Forests, Our Priceless Forests
Shannon King, Charity Director
Take a moment and imagine the word FOREST. What did you see? What did you feel? There are many different forests around the planet. Each one unique in its own way. The trees and animals vary from region to region. When I think of the word forest my mind and body relaxes and smiles. The forest is my refuge. Its where I feel the most alive, safe and complete. I imagine the sparkling light filtering through the canopy, the coolness, the very loud silence. There are no voices, no ringing or notifications coming from electronics, no cars, no hum of the refrigerator, air conditioner, or dish washer. Its loud in the void of artificial noise with the sound of a babbling brook, songs of birds, insects, frogs, the movements of animals and your own footsteps. It’s a place where you can take a deep breath and your lungs don’t protest. The peace there feels almost like you have slipped into another dimension.
Besides the forest being good for your mental refreshment, it’s absolutely vital to the health of our planet and all of her inhabitants. We may think of a forest as an overgrown and sometimes scary place where wild animals live, but it’s so much more. It’s a place where water is created, the air and waters are cleaned and when we allow it to move into our neighborhoods it enriches our lives.
Large forests, like rain forests, create their own weather patterns and create fresh water through the process of transpiration. During photosynthesis, water is released from the leaves into the air. Clouds form and rain falls back down into the forest creating fresh streams and rivers. In the US alone, more than half of the drinking water originates in the forest. A large mature tree can absorb 36% of rainfall that it comes into contact with as well as capture and filter up to 36,500 gallons of water each year. The forest works to purify our drinking water by filtering out pollutants in its root system and through its leaves during photosynthesizes.
Forests not only purify ground water but also clean our air. One mature tree can absorb as much as 48 pounds of carbon dioxide in one year. One acre of forest can absorb twice the amount of carbon dioxide produced by one car during the same year. Two mature trees produce enough oxygen for one human to breathe for one year.
Trees and forests affect the environmental temperature as well. The canopy provides much needed shade. Daily, a large tree can absorb and release as much as 100 gallons of water into the air during photosynthesis, creating a cooling effect on the surrounding environment. Deforestation accounts for as much as 15% of global emissions of heat-trapping gasses.
The urban forest provides much for our everyday lives. Air quality in neighborhoods under more tree canopy have a 15% increase in air quality and experience lower crime rates. For every 30 meters of trees, noise pollution is reduced by 50%. With other factors controlled, students who have a view of trees from their classroom window have better test scores and greater graduation rates. Urban trees in the US remove up to 800,000 tons of air pollution from the atmosphere each year.
Have you ever been in the presence of a huge tree and stood there is awe of its presence? Take a moment and think about how much that one tree does for its environment. Its simple act of being alive provides so much. Take a moment and think about how it breathes through its leaves, how it is cleaning up the air you need while standing there. Its giving you clean oxygen and shade. Imagine how deep and extensive its roots are. It’s is a whole water treatment plant, literally. We didn’t discuss that other life that calls the trees home. How many birds do you think are up there? Squirrels, raccoons or other mammals? Imagine an ant colony marching down one of its giant limbs. Maybe there are several. There is an entire world in that tree as that tree serves ours. Take a moment and be in awe because you should. That living giant deserves to be recognized and thanked for its services as does every tree out there.
I hope that you will begin to see the trees in the forest. See them as silent giants that serve our planet and our creator with gentle patience and dedication. We need to take care of our forests. Do what you can, where you can and help others to see them as they really are.
For more information please visit https://www.americanforests.org
