How Can We Help Conserve Trees?

It can be easy to take trees for granted; they’re in the background of everyday life, and big, mature trees are there for so many years that they seem like a given. However, anyone who has planted a sapling, maintained the trees in their yard, or dealt with a weak or aging tree knows that it’s a big responsibility! 

Trees are essential to keeping our neighborhoods and environments in good ecological condition, and there are many ways that each and every one of us can contribute to maintaining the local canopy.

Which Conservation Efforts Help to Conserve Trees?

Here, we’ll go over seven of the main ways to conserve trees and help keep your local trees happy, healthy, and in place. The options we’ll go over include planting and maintaining trees, advocating for conservation, volunteering time and effort, donating money, and staying informed so you know how to contribute the most effectively given your particular situation. Not everyone can do everything, but everyone can do something! 

Seven Ways to Support Tree Conservation Efforts

1. Plant Trees in Your Yard

Planting new trees is one of the best investments we can make in keeping our environments healthy and livable. Since so much of our neighborhood greenery is located in residential yards, planting trees at home is much more important than many people realize. Planting new trees in open spaces, replacing trees that have been removed, and choosing a variety of species and sizes of trees all contribute to a robust and integral ecosystem from the ground up. Big, healthy trees even increase the actual value of your property!

We have lots of resources on our site that will help you understand when, where, and how to plant trees on your property!

2. Help Maintain Trees

Once a tree is planted, keeping it in place is critical! Trees hold the rest of the ecosystem together by stabilizing the ground and providing canopy cover, in addition to producing several types of ecosystem services. While trees of all ages play important roles in the cycles of ecosystems, big, mature trees can provide benefits on a much larger scale than young trees can, so it’s important to make sure they are able to live long, healthy lives. Learn about the needs of the trees in your yard and work with certified arborists as necessary to make sure they’re well cared for and maintained.

3. Get Involved With Events That Promote Tree Conservation

Throughout the year, parks, arboretums, forest preserves, and conservation organizations often have different kinds of events that promote tree planting and conservation, like Arbor Day celebrations or autumnal cleanup days. These activities are a way for the community to get involved and lend a helping hand to maintaining trees, which might include planting new trees or helping remove brush buildup from the ground. Other events may be educational opportunities like birdwatching or nature hikes that teach participants about the realities and importance of the local ecosystem. 

4. Volunteer With Local Organizations

Whereas special events are a great way to involve the community at large, many organizations offer opportunities year-round to help their cause. This might include hands-on support like planting trees and helping with cleanup, while some organizations may also need help with community organization, outreach, or education based on an individual’s own capabilities. 

5. Advocate for Conservation Programs in Your Community

In addition to actively planting trees and participating with canopy-focused groups, advocating for conservation programs in your community is another impactful way to support local tree care. Increasingly, cities and towns are creating programs that plant and replant trees, trim trees, and remove weak and dead ones. Governments also play an important role in creating laws, restrictions, and regulations that encourage good tree maintenance, planting, and protection. These kinds of rules are usually developed in collaboration with (and often by the instigation of) citizens and nature-based professionals, and they help us all be certain that public and private spaces alike have safeguards to keep a neighborhood canopy alive, well, and functional. 

6. Donate Money to Conservation Groups

For those who don’t have the time to volunteer or advocate, donating money to support conservation groups is a fruitful way to support tree care and conservation. In addition to purchasing plants and equipment, much of these funds help pay for an organization’s staff, who are then able to commit the time and energy to all kinds of tree care activities that require the careful and skilled attention of trained professionals (like tree trimming and removal). Whether it’s on-the-ground care or in-office administration, running area-wide environmental organizations takes lots of resources to be effective, and even the smallest contributions add up. Before donating, it’s important to do your due diligence to choose a cause that’s close to your heart and identify an organization that you believe is making the difference you want to see. 

7. Educate Yourself About the Impact of Deforestation

Learning about the effects of deforestation (widespread tree removal) can help you better understand why trees are so important in the first place. Keep updated with environmental news, read books and articles about how trees work, and learn about local, native trees so you know which ones should be planted, how to care for them, and what they contribute.

Why Tree Conservation Matters

Fundamentally, trees provide many of the ecosystem services that make environments livable, and without them, things would get uncomfortable rather quickly! Some of the major benefits of tree conservation include:

• Soil stability – The roots of trees and other plants keep soil in place, and without good root systems, soil would get blown away by wind and rinsed away by rain, removing the essential layer of topsoil that we need for plants to grow, produce oxygen, process moisture, and absorb carbon and pollutants from the air (especially in urban and suburban areas).

• Water management – When soil is held firm by an extensive system of roots, it can absorb, hold, and process water effectively. Whether it’s normal rain or a strong storm, the presence of trees will help manage the amount of water that falls, helping to prevent flooding of streets and homes.

• Shade and temperature moderation – Without the shade that big, bushy trees provide, as well as the moisture that trees release, direct sunlight and dry air can raise temperatures considerably, making a place much warmer than it would otherwise be with good green cover.

• Air filtration – Trees absorb lots of particles from the air, from normal carbon to harsh pollutants. These particles don’t harm the tree but rather contribute to building its solid structure. Without trees intercepting and capturing these, the air can become unhealthy and hotter than it would be if enough big trees were present.

• Wildlife habitat – Native trees of all types, ages, and sizes provide important sources of food and shelter to local animals of all kinds! Seeds, berries, and leaves provide the essential nutrients and energy that birds, mammals, and insects feed on year-round, while a robust canopy offers places for them to live, move, hide, rest, and raise their families. Without this food and shelter, wildlife populations, pests, diseases, and the local food web would quickly become unbalanced and create significant challenges for humans, other wildlife, and environments in general.

• Mental health – Having trees around is good for physical and mental health alike! Not only do they provide many ecosystem services, they create spaces where we can relax, exercise, and spend time with friends and family, enjoying time in nature and making memories. Seeing beautiful trees can make us feel good about where we live, as can simply knowing they’re there to provide their many benefits to the environment. Keeping and maintaining trees in our neighborhoods can reduce any potential anxiety and frustration that may accompany the drawbacks of too few trees being present.

Conservation Through Care 

The conservation of trees is an important endeavor and one that requires ongoing attention. In fact, trees in our yards and parks require much more attention than those in wilderness spaces since they are subject to many more dangers, like lawn care equipment, pollution, and potential damage from human activities (like driving, construction, or improper care). They’re also more isolated in our neighborhoods than in nature, which makes them that much more vulnerable and in need of attentive conservation. On the other hand, trees in neighborhoods can pose dangers to people and property when weak or not maintained well due to their close proximity to buildings and living spaces.

If you’re in need of trees to plant in your yard, browse our selection available through the Nashville Tree Conservation Corps’ tree sale, ongoing from October until February. Consider volunteering with us to lend a helping hand, and sign up for our newsletter to stay updated on tree news and care tips that will help us conserve Nashville’s canopy over the long term!