For English 100, we were asked to write a summary paragraph on Amy Fleming’s “The Importance of Urban Forests.” This is the summary paragraph I wrote and submitted for the assignment.

In the article, “The Importance of Urban Forests,” Amy Fleming reveals the mental, physical, and economic benefits of green spaces in urban environments. The article begins with, historian, Jill Jones, expressing her concerns about the dwindling urban tree population that has succumbed to government devastation. Jones talks about how “city officials saw trees as ‘expensive ornaments’,” that are simply there for decoration and cost too much to maintain (qtd. in Fleming 2). The issue raised by Jones is that in today’s generation, people seem to forget how much we rely on and benefit from nature’s existence. Jones states that “’ trees are economic drivers’,” that could be used as monetization (qtd. in Fleming 3).  Green places generate revenue rather than depleting public resources. For example, Fleming reported that in New York, there were “$36 million of costs avoided in mitigating stormwater flooding,” energy savings of $28 million and air quality improvements of $5 million (3). However, where there is a lack of green spaces, people are more likely to face problems with their mental and physical health. Public health expert, William Bird expresses how people “have less anxiety and depression” when they are more active around areas that have more green space (qtd. in Fleming 4). In making this comment, Bird encourages people who are struggling with their mental health to take advantage of nature’s existence and reduce their problems by spending some time outside. Fleming explains how researchers learned through their studies that “people are less violent when they live near trees,” reducing their stress and providing them with more energy (4). This study urges individuals to see how much of an impact nature can have on their mental and physical well-being.