Abington’s private residences grow 78% of our tree canopy, and every year we lose more of that canopy as homeowners cut down trees. Decades of research shows that losing trees negatively impacts our community in a variety of ways ranging from lower property values to increased flooding to the loss of wildlife that rely on those trees.
Residents can help reverse this trend by planting more native trees.
- Trees increase property values, with mature trees adding thousands of dollars of value.
- Strategically placed trees shade a house in the summer and act as a windbreak in the winter, saving hundreds of dollars in energy costs each year.
- Trees cool the surrounding area directly through their shade and indirectly through evaporative cooling.
- Trees capture and hold rainwater, slowing the flow of water when it rains and reducing the risk of flooding.
- Trees sequester carbon as they grow, helping mitigate the impact of global warming.
- Trees improve air quality by absorbing pollutants, improving public health.
- Native trees are adapted to the local growing conditions.
- Native trees, unlike those from other parts of the world, are necessary to the reproduction of butterflies, moths, and other insects, as well as the birds that feed on those insects.
Without native trees, our wildlife cannot survive.
To learn more about the research showing the economic, health, and ecological benefits of planting trees, visit:
