When the Waterloo Region Record reported on a community tree-planting effort in Wilmot Township, it called on U of G  Prof. Robert Corry to talk about the far-reaching benefits of trees.

Let’s Turn Wilmot Green With Trees is an effort to increase the tree canopy in both rural and urban areas of the township.

“A park with trees can have a cooling effect for 100 metres around it,” said Corry, a professor in the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development.and an expert in landscape architecture and rural studies.

Trees help to clean air, capture rainwater, increase shade and cooling, and decrease erosion, he said.

“People feel better around trees. Kids learn better, and people have a greater sense of place attachment. Places with trees are more memorable.”

The article mentions a 2016 U of G study that found neighbourhoods with low tree cover have more incidents of heat stress.