This promising finding is included in Planet Ark's first edition of the Living Cities report, titled 'Trees in the Urban Environment.' The report includes many inspiring benefits to tree planting, including:
• A 5% increase in tree cover can reduce nearby daytime temperatures by 2.3C, which could be crucial as heatwaves cost more lives than all other climate change impacts combined;
• A large healthy tree can sequester up to 93kg of CO2 and 1.4kg of air pollution per year;
• Time spent in green outdoor spaces can lower the risk of heart disease and diabetes; and
• Time in nature reduces stress, improves happiness, wellbeing and productivity.
This National Tree Day also marks Toyota Australia's 20th year as Planet Ark's National Tree Day partner. Toyota Australia Chief Marketing Officer Wayne Gabriel said it was an opportunity to reflect on both organisations' successes.
"Since its inception National Tree Day has seen Australians plant over 25 million trees around the country. Toyota Australia is proud to have been a part of this journey and of our ongoing commitment to the environment.
"We look forward to seeing as many volunteers and members of our Dealer Network as possible on Schools and National Tree Day," he said.
Rebecca Gilling, Planet Ark's Deputy CEO, said "Toyota's commitment to environmental improvement is evident both in their ambitious goal to achieving zero carbon emissions globally by 2050, and in their 20 years of support for National Tree Day, which has made an invaluable contribution to the planting of 25 million native trees shrubs and grasses by millions of children and adults across Australia."
Schools Tree Day and National Tree Day are Australia's largest annual tree-planting and nature care events and take place on Friday 26 July and Sunday 28 July. This is an initiative organised by Planet Ark in partnership with Toyota Australia and its Dealer Network which provides on-the-ground support at tree planting sites across Australia.
To find out more or to take part, visit treeday.planetark.org, call the National Tree Day Hotline on 1300 88 5000 or visit Southern Highland Toyota
