#WellnessWednesday – Why Green Matters

Green Space in the Heart of Danbury

“City parks and open space improve our physical and psychological health, strengthen our communities, and make our cities and neighborhoods more attractive places to live and work. Numerous studies have shown the social, environmental, economic, and health benefits parks bring to a city and its people. ” – Paul M. Sherer, The Trust For Pubic Land

Parks Add Significant Boost In Home Values Nearby

• Homebuyers prefer homes close to parks, open space, and greenery.¹
• A home adjacent to or fronting a passive park will see a 20% increase in value on average.²
• Inner-city homes within a quarter-mile of a park have an increased value of 10% on average.²
• Residences next to a larger and longer “greenbelt” area, which is great for hiking and biking, saw a 32% increase in home value on average.²

However, most studies also note that is it important that the park is well-maintained and safe.

Increases Revenue to Local Businesses¹

• Parks attract tourists, filling hotel rooms and bringing customers to local stores and restaurants.
• As community signature pieces, parks offer a marketing tool for cities to attract businesses and conventions.
• Parks can be used to hold festivals, concerts, and athletics events, bringing additional boosts to the local economy.
• Higher property value means higher commissions for real estate agencies and more tax revenue for city coffers.

Research from the U.S. Forest Service¹

• Green space in urban areas provides substantial ecosystem services.
• Over a 50 year lifetime, one tree generates $31,250 worth of oxygen.
• It provides $62,000 worth of air pollution control.
• It recycles $37,500 worth of water.
• And controls $31,250 worth of soil erosion.

A Park’s Trees Store Water¹

• A park’s trees store water, reducing the rate at which it flows into a city’s stormwater treatment facilities.
• Parks increase the amount of a city’s pervious surfaces, which allow rainwater to infiltrate into the ground.
• Incorporating trees and parks into a city’s infrastructure can decrease the necessary size of the city’s stormwater management system.

Health, Wellness, and Tarrywile Park

• Tarrywile Park is the largest city park at 722 acres.**
• It comprises over 53% of Danbury’s open space.**
• It has over 64 types of trees.**
• One tree can remove 26 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere annually.*
• Twenty-six pounds of carbon dioxide equals 11,000 miles of car emissions*.
• One acre of trees has the ability to remove 13 tons of particles and gasses annually*.

 Support Your Local Park

Here’s where all you math lovers and environmental preservationists can shine;  even if you only account for 1 of each tree type (and we already know there are so many more than just one of each), multiply that by the facts and figures in the first paragraph, how much pollution does the green space that is Tarrywile Park remove from the Danbury atmosphere annually? And what does it mean to each of us personally?

Is clean air important to the well being of you and your family? Will you commit today, to making Tarrywile Park a priority in your annual charitable giving?  Join us! Together we can ensure our children, and their children’s children will be able to enjoy all the beauty and benefits Tarrywile has to offer.

¹Sherer, P. The Trust for Public Land (2006). “The Benefits of Parks: Why America Needs More City Parks and Open Space.” Retrieved from ConservationTools.org

²Caston, R. Parks and Recreation (2018). “Research Shows Parks Add Significant Boost In Home Values Nearby.” retrieved from TheParkCatalog.com.

*Virginia Cooperative Extension: The Value of Landscaping; op. cit

**Retrieved form ParkServe.org

***Retrieved from BioBlitz (2001)