A Scientific Finding; The Healing Power of Trees By Michelle Schoffro Cook I’ve had the good fortune to live in a wide range of places: in the city, i n the rainforest, in the desert, i n a canyon, in the mountains, beside the ocean, and numerous other places. I learned a lot about myself from being in such diverse environments. One of the main things I learned is that I love living near trees. If I can’t live in the middle of the forest, you’ll probably find massive cedar hedges or an old- growth pine somewhere on the land surrounding my home. And, new research shows that I’m not the only one who is happiest near trees. A new study conducted by the University of Exeter, in Exeter, UK and the University of Trnava, Trnava, Slovakia found that people who live in more densely forested areas are less likely to be taking anti-depressant medications. Because a growing body of evidence has shown an association between access to urban greenspace and wellbeing, the scientists wanted to find out how tree density might affect mental health. The researchers explored the number of trees per kilometer throughout London, England boroughs along with the rates of antidepressant prescribing. After adjusting for other potential factors, the scientists found that there was a decrease of 1.18 antidepressant prescriptions for every additional tree per kilometer of street. They concluded that an increased number of trees may reduce the incidence of depression. The study will be published in the April 2015 edition of the journal Landscape and Urban Planning. Obviously, most people who love nature don’t need a study to tell them what they already know. But, it’s nice when science confirms what we feel. It seems we humans are meant to be “tree-huggers” or at least live among the trees. Even if we don’t live in a densely-forested area, we can contribute to the number of trees in our communities. We can plant more trees in our yard, propose the planting of more trees in public spaces, plant and care for potted trees on our balconies if we don’t have land in which to plant them. We can get involved with tree-planting efforts in our communities, or start them if they don’t already exist in our town or city. Id love to hear how trees enhance your life and the efforts you may be making to add more trees to your neighborhood.
Posted on: Sun, 25 Jan 2015 05:37:19 +0000
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