Evanstonians are once again joining the Morton Arboretum to help spread the word about the importance of Arbor Day, April 25. Bright tags on trees along the lakefront and in other parks highlight just a few of the measurable benefits of trees; storing carbon dioxide, slowing stormwater runoff, increasing property values and saving electricity by sheltering buildings from wind and sun.
One example is an American elm between Robert Crown Center and Washington Elementary School. Based on the tree’s location and its 31-inch diameter, it will sequester 1,260 pounds of carbon pollution this year and keep 5,193 gallons of storm water from running off into the City’s storm drains. The bigger the tree grows, the greater the savings will be.
Calculations are based on a model called i-Tree, developed by the U.S. Forest Service and other organizations. Information on how to calculate the environmental and economic value of a tree is available at http://treebenefits.com/calculator.
Tree-tagging is a project of Evanston TreeKeepers and the Evanston Ecology Center.