Our amazing neighbor, Donna Wallace, had a great idea for how to celebrate her 85th birthday last month. She wanted to do something that would have a positive impact on her community and on the environment. So she decided to give away trees – lots of trees – one tree for each year of her life. She contacted her wide network of friends and asked them to plant a tree (or several trees) of their choice that she would buy for them. If they didn’t have room in their yard, or if they didn’t have a yard, was there a public space or a family member who could plant one? Donna took their orders – oak, maple, coffee, aspen. On July 27, 85 trees were delivered to Donna’s house by a local nursery. On July 28, friends and friends of friends arrived to enjoy coffee, donuts and champagne and pick up Donna’s gift to them and to the environment. Maybe we are all breathing a little easier in Lowry, with the gift of all those new trees.
Why are trees good?
•Trees help fight climate change. They pull carbon out of the air, store it and replace it with oxygen. The storage of carbon helps to lower CO2 emissions in the atmosphere and slow global heating.
•Trees form an important part of the weather cycle. About 40% of rainfall over land happens because of water vapor that is released back into the atmosphere by trees.
•As they grow, trees drive their roots deep into the ground, helping to stabilize the dirt around them, stopping soil erosion and reducing the impacts of landslides and flooding.
•Trees are good for our mental health. Spending time among trees and nature has been proven to help boost our mood and reduce depression and anxiety.
•Trees provide homes for wildlife.
Thank you Donna for making such a terrific contribution to the health of our planet!
Meet Your Lowry Neighbors is a monthly feature written by our intrepid reporter Sally Kurtzman, who knows everyone in our community. This month we have a guest reporter, Kathy Head, Chair of Lowry United Neighborhoods, who contributed this month’s story. If you have a suggestion for a Meet Your Lowry Neighbor, please send us an email to connect@lowryunitedneighborhoods.org.