• Trees Living on the Edge:
  Climate Change Study Indicates Possible Effects on Trees 
• The Link between Climate Change and Obesity 
• Community Health Influences Business Attractiveness 
• The Real First Public Orchard In California –
  by The  Fruit Tree Planting Foundation

Trees Living on the Edge –
New CC study indicates possible effects on trees

The researchers at Ulm University in Germany initially thought trees in arid areas would react better to the drier conditions brought by climate change as they potentially already adapted to drier conditions.

However, surprisingly, the findings showed that vulnerability is the same regardless of environment. Thus placing ALL trees and forests, urban and natural at risk. 

Scary truth for our urban and natural forests! And all the more reason to plant more trees and care for the ones we have!
Read more here.

 
The Link between Climate Change and Obesity

As the previous article explained our trees are vulnerable to climate change impacts, and as trees have been shown to be influential on human health this is not good news.

Other studies are showing that there could also be a direct correlation between climate change and obesity in the U.S. and worldwide. Essentially as climate change impacts such as drought cause less supply of certain foods, prices increase and people turn to less healthy, less pricey alternatives.

In addition hotter summer days lead to less outdoor and physical activity. At least trees (if they can survive climate change) can help by offering cooling shade and thus encouraging more physical activity.

Tom Laskawy at Grist emphasizes: ”Certainly we should devote more study to how climate change is influencing not only our global food supplies but also nutrition and, too, our whole relationship with the great, and greatly changing, outdoors.”

Click here to read more about how the impacts of climate change on obesity.

Community Health influences Business attractiveness –
Yet Another Good Reason for More Trees

Beyond the obvious physical impact of being healthier, healthier communities are good for business. 

According to Dr. James Johnson of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill:  “More and more companies, in their efforts to contain employee health-care costs, are making a community’s obesity rate the most important factor in their business-location decisions.”

Click here to read more.
Click here find your community’s health index score.

Trees can play a large role in creating healthier neighborhoods and have been proven to reduce asthma, ADHD, stress related illnesses and speed recovery times. Yet, another benefit of a strong urban forest.

The Real First Public Orchard In California –
by The  Fruit Tree Planting Foundation

This is a correction to an article in our Jan 15th newsletter where we called the the renovated Del Aire Park in Los Angeles County “the first public orchard in California”.

It was brought to our attention that The  Fruit Tree Planting Foundation has for several years planted numerous orchards throughout  in California in schools, public parks and numerous other sites where the public has access to the fruit.

In May, 2010, FTPF partnered with Maria Shriver and her WE Garden initiative to plant a fruit tree grove at the California State Capitol Grounds.

“The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation’s groundbreaking work feeds communities in need and greens the environment, all at once. A truly extraordinary, yet simple concept that led to our collaboration to plant fruit trees in the WE Garden in Capitol Park to help our communities for years to come.” ~ Maria Shriver