Autumn makes us sit up and take notice of trees: They’re suddenly dressed in colors that are hard to ignore. And you’d better believe those trees deserve our attention.
Do trees make us healthier?
Most of us have heard that exposure to nature, broadly speaking, can help us physically and psychologically. But a recent study of urban neighborhoods tried to figure out exactly how much trees make us healthier.
The researchers found that people who live on city blocks with a higher density of trees along the streets have a more positive perception of their health. In fact, having 10 more trees on a city block appeared to improve residents’ perception of their health so much, it was equivalent to them making $10,200 more per year or being seven years younger.
Those green leaves turning rust-colored? They may be worth their weight in gold.
Make a park bucket list
We can’t all just pull up stakes and move to the most tree-filled block in our city. But most of us can access parks and green spaces. Make a list of local parks and set a goal to visit a new one every week or two.
