Dear EarthTalk: Is it true that there’s a link between good health and living near trees?

—Paul Morra, Los Angeles, CA

July 11. Trees are an essential part of most ecosystems around the planet, as both habitat for a multitude of species and as air purifiers. Their impact on the overall health of the planet is unquestionable, and with regard to human health, trees can provide a variety of benefits, both mentally and physically.

Trees’ mental health benefits include help with ameliorating mental health disorders symptoms like depression or anxiety. These benefits also extend to general stress and nervousness, with one study stating that those who live in urban neighborhoods with 30 percent or more tree canopy are 33 percent less likely to experience psychological distress than those in areas with zero to nine percent tree canopy coverage.

For those who live near trees, these benefits are easy to come by—even a passive view of trees from indoors can help better one’s mental state. And when walks, runs—or any activity in nature—are incorporated into one’s daily or semi-frequent routine, these benefits are exponentially increased.

In addition, the positive mental health benefits of trees are especially pronounced in children, with kids aged four to six years proven to have reduced hyperactive behavior and improved memory and cognition when living close to green space.

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“By offering children opportunities to connect with nature, we can significantly improve their overall health and equip them with the tools to lead fulfilling lives,” says Angela Warren, Executive Director at Genesee Soil and Water Conservation District, showcasing the long-lasting impacts of living near trees (including a 55 percent reduction in the risk of developing mental health disorders in the future).

Physically, trees provide benefits for the whole body, including the heart, lungs, eyes and more. Densely populated areas are hotter due to the urban heat island effect, but places with many trees can stay up to seven degrees cooler. Being in close proximity to trees can directly improve the climate of one’s surroundings, as well as the air quality.

Trees can often serve as “natural air purifiers,” reducing the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) and air pollutants in one’s surroundings. Such natural air purification serves to provide good health for those with respiratory impairments, such as allergies, asthma or other lung disease.

To help provide these benefits to everyone, you can plant trees and advocate for the forested land currently near you and for the continued protection of trees around the world.

CONTACTS: Mentally and Physically, Trees Make a Difference, https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/blog/mentally-and-physically-trees-make-difference; Newborns Living Near Trees Tend to Be Healthier, https://drexel.edu/news/archive/2025/April/Newborns-Living-Near-Trees; Urban Trees and Human Health: A Scoping Review, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7345658/.

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