Tree Trivia

I filled out a survey this week about conservation messaging–which message points I thought were most effective. I was already on the nature band wagon, so several of the facts shared were familiar to me, but others were not, and even the familiar ones I thought were interesting enough to share. So here you are, courtesy of the MO Department of Conservation:

• Symptoms of ADD in children are relieved after spending time in nature.
• A 10% increase in trees in a neighborhood can reduce crime by 12%.
• College students with more natural views from their dorm windows score higher on tests.
• Girls with a home view of trees and greenery score higher on tests of concentration and self-discipline.
• Employees with a view of nature report 15% fewer illnesses and feel more enthusiastic and less frustrated.
• Hospital patients recovering from surgery who had a view of nature through their windows required fewer pain relievers and left the hospital a day sooner.
• Those who commute along tree-lined roads remain calmer (lower pulse and blood pressure) and drive less aggressively than those who drive along less treed roads.
• For every 10% increase in forest cover in a watershed, costs to clean drinking water decrease by about 20%.
• The presence of street trees in a neighborhood increases the sale price of houses by an average of $8,870.
• Shade from two large trees can save up to 30% of a typical residence’s annual air conditioning costs.