Community and Climate Benefits

On the surface, urban forests beautify and invigorate neighborhoods with their leafy canopies as well as serve as homes to diverse, vital wildlife. But looking beyond their aesthetic value, urban forests provide surprising benefits to the communities they shade and deeply important relief from a warming climate. AMPlifying the Urban Forest, an event that will empower the planting of 2,000 trees in 30 California cities, has set out on a mission to create happier, healthier, and greener communities across California. 

Some of the many benefits that urban forests provide include:

• Healthy Habits: Urban forests and green spaces encourage use. Residents will recreate and exercise more in areas with an urban forest
• Less Stress: Research shows just the sight of trees and greenery can reduce levels of stress.
• Increase Property Values: Studies have also shown neighborhoods with more trees and local parks actually have increased property values compared to neighborhoods lacking in tree canopy. People are willing to pay more to live in a home surrounded by trees and local parks.
• Reduced Home Energy Consumption Costs: Urban forests also help local residents save money on energy bills in the summer and winter by naturally cooling down homes and businesses in the summer and serving as a windbreak and lowering windchill in the winter.
• Cleaner Air and Water: Trees remove pollutants from the air and sequester carbon, making the air and water cleaner.
• Cooler Cities: More shade means more protection from the sun on neighborhood streets and city centers, bringing down temperatures on very hot days. 

The need for climate-resistant, diverse urban forests is apparent in a world with warming temperatures. Trees provide invaluable benefits to communities and the people that live in them while simultaneously beautifying the surrounding environment. AMPlifying the Urban Forests seeks to propel both of these objectives forward through the event’s groundbreaking event on March 12, 2022. We hope to see you there!

Funding for this project is provided by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection as part of the California Climate Investments Program.