Urban areas are subject to the Urban Heat Island Effect. In this phenomenon, localised warming occurs due to the large amounts of paved and dark coloured surfaces absorbing and retaining the sun’s heat and acting like large heat sinks. Urban environments can be several degrees hotter than country environments, simply due to the lower proportion of green spaces with trees and vegetation2. I’m sweating already!

Planting more trees is crucial

As the old Chinese proverb says, “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The next best time is now.” Besides cooling our urban centres, it’s general knowledge that trees provide oxygen, process carbon dioxide, provide food and shelter for wildlife, minimize erosion and maintain healthy soil3. And they look good too; who doesn’t like sitting under the shelter of a stately Gum tree or playing in a park that is lush, green and cool? Numerous studies have demonstrated that the presence of trees and urban nature can improve people’s mental and physical health, children’s attention and test scores, property values in a neighbourhood, and beyond4.

These statements point to one logical thought; planting more trees is of utmost importance and of great benefit, no matter how we look at it.

Helping your tree planting projects succeed

Arborgreen is passionate about planting trees, and we support our customers’ tree planting projects from beginning to end. It’s one of the reasons we’ve decided to publish an ongoing blog to:

• provide you with information on the best practices for tree planting
• share examples of interesting tree planting projects
• collate resources to help you make informed decisions
• update you on innovative tree planting solutions
• make your tree planting project a success