Healthy Urban and Suburban Trees Support Cooperative Extension’s Mission
Virginia State University’s Urban Forestry Extension Associate, Joel Koci.
At Virginia Cooperative Extension, we take concrete actions that advance the wellbeing of Virginia’s families, youth, community, health, economy and food systems. Virginia State University’s Urban Forestry Extension Associate, Joel Koci, supports all of these areas to shape a brighter future for Virginia through his work to improve the health of our state’s urban and suburban trees. As he explains, that’s because plentiful and healthy trees contribute to the overall wellbeing of just about everything around them.
For starters, they can help homeowners save money. Koci says they provide “ecoservices,” including solar radiation reduction (also called shading), storm water mitigation, clean air, and carbon storage. “During the growing season, deciduous trees reduce the shaded area temperature by about 20 degrees under the canopy,” says Koci. Planting trees that form a canopy over your home is an important way to save families money on energy bills and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
Urban and suburban trees can also help localities manage air and water pollution. Koci noted that storm water is a growing concern for households and communities, as climate change is bringing harder downpours in short periods of time to many parts of the country, including Virginia. Koci says there is a huge difference between how rain is absorbed by the soil under a tree’s canopy vs not. “During a one-inch rainstorm, 90% of rain that falls on a tree’s canopy will slowly soak into the soil, recharge the aquifer, and not be runoff. Outside the canopy, 95% of rain that falls will be runoff, carrying pollutants with it.”
Trees also absorb pollutants from the air, like ozone, nitrous oxide, and sulfur dioxide. This also improves our health, Koci said. “Studies show reduced asthma and lung issues in neighborhoods with trees as opposed to neighborhoods that are devoid of trees.” And the larger the tree, the greater the ecoservices it provides.
Part of Joel Koci’s job is helping people unlearn what they’ve been incorrectly taught about trees and teaching them the science of trees. He speaks at Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners and Master Naturalists meetings and shares his knowledge during presentations. He also frequently answers questions the public or Extension agents have about trees. The first thing Koci emphasizes is to work with trees, not against them. “We need to work with a tree’s schedule, and not try to force the tree to fit our schedule. This maximizes the tree’s innate ability to thrive and benefit in its environment.”
Lastly, Koci reminds us, “Trees are good for our physical and mental health. From shade and clean air to reducing our stress levels, trees provide a better environment for us daily. As we approach Arbor Day, remember that we can do the same for them.”