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We must take care of Irmo if we want Irmo to continue taking care of us! The most simple and inexpensive way to improve the community is planting and caring for trees. We envision an engaged Irmo with sustainable green spaces. These green spaces have the power to increase property values, decrease energy costs, clean our air and water, and reduce crime rates. When neighbors and volunteers come together on planting days, we work together toward a common goal: to improve the community. The physical activity of planting a tree has the power to connect an individual to their community, reinforcing their role in it. When volunteers help the Committee turn an illegal dumping ground into a safe, tree-filled greenspace, they leave the experience with an understanding of their own power to act, transform, and take ownership of public spaces that have been neglected in the past.
Healthy trees create instant curb appeal and stabilize the economy. Landscaping, especially with trees, can increase property values as much as 20 percent! The Arbor Day Foundation has found that trees can be a stimulus to economic development by attracting new business and tourism: "commercial retail areas are more attractive to shoppers, apartments rent more quickly, tenants stay longer, and space in a wooded setting is more valuable to sell or rent."
The US Department of Agriculture has determined that the cooling effect of a healthy, young, strategically-planted tree is equal to ten room-sized air conditioners operating twenty hours a day. According to the Center for Urban Forest Research, planting a tree on the west side of your home should help reduce the cost of heating and cooling by 3% in five years, and up to 12% in 15 years.
Beautification can help improve mental and physical health. Trees and outdoor spaces have been shown to positively impact a person's mood, and a more orderly outdoor environment promotes peace and decreases anxiety. Large trees improve physical health, too! A full canopy has the power to clean our air and water by sequestering greenhouse gasses and preventing chemicals from leaching into storm drains, while shade trees help protect the body from the weather's full impact by creating shade in the summer and blocking harsh winds in the winter.
Trees and beautification can help reduce crimes such as littering, vandalism, and physical and verbal assault. This is because landscaping suggests that an area is actively looked after, which implies ownership. Because there is a higher risk of getting caught in an established public space, potential criminals are less likely to carry out crimes there. Lower crime rates help promote an overall sense of safety in a community, and it is this sense of safety that encourages neighbors to shop, eat, and gather, promoting healthy connections within a community.
The Irmo Arbor Day Committee plants trees and teaches citizens about the benefits trees provide. Through outreach, service, and education, we work to improve the quality of life for all Irmo residents.