From our friends at the Whitehouse Tree Commission:

What is a Tree Worth?

Trees have value that is often taken for granted. Once well established, a tree is the only public infrastructure whose value increases each year. Free of charge, it prevents floods by intercepting storm water, reduces utility costs with summer shade and winter wind-breaks, absorbs air pollutants, slows climate change by storing carbon (wood is almost 50% carbon by weight!), and raises property values by beautifying our neighborhoods.

The Whitehouse Tree Commission has attached signs to 20 trees along the bike trail on either side of Providence Street. The signs tell how much money each tree is saving the community by providing environmental benefits. As a tree grows, the benefits provided each year increase. The bottom number on each sign gives the value each tree is expected to provide over 10 years, given a typical growth rate for the tree during that time period.

How much are your trees saving? You can estimate that amount for the trees on your property by going to the following web site: www.treebenefits.com/calculator

You simply enter your Zip Code, the type of tree (dogwood, sugar maple, etc.), and its DBH (diameter at breast height) in inches. A simple way to estimate DBH is to wrap a tape measure around the trunk, and divide that value by 3. The program does the rest!