Capstone Projects From CitySprouts Youth: Advocating for More Green Spaces

Dear Cambridge citizens,

image.png

I am Daniel, and I have lived in Cambridge all my life and am very grateful for the trees that we have, but we need more. Trees have many benefits to you physically and mentally that many people do not know about! Trees can significantly affect your life here in Cambridge. First off, scientists say that trees affect your mental health because they reduce stress and anxiety and have a huge impact on your mood. We need this during regular times, but we need this even more amidst a global pandemic! Secondly, trees filter out the air we breathe, creating better air quality in Cambridge, and breathing better air reduces the risk of diseases such as bronchitis. 

Also, trees can reduce the cost of heating and cooling in Cambridge, and when you can save some money and get more beautiful trees, it's a win-win. Trees reduce the cost for cooling because the shade they provided reduces how much solar radiation hits a house, and that makes the house cooler. Trees can also help keep houses warmer in the winter by acting like windbreakers, and not letting cold wind get into the house.  Also, having more trees is not just beneficial, but it is also extremely important! Many species of wildlife depend on trees for habitat, and when we cut down one tree to make something new, we are also cutting down a home for around  25,000 different creatures. 

If you want to help make a change, use this email address mayor@cambridgema.gov to email “Cambridge needs more trees” to the mayor. You can also email the city council office at council@cambridgema.gov or individual city council members at https://www.cambridgema.gov/Departments/citycouncil/citycouncilmembers. By getting the mayor and the city council involved, we can get this project moving, and plant more trees, and make Cambridge cleaner, greener, and more beautiful.

Citations:

https://www.bgky.org/tree/benefits

https://www.state.sc.us/forest/urbben.htm

http://www.fao.org/zhc/detail-events/en/c/454543/

https://ed.ted.com/lessons/what-happens-if-you-cut-down-all-of-a-city-s-trees-stefan-al

CitySprouts Inc