IN CITY PARKS AND LINING NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS, trees connect us to the natural world and bear witness to moments big and small — laughter shared between children playing in a garden or a woman’s mid-day respite. Silent and strong, they are the backdrop to the hustle and bustle of urban life.

But their quiet belies the powerful ways they help us as we go about our everyday lives. Their branches provide shade when it’s hot and block harsh winds in the cold. Their mere presence can lift our mood.

Our connection to city trees takes many forms. On a sweltering summer day in Phoenix, a group of boys play beneath the palo verde trees at a community garden while their parents attend an outdoor yoga class. And across town, college students take a break from shooting a documentary film for which a leafy park sets the stage. Old or young, city dwellers turn to these green, shady spots when they exercise, relax and take the time to breathe. In a very real way, the quality of our health depends on trees. And their health depends on our care. From one corner of the cityscape to another, trees are central to our lives.

Two brothers spend quality time together playing soccer in the fields of Mitchell Park in Tempe, Ariz.

Two brothers spend quality time together playing soccer in the fields of Mitchell Park in Tempe, Ariz.
Photo Credit: Michael Jennings / American Forests

Visual Artist Steven John Irby stops to take a selfie on a Bed-Stuy basketball court on his way to his apartment in New York, N.Y. Behind him sits an affordable housing building adorned with some of the biggest trees on the street. When Irby is creating, he asks himself, “Which moments are worth stopping time for?”

Visual Artist Steven John Irby stops to take a selfie on a Bed-Stuy basketball court on his way to his apartment in New York, N.Y. Behind him sits an affordable housing building adorned with some of the biggest trees on the street. When Irby is creating, he asks himself, “Which moments are worth stopping time for?”
Photo Credit: Steven John Irby

A group of boys take a play break under the shade trees at Spaces of Opportunity, a community garden space in south Phoenix.

A group of boys take a play break under the shade trees at Spaces of Opportunity, a community garden space in south Phoenix.
Photo Credit: Joel Clark / American Forests

A woman finds a moment to journal beneath the trees in Philadelphia’s Clark Park.

A woman finds a moment to journal beneath the trees in Philadelphia’s Clark Park.
Photo Credit: Koren Martin / American Forests

A woman embraces a scenic route where she takes her dog for daily walks through Phoenix’s Encanto Park.

A woman embraces a scenic route where she takes her dog for daily walks through Phoenix’s Encanto Park.
Photo Credit: Michael Jennings / American Forests

Arizona State University film students gather at a park to collaborate on a film project.

Arizona State University film students gather at a park to collaborate on a film project.
Photo Credit: Michael Jennings / American Forests