Tree Hugging Family » Nature

The Positive Benefits of Trees

Jennifer — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:57:05 +0000

We’ve always known that trees rock; studies show that trees fight asthma in kids, they keep everyone healthier, can save you tons on energy costs, and they’re beautiful and fun to hug. However, trees have some other benefits that you may not have heard of – in fact some of the benefits below I hadn’t even heard of, and I read about trees all the time. The Morton Arboretum has a fabulous piece up at their website about the many (research proven) ways that trees have a positive effect on people’s lives, including their health, homes, businesses, communities, drinking water, and air quality.

For example…

Trees have economic benefits:

Research shows that shoppers in well-landscaped business districts are willing to pay more for parking and up to 12% more for goods and services which as you might guess is a huge perk for businesses.

Landscaping with trees, can significantly increase property values.

Trees benefit your health:

Desk workers with and without views of nature were surveyed. Those without views of nature, when asked about 11 different ailments, claimed 23% more incidence of illness in the prior 6 months.

Hospital patients recovering from surgery who had a view of a grove of trees through their windows required fewer pain relievers, experienced fewer complications, and left the hospital sooner than similar patients who had a view of a brick wall.

Symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children are relieved after contact with nature. Specifically, ADHD kids are better able to concentrate, complete tasks, and follow directions after playing in natural settings. The greener the setting, the more relief.

Trees reduce road rage – studies show that drivers who are exposed to roadside nature scenes have a greater ability to cope with driving stresses.

Trees conserve energy:

The net cooling effect of a young, healthy tree is equivalent to 10 room-size air conditioners operating 20 hours a day.

Fifty million shade trees planted in strategic, energy-saving locations could eliminate the need for seven 100-megawatt power plants.

Trees themselves save the planet:

Modest increases of 10% canopy cover in the New York City Area were shown to reduce peak ozone levels by up to 4 parts per billion or by nearly 3% of the maximum and 37% of the amount by which the area exceeded its air quality standard. Similar results were found in Los Angeles and along the East Coast from Baltimore to Boston.

Trees halt runoff and erosion; in fact, research shows that 100 mature leafy tree crowns intercept about 100,000 gallons of rainfall per year, reducing runoff and providing cleaner water.

Trees improve your world:

Trees reduce noise pollution – a belt of trees 98 feet wide and 49 feet tall can reduce highway noise by 6 to 10 decibels.

Trees in Davis, California, parking lots reduced asphalt temperatures by as much as 36 degrees Fahrenheit, and car interior temperatures by over 47 degrees Fahrenheit.

Views of trees can reduce the stress response of both body and mind when stressors of urban conditions are present.

Trees reduce crime! Apartment buildings with high levels of greenery had 52% fewer crimes than those without any trees. Buildings with medium amounts of greenery had 42% fewer crimes.

Trees help girls succeed. On average, the greener a girl’s view from home, the better she concentrates and the better her self-discipline, enabling her to make more thoughtful choices and do better in school.

* * *

Wow right. For more ways that trees benefit your family and world visit THE BENEFITS OF TREES at the The Morton Arboretum, see some amazing trees in my favorite tree book of all time, or learn more about how you can plant more trees where you live.

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

DisneyNature: EARTH release on Blu-ray and DVD

Jennifer — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 17:55:47 +0000

In case you haven’t heard, DisneyNature: EARTH is being released on Blu-ray and DVD September 1st. As I noted previously, when the movie was released in April, this great family-friendly film is narrated by James Earl Jones and follows three families of animals, whales, polar bears, and elephants, through their daily lives. This is an excellent nature-minded film for kids and adults.

DisneyNature: Earth is being released in a couple of formats. There’s the 2 disc Blu-ray combo pack which includes both Blu-ray and the DVD along with Disney Blu-ray: Filmmaker Annotations which is exclusive to the Blu-ray pack. The set also includes Earth Diaries: The Making Of The Movie. The DVD includes the extra, Earth Diaries: The Making Of The Movie.

DisneyNature: Earth is available for pre-order now and will ship on September 1, 2009.

Stay tuned because to celebrate the release on both Blu-ray and DVD, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment is hosting a cool giveaway for three readers here at Tree Hugging Family.

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Promoting youth nature appreciation

Jennifer — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 03:43:27 +0000

Kids aren’t simply born loving nature. You’ve got to help them to develop an appreciation for nature, so in turn they want to protect this planet. Good ways to do this include:

Hold a family hiking day once a month.
Encourage more outdoor minded field trips at your child’s school.
Plan games and activities that encourage outdoor time such as bird watching, rock collecting, plant identification, nature scavenger hunts, and more.
Get involved in your local community garden, or if you have the means, planting a garden at home.
Plan green travel – i.e. for family vacations, plan a camping trip vs. a trip to a resort.
Get the kids involved in nature minded art projects and crafts.
Check out books from the library on nature topics.
Do a family community clean-up day in a local park or other outdoor area.

Lastly, get involved with a group or program that supports a life-long love of nature and outdoor activities such as…

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

Go wild with the kids in the backyard

Jennifer — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:11:45 +0000

Getting your kids outside more often sometimes means adjusting your own outdoor space to fit your kids needs. Going wild is a great way to get the kiddos interested in what’s happening outside their door. Here’s how.

If you like a manicured yard, that’s fine, but if you leave one small corner a little wild, it’ll attract cool creatures like worms, snails, and pillbugs that kids will like to see. Creatures like these enjoy a little cover – so a pile of leaves, a few more weeds than normal, and so fourth encourages visits.

Make sure to go native to attract the wild. If you grow only non-native plants, fewer animals like birds and insects will visit. Native is not only a sustainable way to grow but it’s attractive to local wildlife.

Hang up a DIY recycled tire swing or make a recycled tire sandbox so that kids can get wild and active with play.

Create the sort of garden that actually attracts the wild to your yard. For example, a butterfly garden or place a birdbath and birdhouses around for flying friends.

Make it utterly fun with a wild sunflower playhouse, a pizza garden, bean teepees and more. Kids love an adventure and if you give this to them in your yard, they’ll be more inclined to go outside. See 10 Fun Organic Gardening Projects for Kids for ideas.

[image via stock.xchang]

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Holy smokes – it’s baby birds!

Jennifer — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:00:56 +0000

Remember my story about our family of birds who moved into our flowers? Well, they’ve hatched! I’m a total bird auntie now. My son is thrilled too – and we’re surprised at how fast they’re growing.

The parent birds are a little kooky. One, they hate me because I have to water the flowers which means moving the pot, but other times they’ll come sit right by me on the patio. I think they’re torn between liking me and not. But in any case the babies are hatched and here are some pictures…

How cute right!? If you have any nature or kids in nature images to share, you can send them in by contacting me. We’ve had some great photos sent in the past by Tree Hugging Family readers, such as…

It would be cool to get some new tree hugging families posted so send in your photos and if you’ve got one, a link to your blog (I like to link out).

[images via miss Jennifer]

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Gear that will spark your child’s love of nature

Jennifer — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:29:28 +0000

Sometimes kids are leery of being outside. I think the kids I’ve met who hate being outside just don’t get out much. I’m guessing that’s mainly on parents. You have to get your kids outside, you have to enjoy it as well, and make it a fun experience or your kids won’t learn to love nature. That said, we discussed this before here, in the post, “What to do when your kids hate being outside“, and some parents noted that they love being outside, but their kids don’t.

You can do something about this though. Some cool nature gear may be just the thing to help your child connect better with nature. Following are some ideas for nature gear you can buy or find around the house…

Binoculars – Terra Kids Pocket Box – Pocket Magnifying Glass: All these items are made by eco-friendly Haba and will encourage your little one to become more involved with nature.

Let’s Go Rock Collecting – Smithsonian Handbooks: Rocks & Minerals – Kid’s Garden Tool Set – All of the above items will help your little one to collect rocks. My son Cedar is a rock collector and the two books above are Cedar’s favorites. The gardening tools are great because they allow your little to dig through the dirt. He’s more into it so he has a collection box, but unless your little one REALLY gets into rock collecting, you don’t really need a display/collection box. You can use an old ice cube tray or egg carton for young and new rock collectors. You can also use a tackle box or make your own rock collection box with recycled paper as well.

For nature outings, kids need a nice little journal. They can jot down cool stuff they find or draw pictures. The ecoKIDS 100% Recycled Paper Sketchbooks (shown above) are a good journal choice and for drawing tools try Crayon Rocks Soybean Crayons or Forest Choice Pencils in 12 colors.

The Nature Bag is a great summer-time toy and an all around perfect outdoor kit for kids. The kit includes: a Fair Trade 100% certified organic cotton shoulder bag, an all season activity booklet, 2 leaf viewers, 8 color cards, recycled notepad, recycled pencil, soy based crayons, hemp twine, organic cotton blindfold, and a rubberwood magnifying glass. The kit also comes with various outdoor suggested activities like scavenger hunts, bug searches, and clay imprints.

Other cool gear to have on hand:

Magnets – if your child hold a magnet to the soil, he can see if iron is hiding in the soil. You can also put some soil onto a piece of paper and hold the magnet under it. If there’s enough iron, the soil will move around like magic.
Water spray bottle – water changes everything. Here in Oregon, you’d be hard pressed to find a kid who doesn’t know what nature looks like wet, but when we lived in New Mexico, kids were way impressed when you’d spray water on typical nature items. A spiderweb, rocks, plants, and more change their look and color when lightly sprayed with good old H2O.
A small mesh strainer for digging through soil and or streams and ponds.
Any other nature books – books on plant identification, bird watching, or trees are all great choices. You can visit your local library to find some good ones.

Can you think of any other great tools that kids could use for fun nature adventures?

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

Random Monday Morning Nature News & Giveaway

Jennifer — Mon, 18 May 2009 15:48:41 +0000

To kick off Monday, I’ve got some giveaway news and some super adorable news… hmmm, which should we cover first? I’m going with adorable nature news. So, for Mother’s Day I got a pot of hanging flowers. There are a ton of birds around my place and they LOVE the pot of flowers. A lot. They keep hanging out above me in the flowers, and today when I went to water them guess what?

How cute is that!? I’m so going to be a bird auntie! Yay.

Now in giveaway news…

mad berries is giving away the super cool “I Am Not A Paper Cup” – I’m a big fan of this cup and have posted about it before here.

Besides the packaging it comes in, this is a cool eco-friendly twist of a cup. I think you should go try to win it. I hope your Monday is off to a great start. Later today some more green wedding goodies – in case you forgot it’s green wedding month here at THF. If you’d like to catch up take a look at…

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See A Movie – Plant A Tree!

Jennifer — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 16:00:12 +0000

I recently posted about Disneynature’s Earth – a great new movie opening on Earth Day 2009. However, being me, I left out one very important point about this flick.

Disneynature is celebrating the release of their premiere film, Earth, by planting a tree in honor of every moviegoer who sees the film in its opening week. This is just one more cool reason why you and the whole family should go see the movie Earth. Besides being a family-friendly nature film, a good time, and a reason to justify overly calorie laden popcorn, it’s great that your outing will help to plant trees.

CONTEST REMINDER!

This post is also your official reminder that our Disneynature’s Earth Giveaway is over very soon. If you haven’t entered to win the great Disneynature’s Earth giveaway package, I’d hop to it. All comment entries must be posted by April 17, 2009 – midnight my time (west coast) – yup folks that’s tonight.

Enter the Disneynature’s Earth Giveaway!

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Three surefire ways to get the kiddos outside

Jennifer — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 23:35:08 +0000

Now that warmer weather is coming it’s time to hustle the littles outside. I know I talk about this until I’m blue in the face, and all of you are sick to death of it, but seriously, kids who get outside = kids who love nature = kids who grow up into adults who WANT to preserve nature.

That said (again) below are some surefire ways to get the kids outside and keep them outside.

1. Get artistic: The best thing about outside art time is that your inside stays tidy! Set up easels or an art table with a tie on tablecloth (so they don’t blow away). Set out paper (place a rock on top for blow away days), wooden boxes with paints and crayons, and other artsy goodies. If you have no clue about how to get started with outdoor art projects read the following…

2. Pitch a tent: I never had a tent growing up (not my mom’s bag) but I REALLY wanted one. Kids and tents go together like peanut butter and jelly – but you know possibly less sticky. In any case kids can use an outdoor tent for a clubhouse, as a nice retreat for snacks and books (without the wind), for shadow puppets at night (grab a flashlight), or for the good ol’ all night camp out. See some eco friendly camping gear options.

3. Greet some critters: Set up a birdbath, build a birdhouse from recycled wood scraps and metal, dig a shallow pond for frogs, install an eco-friendly swimming hole and add some fish, plant a butterfly garden (or another eco-friendly kid style garden), and more. There are plenty of ways to encourage wildlife to come for a visit. Your kids will adore the critters, and the critters will adore the habitat.

BONUS: By the way, now is the perfect time to start researching summer camp for your child. This year why not go green with your choice? Read Green Summer Camps for ideas.

You tell me: What are you doing to get your kids outside this spring?

PS – this is almost the last day to enter to win FREE Tickets to the Seattle Green Festival!

[image via stock.xchng]

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How walk-friendly is your community?

Jennifer — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 22:17:17 +0000

Why bother researching green communities? Especially for something as seemingly small as decent walkability?

There are plenty of reasons. First of all a walkable town or community means that most likely the area is greener than others. This is a major perk for the planet and your family’s health. Recent news about this includes…

Green Spaces Beneficial for Kids Health
Less asthma among kids – just one more reason to hug trees
One small step: spend one mile on nature today – yup green spaces help you stay fit.
Of course the more green there is, the more likely you are to ditch that car and walk or bike, which in turn aids in the fight against global warming.

BUT the question is, how can you actually find a walk-friendly place to live? Luckily it’s as easy as green pie with the following sites:

Walk Score -gives you a walking-friendly (or not) score for various areas. You enter your address and Walk Score spits out how your neighborhood stacks up. My own neighborhood is not so cool. It earned a 34 out of 100 (100 is best). While I actually do live in a green space complex, the reason my area is not considered walking-friendly is based on limited nearby resources like grocery stores and libraries.

Other sites to try:

10 least polluted areas in the U.S.
Top 25 Towns for Clean Air, Dirty Air
The 25 Most Polluted Regions in the United States
15 Green Cities – not pollution specifically but a green overview. Same for America’s Greenest States.
What makes a city walkable.

If your area scores low for walk-ready areas it may not be time to pack up the U-Haul though. You might be able to green your community with a little help from your neighbors. Read How to Protect Your Neighborhood Land, Go Green: How to Build an Earth-Friendly Community, or Green Infrastructure: Linking Landscapes and Communities for ideas.

Is your area green enough? OR is a lack of walk-friendly areas keeping your family inside way too often?

Post from: Tree Hugging Family