Welcome and Happy Arbor Day!

We wish you all a happy Arbor Day! Our new normal means that for many of you, this year’s celebrations likely look very different from the past or what you originally planned. We hope that you still find opportunities to safely engage your communities on the importance of planting trees. I like to think we are all discovering our own small ways to celebrate Arbor Day this year. For example, beautiful weather and ample time at home has brought many of my neighbors outdoors to work in their yards. I hope this means we’ll see a proliferation of newly planted trees this spring.

Our offerings for this edition of the newsletter focus on the intersection between trees and public health. As a growing body of research affirms the many ways in which trees and spending time in green spaces improves health and wellness, so we see a rise in agencies, organizations, and other partners engaging the public health sector in urban forestry. We hope you enjoy the success stories and resources included, and that you are inspired to get out, enjoy nature, practice some forest bathing, and alleviate some of the stress of these times.

Trees & Health Webinar Roundup

Brush up on your tree canopy knowledge from home with this compilation of trees and human health-focused webinars, as well as links to other live and recorded urban forestry webinar offerings. 

Trees, Veterans, and Public Health in Maryland

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources Forest Service is recognizing our veterans of war by providing technical assistance and trees for projects on veterans facilities. These collaborations including a budding partnership with the Veterans Affairs Maryland healthcare system to promote public wellness and community health through trees on their campuses. 

Making the Connection between Trees and Public Health through Park Rx

Park Rx America is about getting healthcare providers to write medical prescriptions to visit parks and natural areas. The concept is to leverage the trust-filled relationship between patient and doctor to get the patient outside in a nature-rich environment. These prescribed outdoor experiences will hopefully motivate patients to spend time in nature on their own. We also intend for this process to result in a group of people with an enhanced appreciation of nature and interest in park and forest stewardship.