Bristol Tree Forum (BTF) is a voluntary organisation dedicated to promoting the planting and preservation of trees in the public spaces of Bristol.
Bristol is lucky to have a tree legacy left from the Victorians, but this needs maintaining and topping up. University studies show that a city needs approximately 30% of Green Infrastructure (GI) to be healthy and help mitigate against the negative impacts of climate change. Not only are trees a major part of Bristol’s GI, accounting for about 14% of its value, they are also an effective and natural way of helping us keep healthy and happy.
Trees are important to the residents of all cities. Not only do they make our public spaces more attractive, they also bring major environmental benefits by reducing air pollution, flooding and the danger from summer heat-waves. They are known to improve our physical and mental well-being. They help to encourage outdoor activities and have a direct benefit on communities and an indirect benefit on the local economies. Street trees and those in car parks bring the most benefits.
But don’t just take our word for it. Here is some more evidence.
Canopy cover targets in urban forest governance
Calls to green ‘concrete jungle’
The Importance of Urban Forests