This summary is based Amy Fleming’s article “The Importance of Urban Forestry”
In “The Importance of Urban Forests: why money really does grow on trees.” (2016) Amy Fleming emphasizes how trees can vastly impact our mental health, environmental sustainability and our everyday living. She reports that many species of trees are depleting due to “diseases, development and shrinking municipal budgets” (qtd. in Fleming 1). She asserts that trees positively impact us by facilitating a deeper connection to our environment (4). Fleming mentions people have better resilience with “anxiety and depression” because urban trees produce the positive benefits that impact mental health (qtd. in Fleming 4) as well as neighborhoods report lower levels of violence (Fleming 4). Fleming’s point is that these positive effects are due to the rejuvenating effect trees have on our mental health (4). According to multiple studies, having green spaces provides an abundance of benefits that impact our quality of living. Research proves that it creates more sustainable, eco-friendly, energy-efficient, and cost-effective communities (2-3). Fleming strengthens her argument by including the following statistics “Trees can cool cities by between 2C and 8C…reduce heating energy use by a further 20-50%” (qtd. in Fleming 2). Fleming argues that the developing landscapes of the urban city are changing the discourse and teachings that greener environments impart upon their residents (5). As Fleming states, the lack of connection to the environment is leading to the “extinction of experience” (qtd. in Fleming) in the future generation. She exemplifies the need for awareness surrounding this issue by emphasizing that our leaders should consider the positive environmental, health, and mental health benefits of trees, and invest in creating city environments that stimulate learning and connection to the land (Fleming 5).
