This text is part of the special Pleasures notebook
National Arbor Day takes place this year on September 20. An opportunity to remember, in this sad record year of forest fires, the remarkable power of trees in our lives and on our physical and mental health. And put some hikes in the forest on our agenda!
The fall season is always an opportunity to enjoy the soothing presence of trees, beneficial in more than one way. If the benefits of prolonged immersion in the forest on well-being and mental health are known and validated by numerous scientific studies, we know less about its effects on physical health and metabolism. However, they are indeed recognized by science: several Japanese studies — the country of shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) — demonstrate that exposure to the forest has a direct impact on blood pressure and the cardiovascular system. Even more: an American investigation showed that the epidemic of the emerald ash borer, which decimated more than a million trees between 1990 and 2007, was responsible for more than 6,000 deaths linked to respiratory syndrome and 15,000 others, associated with cardiac pathology. Three days in the forest could strengthen our immune system for a month. A significant perspective from a strictly medical point of view.
Millions of trees replanted
It is to highlight the effect of trees on health and well-being that the organization Trees Canada focuses its actions in partnership with Natural Resources Canada. Its goal: to inspire the public to learn more about trees and their power in our lives. Since 1992, the NPO has practiced planting several species adapted to the environment, both rural and urban. In rural areas, 1.5 million trees are planted each year on public or private lands and on indigenous territories, especially in British Columbia. This is part of the federal government’s 2 billion trees program, which supports massive planting by 2031.
In Quebec, two organizations are responsible for evaluating sites and choosing the species to plant on the ground: Soverdi, the Urban Forest Alliance, in Montreal, and the Deux-Rives Forestry Association, in Quebec. “In urban areas, trees are subject to many pressures,” explains Robert Henri, director of communications and branding at Trees Canada. They must be maintained and replanted, because they help cool cities by combating heat islands. As a bonus: the more green spaces we have in the city, the more we are encouraged to practice physical activity. »
National Tree Day
“National Arbor Day is, each year, an opportunity to encourage Canadians and Quebecers to take tangible action for the environment,” says Robert Henri. This is one of the programs carried out by Trees Canada in urban areas; the NPO redistributes subsidies, obtained by partner companies, from citizen groups, municipalities and indigenous communities. In Quebec, 200 people actively participate in this arboreal celebration (that’s 10 times more nationally) in Montreal and Quebec. On this occasion, some 450 trees should be planted in Quebec.
Hikes to bring back the trees around you
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