The benefits tree provides globally!
Read our environmental justice statement.
Tree saves us money by providing ecosystem benefits!
The ecosystem benefits tree provides for urban communities.
Urban street trees are as vital as forest trees. They provide direct and indirect benefits to create a green and healthy community.
The Benefits of Trees
100K Trees
For Humanity
Healthy Community
Carbon Sequestration
​Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a prominent greenhouse gas (GHG) that absorbs thermal energy and releases that energy back, trapping it within Earth's atmosphere. A
tree is great at absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere
and storing it as biomass, lowering the temperature. Biomass is the total mass of living organisms which includes plants and animals.
Filtering Air Pollutants
Chemicals like ozone (O3), sulfurous dioxide (SO2), and nitrous oxide (N2O) are harmful when inhaled, especially
to individuals with asthma or other respiratory diseases. Clean air is necessary for a healthy community.
Saving Water
Trees absorb underground water from the soil and release it back into the atmosphere. This process allows the soil to reabsorb new rainwater, creating less undrinkable runoffs.
Natural Shade
The urban heat island effect is where buildings and pavement have poor albedo causing heat to be absorbed and linger. Trees can provide natural shading and have a better albedo rate to reflect more sunlight instead of being absorbed. A 40% tree canopy will provide the maximum cooling effect that urban areas should strive for.
Reducing Stress
Trees are shown to reduce blood pressure, less stress, and improve moods.
Green Assets
It Pays Back
On top of the ecosystem benefits that it involves, street trees would become beneficial monetary. A study shows that California's 9 million street trees would generate over 1 billion dollars annually. By spending 1 dollar on maintaining a street tree, an average of $5.82 return in benefits.
100K Trees' Return on Investment
The annual revenue from tree's ecosystem benefits.
Carbon Sequestration
$111,000
Air Filtration & Purification
$199,800
Saving Water
$460,650
Energy Savings
$1,111,000
Property Values
$9,312,900
Planting Justice
We believe that environmental rights are civil and human rights. At 100K Trees for Humanity, we believe that
we must fight for environmental justice as Black and Indigenous People of Color BIPOC, and for our human rights to clean air and water and to nature, by centering the environment within the intersection of racial justice and social justice. Our indigenous communities best demonstrate this—that we must center nature first if we are to live and maintain a healthy, sustainable planet—
for our own existence is inextricably tied to mother nature’s delicate complexity and web of life.
Equity
The BIPOC community is three times more likely to live in a nature-deprived neighborhood than whites. Trees are important for a healthy mind and body to create a healthy community.
Justice Statement
Click to magnify
Our Plan
The 100K Trees Urban Greenbelt Initiative, 100K Trees for Humanity will co-develop a tree planting with the Eden Area community stakeholders to create a community-driven workforce development, public health, and tree planting climate initiative. The objective is to plant 100K trees, 1 new tree per capita resident from West Oakland down to Fremont which lacks a tree canopy.
The map is color-coded to indicate which region is severely lacking in trees. A significant lack of trees is shown near the bay from Oakland to Fremont. The ideal tree canopy percentage is 40%, but it differs depending on the area.
Legend
Percent tree canopy cover gap %
0%
48%
Urban Tree Canopy Interactive Map by treeequityscore.org
Climate Restoration
Carbon Entry
Trees absorb and store atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) as biomass. The removal of atmospheric CO2, a prominent greenhouse gas (GHG) will lower the temperature in the area.
Soil Health
Harmful nitrous oxide (N2O) in the atmosphere is absorbed and filtered by trees. The nitrogen absorbed is reintroduced back into the soil as nutrients. The roots of the tree also help prevent erosion, making the ground much more stable.
Water Cycle
Water released back into the atmo-sphere through evapotranspiration would form new clouds. Clouds act as a cover for the planet to reflect sunlight with their high albedo. This layer of protection helps prevent increased temperature on the surface.
McPherson, E. Gregory, et al. “Structure, Function and Value of Street Trees in California, USA.” Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, Urban & Fischer,
16 Apr. 2016, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1618866715301400.
Taylor, Kelly D., et al. “Justice in Access to the Outdoors.” Parks Stewardship Forum, 14 Jan. 2021, https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0g66z6k7.
Tsunetsugu, Y., Lee, L., Park, B.-J., Tyrväinen, L., Kagawa,T., Miyazaki, Y. (2013) Physiological and Psychological Effects of Viewing Urban Forest
Landscapes Assessed by Multiple Measurements. Landscape and Urban Planning. 113: 90-93.
“Which Gases Are Greenhouse Gases?” American Chemical Society,
https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/climatescience/greenhousegases/whichgases.html.
Assets by Eucalyp from NounProject.com
Carbon Tree by shashank singh from NounProject.com
Climate by Eucalyp from NounProject.com
Energy Saving by Shakeel Ch. from NounProject.com
Green Communication by Nhor from NounProject.com
Pollution by Chintuza from NounProject.com
Property by suhyeon Jung from NounProject.com
Save Water by ToZIcon from NounProject.com
Shovels by Eucalyp from NounProject.com