 2 0 2 2

More Trees = Cleaner Air Trees act as natural biological filters due to their large leaf areas relative to the ground and the physical properties of their surface. And there is virtually no limit to what they can filter out of the air. They absorb carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxides, and other pollutants. Trees can even capture heavy metals such as lead, iron, manganese, chromium, and barium from the atmosphere.

Across the country, it is estimated that America’s urban trees are removing 711,000 metric tons of air pollution (including O3, NO2, SO2, CO, and small particulate matter) annually, at a value of $3.8 billion.

Each mature urban tree is capable of capturing up to 50 pounds of particulate matter alone from the air each year.

In addition to removing pollutants from the air, the presence of trees can also reduce the amount of pollutants released into the air. This benefit is specifically tied to trees that shade parking areas. By reducing the temperature in these spaces, the trees are reducing the rate of evaporative hydrocarbon emissions being released from leaky fuel tanks, worn hoses, and saturated carbon canisters of parked cars.

By reducing the amount of hydrocarbon emissions, the trees are reducing the occurrence of the ozone pollution that results from a photochemical reaction between hydrocarbons and nitrous oxide.

So what does all of this mean? It means that trees are cleaning our air and ultimately saving lives. According to the Northern Research Station of the USDA Forest Service, scientists calculate that trees in the U.S. save more than 850 lives each year and prevent 670,000 cases of acute respiratory symptoms by reducing air pollutants. Additional research states that urban trees and forests save an average of one life every year per city, with trees saving an average of eight lives each year in New York City.

Our Path Forward To improve air quality moving forward, more trees must be strategically planted. Every tree will immediately go to work filtering out pollutants and improving air quality for the entire planet. And as it grows, so does its ability to provide cleaner air.

A r b o r D ay F o u n d at i o n O a k S o c i e t y I n s i g h t s • S e p t e m b e r / O c t o b e r 2 0 2 2

3

Meet Our Team

Thank You

SEP TEMBER/OCTOBER 2022

Bat Conservation Project Takes Flight

Our Arbor Day Fundraising Appeal was a success!

T

Thank you for your generosity at a critical moment. We are honored that you chose to plant a grove of trees this year in celebration of Arbor Day. Gifts like these are what can create positive change in our world — supporting biodiversity, reestablishing ecosystems, and slowing the rate of climate change.

Protecting Bats in Indiana

The Arbor Day Foundation recently teamed up with The Nature Conservancy to plant trees on its Wallier Woods nature preserve in Indiana. This 672-acre preserve is located on the bluffs of the Ohio River and was used for agriculture before being acquired by the Conservancy in 2018.

Your dedication is truly making a difference for our planet.

How did you develop a connection with trees?

When I was in second grade, my dad decided to cut down our cherry tree in our front yard on Earth Day. Granted, the tree was dead, but I was so devastated by this “deforestation” that I saved the sawdust from the discarded trunk and took it to school with me to smell and mourn the loss of this tree. I still kindly remind my dad of this “heinous crime” every year — but now I’m making up for it by working to plant and replace lost trees all over the world.

© Matt Williams/TNC

Tucked within the property is a large cave which houses three federally endangered bat species — the gray bat, the Indiana bat, and the northern long-eared bat.

What is your favorite tree?

I love the quaking aspen. We lived in Colorado when I was little, and the mountainsides full of fluttering golden leaves have always captured my heart. Their root system being all connected is a fascinating parallel of how we are all more connected than we realize!

Arbor Day Foundation

Unfortunately, a fungal disease known as white-nose syndrome has killed millions of these misunderstood creatures since 2006. And with some species close to extinction, conservation groups are turning to a triedand-true solution: trees.

We wanted to go big for this important milestone, and you made it happen. Thanks to our amazing members and donors, a total of 864,634 trees will be planted where they are needed most.

What do you love about your work at the Arbor Day Foundation?

I love that I get to use my skills and talents to make a positive difference in the environment and in communities all over the globe. I have the honor of receiving the final reporting that comes from our urban tree plantings and distributions, and being the first eyes on the stories and photos from the work we do is incredibly rewarding.

espite their negative reputation, bats are an important part of our natural world.

They can consume their entire body weight in insects every night, preventing pests from damaging crops and saving U.S. farmers an estimated $1 billion each year.

Additionally, 300 different species of fruit depend on bats for pollination.

his spring, you may have received an invitation to support the Arbor Day Foundation’s annual Arbor Day Fundraising Appeal.

And while each Arbor Day is special, this year marked the 150th anniversary of the tree planter’s holiday.

Amy Lester, Ventures Project Coordinator

50135301

D

The bats hibernate in the cave in the winter. But in the spring, they emerge to roost in the surrounding trees and use the forest as a hunting ground for bugs.

Before this partnership, the land surrounding the cave mostly consisted of large, open fields. Now, there are 29,000 new trees growing across the preserve — giving these bats the additional forest they need to live and thrive.

A Project That Benefits All

Preserving the local bat population isn’t the only benefit stemming from this project.

Wallier Woods is located above an aquifer that provides drinking water to nearby residents. Now that nitrates are no longer being applied to the property for agricultural purposes, the South Harrison Water Company has reported that water quality has already improved. And the new trees above the aquifer will continue to purify the water for years to come.

The forest will also support the Allegheny woodrat, a threatened species of small rodent.

Your support is critical to helping us complete these projects. Thank you for helping us make a difference in Indiana, as well as so many other states.

Pictured: Wallier Woods nature preserve, located on the bluffs of the Ohio River. The preserve supports more than 6,000 endangered bats.

Bat Facts

•

211 N. 12th St.

•

Lincoln, Nebraska 68508

There are

They can live

They are the only

Most bats give

40 species of bats

for more than

mammal capable of

birth to one baby,

in the United States.

30 years.

continuous flight.

or “pup,” per year.