This Friday is Schools Tree Day, with National Tree Day taking place on Sunday 31 July! If you haven’t planned a way to get involved yet, there’s still time. Simply grab some seeds, round up children and get planting! 

If you’ve got a busy week planned already, remember any day can be Tree Day, so just choose a day that suits.

Trees + humans = true love

Trees and humans have a special relationship. While we humans need to breathe in oxygen which we turn into carbon dioxide to exhale, trees breathe in carbon dioxide and exhale oxygen. Essentially, trees do an amazing job day in, day out of cleaning the air for us. 

Their role in absorbing harmful pollutants keeps us healthy, keeps the planet healthy and protects countless other animals and plants.

Trees and plants also do an excellent job at improving our health by simply being there. Time spent in natural surroundings, with plenty of trees and plants has been found to enhance our mental and physical health. After spending time in nature, research shows that humans can experience reduced stress and anxiety and lowered blood pressure. Long term it is thought that time spent in nature can even contribute to a reduced risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease. 

The more trees, the better

With all this in mind, not to mention trees’ ability to absorb carbon from the atmosphere and release oxygen, it’s clear that the more trees we have, the better off we will be.

Don’t forget to incorporate checking in with your trees and plants with children as part of their educational experience. Children will be in awe as they watch the progress of their seedlings and see the power of nurturing in action. 

Since 1996 when Planet Ark’s National Tree Day commenced, the impact has been huge with around 26 million trees planted by 5 million volunteers! 

Let’s join in and add to those incredible figures! To get inspired take a look at our past Tree Days activities on Facebook! Happy planting!