Grassroots to Full Bloom
From a Community Initiative in Urban Forestry
to a National Cause
Urban and community forestry is the management of trees and other vegetation in urban areas to provide environmental, social, and economic benefits to communities. It matters because people matter. Trees can produce oxygen, cool our planet, give pollinators a home, create jobs, positively impact crime, and even improve our mental and physical health. Greater access to nature can radically improve people’s lives.
Yet vulnerable populations and under-resourced communities are at a disadvantage because they have significantly less access to green spaces. This project is designed to garner insights and build tools that will support grassroots initiatives to change this inequity. By working together, cities and towns across the country can overcome their unique environmental challenges. To that end, we’re adding community voices to the discussion so they can create a chorus. And this chorus can start a movement.
Urban & Community Forestry
The Multiple Benefits of Trees, Green Spaces, and Nature
Physical Health
Greater access to trees, green spaces, and nature is associated with reduced risk of chronic health conditions, including heart disease, cancer, and more.
Source: Twohig-Bennett, Caoimhe, and Andy Jones. "The health benefits of the great outdoors: A systematic review and meta-analysis of greenspace exposure and health outcomes." Environmental research 166 (2018): 628-637.
Mental Health
More interaction with trees, green spaces, and nature is associated with an increased ability to manage and treat stress, anxiety, and depression.
Source: Source: Bratman GN, Anderson CB, Berman MG, Cochran B, de Vries S, Flanders J, Folke C, Frumkin H, Gross JJ, Hartig T, Kahn PH Jr, Kuo M, Lawler JJ, Levin PS, Lindahl T, Meyer-Lindenberg A, Mitchell R, Ouyang Z, Roe J, Scarlett L, Smith JR, van den Bosch M, Wheeler BW, White MP, Zheng H, Daily GC. Nature and mental health: An ecosystem service perspective. Sci Adv. 2019 Jul 24;5(7):eaax0903. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aax0903. PMID: 31355340; PMCID: PMC6656547.
Mental Health
More interaction with trees, green spaces, and nature is associated with an increased ability to manage and treat stress, anxiety, and depression.
Source: Source: Bratman GN, Anderson CB, Berman MG, Cochran B, de Vries S, Flanders J, Folke C, Frumkin H, Gross JJ, Hartig T, Kahn PH Jr, Kuo M, Lawler JJ, Levin PS, Lindahl T, Meyer-Lindenberg A, Mitchell R, Ouyang Z, Roe J, Scarlett L, Smith JR, van den Bosch M, Wheeler BW, White MP, Zheng H, Daily GC. Nature and mental health: An ecosystem service perspective. Sci Adv. 2019 Jul 24;5(7):eaax0903. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aax0903. PMID: 31355340; PMCID: PMC6656547.
Community Well-Being
Increased nature appreciation and connectedness are associated with more community-oriented and cooperative behavior.
Source: Source: Francis, J., Giles-Corti, B., Wood, L., & Knuiman, M. (2012). Creating sense of community: The role of public space. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 32(4), 401–409. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2012.07.002) AND (Oh, Rachel R.Y. et al. 2022. “Connection to nature and time spent in gardens predicts social cohesion.” Urban Forestry & Urban Greening. 74:127655. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2022.127655)
Economic & Ecological Resilience
Trees, green spaces, and nature can provide carbon sequestration and increase habitat for birds and other species. It can also provide ecosystem resilience, such as reducing stormwater pollutants and the risk of flooding.
Source: Sources: Center for Watershed Protection. (2017). Review of the Available Literature and Data on the Runoff and Pollutant Removal Capabilities of Urban Trees (Crediting Framework Product #1 for the Project Making Urban Trees Count: A Project to Demonstrate the Role of)
Chen, S., Chen, J., Jiang, C., Yao, R. T., Xue, J., Bai, Y., ... Wang, S. (2022, July 1). Trends in Research on Forest Ecosystem Services in the Most Recent 20 Years: A Bibliometric Analysis. Forests (19994907), 13(7), 1087 - 1105
Economic & Ecological Resilience
Trees, green spaces, and nature can provide carbon sequestration and increase habitat for birds and other species. It can also provide ecosystem resilience, such as reducing stormwater pollutants and the risk of flooding.
Source: Sources: Center for Watershed Protection. (2017). Review of the Available Literature and Data on the Runoff and Pollutant Removal Capabilities of Urban Trees (Crediting Framework Product #1 for the Project Making Urban Trees Count: A Project to Demonstrate the Role of)
Chen, S., Chen, J., Jiang, C., Yao, R. T., Xue, J., Bai, Y., ... Wang, S. (2022, July 1). Trends in Research on Forest Ecosystem Services in the Most Recent 20 Years: A Bibliometric Analysis. Forests (19994907), 13(7), 1087 - 1105
Youth & Education
Increased access to trees, green spaces, and nature is associated with increased emotional regulation and resilience, including anger, stress management, and self-discipline.
Source: Source: Sakhvidi, M. J. Z., Mehrparvar, A. H., Sakhvidi, F. Z., & Dadvand, P. (2023). Greenspace and health, wellbeing, physical activity, and development in children and adolescents: an overview of the systematic reviews. Current Opinion in Environmental Science & Health, 100445.
Did we leaf an impression?
Email spreadingroots@virginia.edu for questions or more information.