Dear Editor,
I think it would be very much appreciated by not only the community- but also by the environment- if nature was much more ubiquitous in the city. While I certainly understand the need for space in order to create housing, commercial and public spaces, e.g. townhomes, shops and restaurants, parking lots, etc, but I also believe nature should be a priority and not an afterthought.
What I am suggesting is that more space be allocated to parks around the town, places where aspects of nature such as trees and assortments of hedges, shrubs, plants and bushes can thrive. Also, planting plants and trees in existing areas, such as parks, by sidewalks, open spots on median strips and places on mainstreet would also be a good idea. All of those areas would benefit greatly from the addition of nature, especially trees. Plants such as oaks, pine trees, maples, (really all medium to large trees) require little-to-no maintenance once they mature, and they can live a long life, even in tough Minnesotan conditions and, of course, offer many benefits.
Maybe you are looking for smaller trees that take up less space, and there are a ton of good options in that category as well. Smaller birch are a good choice, along with smaller varieties of Pagoda dogwood, and some types of Serviceberry. There are many more aesthetically pleasing, hardy plants suitable for Minnesota. Bushes and shrubs would also add more wildlife into the mix and benefit the city.
While the benefits may not seem blatantly obvious currently, I can assure you that there are a plethora benefits that would come up as a consequence of doing something like this. They range from overall citizen happiness, (something critical to any city), to environmental (another critical thing), and may also make the city a more attractive place to move to, which, in an indirect way, help the city’s economy.
First and foremost, let’s talk about environmental benefits. As someone who is interested in keeping up and preserving the environment, this would be one of the most important benefits that planting more trees, shrubs, and plants in general would have.
For one, it would provide more homes for creatures such as birds, who could use the trees as foundations for their nests and use the extra material from plants to create their homes. It would also provide shelter to other animals as well. I also understand that while the newly planted plants would provide food for some animals, you would no doubt want to protect the plants from being eaten by them. However, simple measures could ward off animals and keep the plants healthy.
The soil would also benefit from the planting of new specimens, especially trees. For one, the soil would be held more firm because the roots of the plants. This keeps areas (especially steep, rocky areas like ledges and hills) protected from small mudslide events when rain or melting of snow may trigger them. Also, this would introduce more nutrients and minerals into the soil, also helping the soil in that regard.
And finally, the air and air quality. Trees filter out pollutants and odors such as carbon dioxide, dust, ash, pollen and smoke, therefore improving public health and decreasing unwanted pollutants in the air. While it may seem that planting a few trees would do an infinitesimal amount to help clean the air, just a few can actually help. A single, mature tree absorbs 48 lbs of carbon dioxide a year.¹ However, if you plant multiple, say an acre, (it doesn’t matter if they are all clumped together or if they are spread apart) then you can expect the acre of trees to absorb twice the CO2 produced by the average car’s annual mileage.¹ And that still may sound small, but think about it long term, not to mention that there could be over an acre planted, bringing that total up. This could be a very big and important improvement for the city.
There are also some other benefits of trees, environmentally that is. Trees also supply oxygen, something that is arguably just as important as catching and trapping pollutants. Just two mature trees do a great deal, providing enough oxygen for the average person to run off of for a year.¹ They also cool the environment by means of shade and by releasing water into their surroundings. Countless other benefits for the environment would entail planting new trees and plants, much too many to ever count.
Not only would the planting be good for the environment, it would also look good. Strategically placed trees and plants around parks, streets and sidewalks could elegantly take up space and create an aesthetically pleasing space. Like I said earlier, small trees and shrubs could work well on median strips, downtown areas and tight spaces. Larger trees could fill up spaces on walking trails, parks and could provide shade for benches and tables. The presence of nature such as trees could greatly increase the city’s aesthetic.
Not to be forgotten, citizen happiness would also improve due to nature. Multiple studies agree that nature can provide stress relief, increase social interaction and encourage physical exercise among other things.² Trees also do a good job at blocking out noise, another reason to plant trees near highways and busy roads.
I think a good idea for planting these trees and/or plants efficiently and at a low cost would be to get the community involved. I am sure that many other environmentally interested individuals would be more than happy to lend a hand in planting. The event could be organized on Earth Day for example, or really any day of the year.
Overall, I truly believe this would be a worthwhile investment for the city in every way, even if the reward is not instant and long term. With all that I have discussed, I hope more thought will be given to the environment and to planting more nature, in particular trees. The city would greatly benefit from this, environmentally, aesthetically, by means of citizen happiness and city appeal. In short, this would greatly benefit the city and its inhabitants.
Sincerely, Lucas Weidner
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