American Forests

At American Forests we are deeply interested in the relationship between people and the natural world, particularly the positive effects of experiencing nature firsthand.

Nature sharpens our senses, improves our powers of observation and increases our sense of curiosity and wonder. Simultaneously, being in nature provides a still point in our frantic lives, reducing stress and improving our health.

Happily, even those of us who live in the biggest cities have more access to nature — and its tremendous benefits — than we might think. Some of the most exciting conversations taking place at American Forests’ headquarters these days are about how we amplify the benefits of the natural elements that surround us in cities — our urban forests.

“Urban forest” is a tricky term. For many people, it brings to mind wooded areas in big parks. For the forestry community, the term encompasses the entire natural infrastructure of a city — street and yard trees, parks, grass, plants, flower and vegetable gardens, waterways and their surrounding natural buffers and more. Together, urban forests support an extensive network of wildlife and provide us with a surprising number of environmental, health and social benefits.

In a place like New York City, these benefits quickly become tangible. I am always struck by the instant transformation that occurs when you enter Central Park. Within a few seconds, the world gets quieter, the heat and glare fade in the cool shade of huge trees and people walk a little more slowly. You can hear birds singing and children laughing. People are sitting under trees reading and picnicking, friends are playing softball and kids are eating ice cream cones. Your heart slows down, and you take a deep breath. You feel different.

Or, head downtown and climb onto the High Line. While heavily populated by tourists, this former railroad bridge turned park-in-the-sky amply demonstrates the power and appeal nature holds, particularly for city dwellers. People routinely stroll the one-and-a-half- mile linear park through gardens and groves of native perennials, grasses, shrubs and trees. There are musicians playing, garden tours, stargazing nights and nature walks exploring the High Line’s animal habitat. It is an amazing park, made even more amazing by the realization that this is all taking place on what was once an abandoned, elevated freight train line.

Central Park was an innovative marvel when it opened in 1857, elevating the quality of city life in a way that is still true today. The High Line transformed a derelict eyesore into a natural oasis, providing access to nature in the unlikeliest of places. These are examples of the enormous benefit that results when we pay as much attention to green infrastructure as gray infrastructure.

American Forests has been a champion of urban forests for nearly 40 years. In the coming year, we will take this commitment to a new level. Our new urban innovation lab will seek out creative, green infrastructure solutions from around the country with the goal of inspiring leaders and activists to use nature as a primary tool to improve urban life. We will also help design and fund demonstration projects that use nature to address urban challenges in creative ways.

We have already begun this work through our Community ReLeaf program. For example, in Washington, D.C., we are helping create a transitional farm on a three-acre vacant lot in an urban neighborhood. The farm will feature raised-bed crops, a tree nursery for local replanting, aquaponics, a natural playground, an art sculpture and mural and a marketplace.

In Detroit, as part of a broader commitment to help the city use green infrastructure as an asset to revitalization for residents, we are working with local partners to turn a vacant lot where abandoned homes were recently deconstructed in the Osborn neighborhood into an outdoor environmental classroom and park. When completed, the site will be used to provide adult- and youth-oriented classes that help the community better understand the natural environment in a city that has the potential to redefine the urban relationship to nature.

Well-managed urban forests provide all of the environmental functions of wildland forests — cleaning our air and water, cooling the environment and providing habitat for wildlife. They also provide remarkable benefits for humans — significantly reducing violence, lowering stress, improving health, diminishing flooding and raising property values, to name just a few.

While it may be more difficult to bring people to nature these days, the benefits of bringing nature to people have never been clearer. Nature is simply one of our best tools for creating healthy and livable cities.