Why do we need trees?

Whether you live in the city or the country, it's hard to imagine a life without trees. They provide shade in the summer, beautiful colored leaves in the autumn, and bright flowers in the spring.

They also provide homes for small animals (think about birds and squirrels) as well as people—the wood can be made into buildings and houses, as well as objects ranging from rocking chairs to baseball bats.  

Trees also provide many different kinds of food for both animals and people, such as nuts (walnuts, pecans) and fruit (peaches, plums, apples…) and even the sap that gets turned into maple syrup. The roots of trees also hold on to water and soil, which helps lessen the chance of flooding in certain areas. Trees even help clean the soil and the air (by absorbing pollutants).  

But the biggest reason we need trees has nothing do with shelter or food--it has to do with breathing! Take in a big breath--you’re filling your lungs with oxygen, a gas we need to live. Your body breathes in oxygen and breathes out a gas called carbon dioxide. Trees do the opposite--they take in carbon dioxide and expel oxygen--the gas people need to live. So trees are making something that we need to survive.

Next time you take a walk in the park, bite into a juicy plum, climb a wooden staircase, or take in a breath, remember that you couldn’t do any of those things without trees!