Why planting and protecting them matters
You have heard the advice a thousand times: plant a tree to help the planet. We admire trees for their beauty indoors and out, so we hardly need an excuse to want more of them around us. The better question is why this advice matters now.
Trees are living infrastructure (not merely decorations!)
- Leaves turn carbon dioxide into oxygen that we can breathe.
- Crowns cast shade that cools streets and homes.
- Roots hold soil in place, slow stormwater, and help refill groundwater.
- Trunks and branches store carbon for years, while canopies shelter birds, insects, and small mammals.
- Fruit and nuts feed families and wildlife.
- Green views lower stress and support learning and recovery.
Planting and protecting the right tree in the right place strengthens all of these benefits at once.
Without trees, air would be dirtier, climates would swing more wildly, soils would weaken, species would vanish, and human health would suffer.
This is why ecologists, activists, and teachers keep asking us to plant, seed, and safeguard trees today.
Living air filters and climate helpers 🌳💪🏻
Trees are quiet workers.
Through photosynthesis, they take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen, making the air safer to breathe.
Their leaves trap tiny particles floating in the air, and their bark hosts helpful microbes that further clean the atmosphere.
Beyond daily air quality, trees lock carbon inside their trunks, branches, and roots. This long-term storage helps slow the buildup of greenhouse gases. When forests are healthy and soils are rich, some of that carbon also moves into the ground where it can stay for decades. Planting and protecting trees, therefore, supports both the air we breathe today and the climate we want tomorrow.
Water keepers and soil guardians
Rain that falls on bare land runs off quickly, carrying soil and pollution into streams.
Tree roots hold the ground together, and leaf canopies slow raindrops so more water soaks into the soil. This simple set of actions reduces floods, refills wells and rivers, and filters water for fish, wildlife, and people. Forests at the top of a watershed often determine the health of communities far below.
When we add trees to farms, cities, and riverbanks, we reinforce the natural systems that keep water clean and available.
Homes, food, and medicine
A single mature tree can host entire neighbourhoods of life.
Birds nest in the branches, pollinators feed on blossoms, insects break down leaves, and small mammals hide seeds in the bark. Fruit trees provide calories for families and wildlife. Many modern medicines originated in tree bark and leaves, from pain relief to treatments that support heart health. Wood, used wisely, still shelters billions of people and provides tools, books, and musical instruments.
When forests are managed with care, they offer jobs and income that can last across generations.
Cooler, kinder cities
Cities with trees feel different.
Shade lowers pavement temperatures and reduces the need for air conditioning, which saves energy and money. Evapotranspiration from leaves cools the air further, making sidewalks and courtyards more comfortable. Streets lined with trees tend to be quieter and more attractive, which encourages walking and cycling. Green views reduce stress, help students focus, and support recovery in hospitals.
For many neighbourhoods, a few more trees can make daily life healthier and more social.
Science in a minute 🔬🔍
Photosynthesis powers most life on Earth. In daylight, leaves combine carbon dioxide and water to make sugars and release oxygen.
Basic reaction:
6 CO2 + 6 H2O → C6H12O6 + 6 O2
- Carbon storage – trees turn sugars into wood and roots, locking carbon in biomass and soil.
- Rainfall interception – canopies slow raindrops so water infiltrates rather than rushing off.
- Soil structure – roots and fungi bind soil particles, reducing erosion.
- Evapotranspiration – water moving through leaves cools the air and moderates heat.
Any tree? Not quite. Choose the right tree, right place, right care
- Right tree
- Select species that are native or well-adapted to your region. They support local insects and birds, require less water and fertiliser, and are less likely to become invasive. Look for varieties resistant to local pests and suitable for your climate now and in the future.
- Right place
- Match the tree to the site. Consider sunlight, soil type, expected height and width, distance from buildings and power lines, and root behaviour near sidewalks or pipes. In cities, avoid planting directly beneath cables or too close to foundations. On farms, place trees where they will not compete with crops for light and water.
- Right care
- Even hardy species need a good start. Water young trees regularly, especially through the first two summers. Mulch around the base to keep soil moist and cool, but keep mulch away from the trunk. Protect roots from soil compaction. Prune only when needed and learn the basics before cutting.
What volunteers can do this month
- Join local planting days
- Community groups and municipalities often run autumn or spring events that include training on proper planting techniques.
- Help with aftercare
- Watering and mulching in the first two years determine survival. Adopt a street tree or join a watering rota.
- Support restoration projects
- Riverbank plantings, urban pocket forests, and agroforestry plots on small farms all need hands to succeed.
- Map and monitor trees
- Simple phone apps allow volunteers to record species, size, and health. Good data helps cities plan maintenance and plant where benefits will be greatest.
- Advocate for tree equity
- Encourage your council to plant in heat-prone neighbourhoods and near schools and clinics where shade pays health dividends.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Planting too deep
- Set the trunk flare at ground level; shallow is safer. Firm the soil and water to settle it around the roots.
- Volcano mulching
- Never pile mulch against the bark. Spread a wide, even ring 5 to 8 cm deep and keep a small gap around the trunk.
- One species everywhere
- Monocultures fail easily. Mix species and ages so one pest or storm cannot wipe out a whole street.
- No checks before digging
- Confirm local rules and locate buried services. Look up for power lines and talk with neighbours about shade and views.
- Stopping after planting
- The first two summers decide survival. Water slowly in dry spells, refresh mulch each spring, prune only when needed, and shield the trunk from mowers and trimmers.
A simple promise
Planting and caring for trees is an act of faith that reaches beyond a single lifetime.
Many species need decades to spread a full crown, so the deepest shade of what we plant today will fall on people we may never meet; this is why planting a tree is quiet heroism, a gift of comfort, cleaner air, and cooler streets carried forward.
Choose a species that belongs and give it a place to thrive; water and mulch while it settles; support parks and forests; teach children to climb safely, listen to leaves, and respect living things. Be kind to the trees: they are already improving air, water, climate, and community, and with steady care, they will keep doing it.
Explore related volunteer projects 🌳
Want to take action today? Browse our tag pages on Voluntouring.org to find hands-on projects:
reforestation,
agroforestry,
conservation,
climate action
These tags gather ongoing calls for volunteers, short programs, and seasonal events from trusted hosts.