A Recent Brief Encounter

He said: What are you taking pictures of mate?

I said: Those beautiful trees in your street.

He said: Beautiful, do you reckon?

I said (after thinking - will I or won’t I):Yeah, don’t you think they’re beautiful?

He said: Nah, horrible b….y things.

I said: Why’s that?

He said: They’re dangerous, dropping limbs and blowing over.

I said: I reckon you are far more likely to be hit by a car than by a tree. The odds of being killed by a tree are as low as 1 in 20 million depending on the source of the statistics. You’re at least 600 times more likely to be killed by a car than a tree.

He said: Yeah, I suppose so.

I said: Did you know those trees are playing a big role in keeping you healthy?

He said: How’s that?

I said: They absorb CO2, vehicle emissions and atmospheric particulates and they exhale O2.

He said: Hmmm, Ok, but they drop leaves and nuts all over the place.

I said: That’s a small price to pay for the elevated value of your property.

He said: What do you mean?

I said: The average house price in Victoria is enhanced by about $20,000 for properties in treed streets.

 

Properties in treed streets attract higher prices

He said: Yeah, really?

I said: Really!

He said – again: Hmmm. You should see the spiders under the bark though.

I said: Do you like birds?

He said: The missus does especially but yeah, we like the birds. I think I know where you are heading with this.

I said: That hollow up there is precious to wildlife, and those sap dribbles are food for Sugar Gliders, the flowers and fruits attract a big range of beneficial insects and birds.

Urban trees can be the salvation of wildlife - Balmoral Park

He said: Can you see the way that tree root is lifting the bitumen?

I said: Yeah, that must slow the locals down. It’s a bit like a speed hump?

He said: That’s true.

I said: VicRoads say that bitumen roads shaded by trees have a much longer life and are cheaper to maintain.

He said: Yeah, I can believe that. I’ve seen how a road can be ripped up on a hot day.

I said: Yeah, I’ll say. Shady streets save on air conditioning costs in summer too.

Shaded roads cost less to maintain

He said: That’d be true – I’m not winning am I?

I said: I just think your trees are beautiful and valuable for all sorts of reasons. Anyway, I’d better get going.

He said: Ok mate, nice to meet you. Hope your photos turn out. You should have a look around in such and such street, some lovely trees there, wouldn’t mind a block there myself!!!!

Further reading links :-

Risk - the danger of being hit by a falling tree...

1 The Ranger's Blog - Nature Net UK.

2 Bendigo, the town that became scared of trees - Radio National.

Health :-

1 Trees improve human health and well-being in many ways - US Forest Research 2015.

2 The health benefits of trees - The Atlantic.

Property Values :-

1 Street trees give rise to property prices - Science network WA.

2 Street trees and property values - Saving Our Trees Marrickville Municipality.

Wildlife :-

1 Vanishing big trees put Australia's urban wildlife in peril - PhysOrg

2 Urban developers constructing a hollow future for Albury's wildlife - Albury Conservation Company.

Shady roads :-

1 Why shade trees? - US Forest Service.

2 Shade trees save road surfaces - SESL Australia.