We Love Trees

"We love (trees) for their liveliness, for their changes through the seasons and our lives, for their aging and persistence, for their individuality. Our attitudes to trees are full of …paradoxes. They are symbols life, but also of wilderness, and all that stands in the way of ‘civilisation’. They are the natural climax vegetation of most of the planet, yet they are obstinately viewed, even by their friends, as some kind of human benefaction. And, most ironically, they continue to be destroyed across the globe in barely credible quantities, just at the moment when we are beginning to understand their crucial role in regulating the climate. We say we love them but somehow we have not yet learned how to live together." -Richard Mabey, 1990, cited in The Culture of Trees.

The trees are disappearing in our neighborhoods and cities, according to an article written by Dan Cray, published in the Time Magazine, published June 21, 2007. Click here to view the article online.

Trees sometimes seem to be all around us, so we take them for granted. Beginning today, please no longer do so…the world’s rainforests are disappearing, but so are our urban forests. These vital green agents in our midst provide a canopy that absorbs pollutants, remove particulates from the air, prevent flooding, and keep provide shade that keep temperatures at livable levels. According to experts, cities in the west should be at least 25% under the cover of trees. Unfortunately, our cities aren’t anywhere near this green.

Here in East Palo Alto, trees are disappearing at an alarming rate, with landmark trees coming down unchecked by city regulation and enforcement. Developers craftily wait until the weekend, and then remove the trees, stump and all, so that by Monday morning, there is no record the tree was ever there. Other trees fall victim to less pernicious abuse, simply dying from lack of care or awareness about how to care for them.

The urban deforestation in East Palo Alto apparently isn’t much different than other communities, according to Cray: “In the past few decades, Washington has lost half its tree cover; San Diego's is off about a quarter; the cover in cities in Michigan, North Carolina and Florida has fallen to about 27% of what it once was; Chicago and Philadelphia are just 16%.

Well, if our local situation isn't so special, why should we care?

Wait: take a breath and hold it in for a moment. Are you still with me? In this brief moment, consider these additional facts from Cray’s article:

“Every tree that's subtracted from a city's ecosystem means some particulate pollution that should have been filtered out remains. In Washington, that amounts to 540 extra tons each year. Simply replanting does not suffice because small, young trees require decades to grow to full size.”

"A big tree does 60 to 70 times the pollution removal of a small tree," says David Nowak, a project leader with the U.S. Forest Service's Northern Research Station in Syracuse, N.Y. Nowak continues: “Each year in Chicago, for example, the urban tree canopy removes 15 metric tons of carbon monoxide, 84 metric tons of sulfur dioxide, 89 metric tons of nitrogen dioxide, 191 metric tons of ozone and 212 metric tons of particulates. Trees absorb these gaseous pollutants via their leaf stomata (the tiny pores on leaves) and break them down into less-harmful molecules during photosynthesis.”

Consider the latter information in light of the fact that studies show a link between air quality and health issues such as asthma. East Palo Alto has a higher rate of childhood asthma than the rest of San Mateo County. The causes of this higher asthma rate are unknown, though it is speculated that it may be related to higher levels of air pollution.

Are you still holding your breath?

Rather than simply restate the many values of urban trees, I will encourage you to read Cray’s article (click here to view). When you are done, then consider getting involved locally. Here in East Palo Alto, we have formed the EPA Tree Taskforce. Local leader, Dr. Faye McNair Knox is leading this effort with the support of Canopy, a local nonprofit that has worked with volunteers in East Palo Alto. Through collaborative efforts, hundreds of trees have been added back to the urban landscape, and young people have been hired to tend to the trees planted in East Palo Alto, providing job skills and hands on education. Trees now line the sound wall area next to the 101 freeway that passes through East Palo Alto, where weeds, glass, trash and remnant parts of cars involved in accidents once littered the right-of way. East Palo is fortunate in that Mayor Pat Foster is among a group of leaders in the community that has a strong history of supporting trees and other environmental initiatives in the city. But, in order for us to make a difference, everyone needs to get involved.

East Palo is to be commended for joining the growing list of cities that finally responding to the problem. Cray reports that “more than 2,000 big and small cities have launched long-term planting and preservation programs. In San Francisco, new laws treat mature trees like historic buildings. Los Angeles, whose plans are perhaps the most ambitious, is looking to plant 1 million trees over the next 30 years, though of course the effects would not be felt for a long time. Already 100,000 of those trees are in the ground, most of which should grow to have canopies 40 feet across. Boston, New York City and San Diego all have plans of their own.”

In 2006, Canopy hosted Dr. Wangari Maathai to celebrate Canopy’s 10th anniversary and to kick off the East Palo Tree Initiative. The initiative holds the goal of planting 1,000 trees in East Palo Alto by 2010 through a joint effort between Canopy and the City of East Palo Alto. A grant from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection has provided the resources to launch the first phase of this project. At the event in 2006, Dr. Wangari Maathai emphasized “DON’T WAIT FOR YOUR GOVERNMENT… It is very important for citizens to understand that taking care of the environment is not just the responsibility of the government. It is their responsibility too.”

On December 17^th, Canopy joined with Collective Roots at East Palo Alto Charter School and made it possible for over 50 fruit trees and other tree species to be planted in the school garden there. Imagine a mini-orchard and a small forest in every school landscape. This is our hope for East Palo Alto. Please consider supporting these efforts through making a donation by clicking here.