July 2007 - Volume 68, Issue 7
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In this issue
NextGEN Departments
Treemendous Benefits continued...
Trees at Work
Views of nature assist in the workplace as well. A survey of more than 700 employees in private and public sectors assessed job satisfaction and performance as it relates to views of nature from work stations. Desk workers with views of nature reported almost 15 percent fewer illnesses than those without a view.
Natural views contributed to workers feeling more satisfied, patient and enthusiastic and less frustrated than those whose windows did not provide a view of nature. The more green seen from their windows, the better employees felt. The employees surveyed who had the opportunity to work outside said they felt the most satisfied and least harried.
How is the view from your place of employment? Is there any way to plant some trees?
Revitalizing Downtowns
Planting trees may be one way to turn the vacant storefronts found in many small towns back into thriving businesses. Research suggests trees contribute positively to downtown shopping areas.
A study comparing downtown business districts reveals that people will drive from farther away to shop in tree-lined downtown districts than they will to shop in downtowns without trees. They’ll also spend more time shopping and come back more frequently.
People also are willing to pay more for parking and spend more money on goods and entertainment in downtowns with trees. In fact, downtowns with full-canopy shade trees are perceived as having better character and containing stores with better products and merchants than treeless shopping districts.
Road Relaxation
Even at 70 miles per hour people benefit from trees. Long or difficult commutes can contribute to high blood pressure and increased illness rates as well as lower job satisfaction. Researchers tracking stress indicators, such as heart rate and blood pressure, found that driving in areas of strip malls tends to boost the incidence of road rage. However, drivers who enjoy views of nature while on the road report less driving stress.
Stress Relief
Feeling bogged down? Frustrated? Overwhelmed? Plant trees. You’ll feel better.
Researchers found that people in housing surrounded by trees and lawn report that their life issues feel less difficult. They also procrastinate less and have higher attention spans than those whose apartment buildings have no grass and trees around them.
About This Article
Author
ANN KOENIG has worked as a forester for the
Conservation Department for 10 years and is
a Certified arborist. She lives in Columbia with
the three men in her life (her husband and two
young sons) and 36 yard trees all of whom she
loves dearly. as an urban forester, Ann helps
towns in central Missouri maintain and enhance
their community forest.
Photographer
Photographer DAVID STONNER, shown working on aerial photographs of the Mingo Basin in southeast Missouri, joined the Department of Conservation in May 2007. He lives in Jefferson City with his wife, Angela, and one year-old daughter, Maggie. David enjoys weekends sailing on Stockton Lake and angling for fish anywhere he can cast a dry fly.
