As Covid-19 shows no sign of relenting and our collective anxiety levels surge, what if I told you there was a shockingly easy way to relax, de-stress, boost your immune system, and live a happier life in these scary times? A walk in the woods! Yes, trees can and do make you happier. In fact, there’s even a name for this emerging restorative practice: Shinrin-yoku. Shinrin means “forest” and yoku “bath” in Japanese. 

A recent review of the scientific literature in 2020 found promising results in over 200 studies. From my own experience of walking my dog daily through the woods, I can tell you I wouldn’t have made it the last 8 months of the pandemic without this escape. 

Let’s highlight a few of the findings: 

• Japanese and Korean scientists demonstrated that exposure to forest settings produced lower measures of anxiety, depression, anger, confusion, and fatigue

• Polish researchers found that forest bathing “during the winter produces psychological relaxation effects on young adults.” 

• Research out of Washington state found that MRI scans of adult city dwellers living close to a forest displayed an amygdala structure associated with better capacity to cope with stress. 

• University of Michigan found that 55-minute walks enhanced cognitive performance, and short sessions (15 minutes) of ‘forest bathing’ produced enhanced subjective feelings of vigor, recovery, and vitality.

In addition to boosting our mental health, trees have endless benefits for the environment. Think back to those elementary school days where we learned about that nifty little trick that plants are so darn good at, photosynthesis. They absorb carbon dioxide (that nasty gas causing so much trouble in the atmosphere) and release oxygen (the gas that, you know, lets us breathe!). Strong, healthy trees can store vast amounts of CO2 in their branches, leaves, and roots. In addition to their knack for “carbon sequestration” (there’s a cocktail party phrase for ya), trees provide nutrients and habitat for a multitude of other organisms. And if the tree is a native species to the area, its contribution to the overall health of the environment can be endless.

So, what can you do? Plant native trees local to your area! Do you really need that water-guzzling lawn in your front yard? Why not plant an oak? Here are the top three native trees in New York: 

OAK

Not enough can be said about the benefits of the oak tree. It is a keystone species, meaning it has an enormous effect on surrounding wildlife and can determine the success or failure of the overall ecosystem it inhabits. Now, that’s power! Many animals make their homes in oak trees, from birds such as robins, starlings, and blue jays, to mammals like squirrels, raccoons, and opossums. As you may know, oaks produce acorns. And a lot of them! Deer, rabbits, wild turkey, chipmunks, and bears are just a few of the animals that rely heavily (and at times, entirely) on acorns for sustenance. And even though the oak tree sports no flowers, a staggering 521 different species of butterfly and moth use oaks as host plants for their caterpillar larvae, the most of any tree native to the northeast. Bow before your keystone species: the mighty oak!

WILLOW

Willows get a bad rap, sometimes for good reason. They are fast growers, with aggressive root systems that can damage your foundation and sewage pipes. But if planted in the right area, willows can wonderfully help your environment. They soak up a lot of water, so planting a willow in a swampy or oft-flooded area of your property is best and can help reduce excess water runoff. They are also one of the first plants to flower in the spring, providing necessary food for early pollinators waking from their winter slumber. A whopping 431 different species of butterfly and moth use willows as host plants for their caterpillar larvae. Not quite as impressive as oaks, but damn good.

POPLAR (COTTONWOOD, ASPEN)

While not only being beautiful to look at, poplars are wonderful shade trees for your yard. They grow upwards, like a column, with one central trunk. This means their root systems are expansive, so be sure to give them space. Poplars are used by 360 different species of butterfly and moth as a host plant for caterpillar larvae, many of whom use less than 10 plant species to survive. That’s right, they only eat 10 things. Many types of caterpillar can only survive on very specific plants, sometimes as few as 3. Poplars are on the list of many of these picky eaters. And if that’s not intriguing enough, poplars are known as one of the top trees for carbon sequestration.

So, if you have the space on your property, why not consider planting a tree? It just might be the single best thing you can do for the environment.