NeighborWoods® Month Survey Reveals That Trees Grow Happier and Healthier Communities

LINCOLN, Neb., Sept. 27, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Alliance for Community Trees, a program of the Arbor Day Foundation encompassing a collective of local tree planting nonprofits, kicks off NeighborWoods Month ? the annual celebration of trees and green communities. Every October, tens of thousands of volunteers take action to improve neighborhoods across the country by planting and caring for trees. NeighborWoods Month supports local tree planting organizations and their efforts to make neighborhoods cleaner, greener and healthier. To illustrate the importance of trees in our communities, the Alliance for Community Trees commissioned the 2017 NeighborWoods Month Survey*, conducted by Wakefield Research. Key findings include:

Trees bring benefits to not only community infrastructure but also the people who live there.

• 94 percent of Americans believe that having trees in their community makes them happier.
• More than 60 percent of people surveyed believe having trees in their community inspires them to be active outdoors.
• Nearly half (46 percent) of Americans say that trees in their communities help them relieve stress.
• 95 percent of people surveyed acknowledge shared benefits of having trees in their community including beautification, positive environmental impact and enticing and birds and wild life to their areas.

Trees affect home buying and business decisions.

• More than half (58 percent) of Americans are more likely to buy a home in a community with trees than one without trees.
• A tree-filled community would even make nearly one in five Americans (17 percent) start a business in the area, with nearly the same amount (15 percent) willing to invest in a business in an area beautified by trees.

"Given the findings, it's not surprising that people across the country have embraced NeighborWoods Month and are out there actively participating," said Dana Karcher, Alliance for Community Trees program manager. "The survey also told us that nearly three in four Americans are willing to get their hands dirty and plant trees in their community ? its truly remarkable to see this come to life during the month of October."

Tree planting isn't just for the young, and people are willing to invest more than just time.

• When it comes to volunteering, the desire to get involved spans multiple generations.
• 89 percent of Millennials, 78 percent of Gen Xers and 61 percent of Baby Boomers are interested in planting and caring for trees in their local communities.
• Four out of five people (80 percent) would make an annual donation to support planting and maintaining trees in their community ? $141 per person on average.

"The Arbor Day Foundation's mission has always been to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees through our various programs," said Dan Lambe, president, Arbor Day Foundation. "It's exciting to see the hunger and want of Americans not only to get involved from a volunteer standpoint but also opening their wallets for the benefit of the greater good, through trees."

Fun Fact: When it comes to being social, trees are in demand.

• Nearly two in three Americans (64 percent) believe a picnic under a tree would be more romantic than dinner in a nice restaurant.
• The preference for trees over restaurants extends beyond date night ? a majority of Americans (78 percent) would prefer more trees than restaurants and bars in their neighborhood.

NeighborWoods Month and volunteering opportunities are made possible by NASCAR Green, MetLife Foundation, DoubleTree by Hilton, and Procter & Gamble's Family Care brands: Puffs, Charmin and Bounty.

To learn about how to get involved in NeighborWoods Month events taking place in your area, please visit NeighborWoodsMonth.org.

*Methodological Notes
The Arbor Day Foundation Survey was conducted by Wakefield Research (www.wakefieldresearch.com) among 1,000 nationally representative U.S. adults ages 18+ between July 18 and 25, 2017, using an email invitation and an online survey. Quotas have been set to ensure reliable and accurate representation of the U.S. adult population 18 and older.

Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation. The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing the results. For the interviews conducted in this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 3.1 percentage points from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample.

SOURCE Arbor Day Foundation