Planting Trees – Important For Our World
“People who will not sustain trees will soon live in a world that will not sustain people.“ Bryce Nelson
Trees give us and our planet so much.
As well as providing food, fuel, shelter and materials, trees are an integral part of the ecosystem. Without trees, we, as a species, would struggle to survive – So planting trees is essential.
These gentle sentient beings are always hard at work, quietly doing their bit for the welfare of us and our planet, enriching and protecting our lives with their generous ecosystem services.
You can think of trees functioning as green lungs for the world, absorbing harmful airborne pollutants, creating oxygen and making it easier for us to breathe. They also do their share of flood management by intercepting rainfall, reducing run-off and increasing water infiltration.
And, through a phenomenon described as ‘sound attenuation’ they help reduce noise pollution and act as a buffer to take the edge off the racket us humans create with the roads and airways.
Planting Trees Helps Reduce Noise
Recent research has found that each 30 metres width of woodland can reduce noise by 50 percent.
As well as providing us with these practical services they also provide us with spiritual, therapeutic and holistic services. Throughout the pandemic, more and more people turned to nature for solace and mental well-being.
Recently doctors in UK began prescribing nature therapy (or eco-therapy) which encourages people to spend time in natural places and engage with their surroundings using all the five senses.
This practice has been popular in Japan since the 1980s when the Japanese government urged its population to go out amongst the trees and absorb the sounds, scents, colours and textures of nature. In Japan this is called shinrin yoku which means ‘forest bathing’.
Research has found very positive results regarding the effects ‘forest bathing’ has on both the body and the mind. It has been proven to reduce blood pressure, stress, anxiety, depression and the risk of heart disease and to increase concentration and immunity. These improvements on mental and physical health may be in part due to phytoncides which are aromatic airborne compounds produced by trees and plants.
“When we plant a tree, we are doing what we can to make our planet a more wholesome and happier dwelling-place for those who come after us if not for ourselves.” — Oliver Wendell Holmes
Planting Trees Helps Future Generations
Whilst things all around us are constantly changing, there is one thing that can be guaranteed – the simple act of planting a tree is an act of hope and an investment in the future.
Fortunately there are lots of charities and trusts involved in schemes devoted to planting treees, so you don’t necessarily have to physically do it yourself. Here at the Gentlemans Face Care Club we’re proud sponsors of The Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust (YDMT)
Since 1996 the YDMT has helped to plant around 1.5 million trees throughout Nidderdale and the Yorkshire Dales. Experts suggest that the UK has only 13% woodland cover, compared with an EU average of 37%. Their aim is to address this issue and attempt to restore part of the natural landscape that has been lost due to deforestation by creating 6,000 hectares of woodland habitat in the Yorkshire Dales National Park by 2030. Which is an exciting target.
Over the centuries, man has unwittingly caused so much damage to the planet. The Yorkshire Dales Millennium trust believe that planting trees is one of the most important things we can do for the environment. It’s a small, simple thing that will make a difference, a sort of apology to our beautiful, long-suffering planet.