A collection of educational tree facts, as well as facts about nature, forests, gardening, and the environment.
• Appraised property values of homes that are adjacent to parks and open spaces are typically 8-20% higher than those of comparable properties elsewhere. (source)
• Strategically placed trees can cut summer air conditioning costs for businesses by as much as 50 percent or more. (source)
• A U.S. Department of Energy study reports that trees reduce noise pollution by acting as a buffer and absorbing 50% of urban noise. (source)
• Reduced air pollution from the presence of trees helps to ameliorate respiratory problems, such as asthma—the leading serious chronic illness among children. (source)
• Trees can provide protection against skin cancer by reducing UV-B exposure (the most damaging type of solar radiation) by about half, according to a study by Richard Grant, Purdue University; and Gordon Heisler, USDA Forest Service. (source)
• Homeowners that properly place trees in their landscape can realize savings up to 58% on daytime air conditioning and as high as 65% for mobile homes. If applied nationwide to buildings not now benefiting from trees, the shade could reduce our nation’s consumption of oil by 500,000 barrels of oil/day. (source)
• Each year an average acre of mature trees absorb up to 26 pounds of carbon dioxide from the air, which is equal to the amount of CO2 produced by driving a car 26,000 miles. (source)
• Property values increase 5-15% when compared to properties without trees. The value depends on species, maturity, quantity and location. (source)
• Red mangroves are sometimes called “walking trees” because their continuously growing prop roots make them look like they are walking on water. Mangrove roots provide habitat for American crocodiles, Florida panthers and West Indian manatees. (source)
• Squirrel treefrogs have enlarged, sticky toepads that make it a good climber, and over-winters in small groups under bark or in tree cavities. (source)
• Joshua trees grow only about 1.5 to 3 inches a year and live for hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of years. (source)
• Wood duck ducklings are brave critters! When they’re ready to leave their nests, which are made in the cavities of trees, they jump from heights up to 65 feet and land safely. (source)
• A quaking aspen clone in Utah is the largest known living thing on Earth. The entire organism covers over 100 acres and weighs 6,000 tons! (source)
• Some black bears den in large hollow trees, and acorns are an important source of food for bears as they fatten up for winter hibernation. (source)
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