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Stories in Washington

Health Benefits of Trees

 Trees line an urban walkway in Pioneer Square in Seattle.
Urban Trees Trees provide all of us with many benefits. © Kevin Lee

Trees provide a wide variety of benefits. See the graphic below to learn what trees do for you every day!

Illustrated infographic showing the many benefits of urban trees.

To learn more about what YOU can do for trees, check out the resource listed below:

How Do Trees Benefit People? Alternative Text and Sources

Beyond adding beauty to our communities, trees provide real health and safety benefits to people living in cities and towns every day.

  • Safety Buffer: Trees provide a natural barrier between cars and people enjoying walks in their neighborhoods, creating a safer space for everyone. View the source
  • Cool Spaces: Trees offer cooling benefits to cities and towns, which are typically warmer due to hard surfaces. View the source
  • Reduce Stress: City walks by green spaces result in a lower heart rate than walks by buildings or vacant lots. View the source
  • Build Connection: Trees support social connections. Studies found that residential common areas with trees and other greenery support stronger feelings of community. View the source
  • Getting Active: People who live in areas with high levels of greenery are much more likely to be physically active. View the source
  • Support Long-Term Health: People who live in areas with healthy tree canopy experience less asthma, strokes and cardiac arrest. View the source
  • Clean Air: Trees directly remove particulate matter from the air, reducing overall air pollution. View the source
  • Moving Toward Tree Equity: Many studies have found that trees are not equitably distributed throughout our cities and towns, with areas of Black, Indigenous and other frontline communities experiencing lower tree canopy than other areas (view the source). As we work to increase tree canopy to support the health of people and the environment, it is important to create accessible opportunities to collaborate with these communities to address these disparities.