Green is as good as gold for mental health

Sunday the 29th of July is National Tree Day, which is as good a reason as any to talk about the benefits of trees. This time round we want to talk about the mental benefits of trees and greenery in general.

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania found people living near green lots experience a 41.5 per cent decrease in feelings of depression compared to those who lived near lots that haven’t been greened. People living near green lots also experienced a 63% decrease in self-reported poor mental health when compared to people who did not live near green lots.

The findings were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association this month, based on a three-year study where vacant plots of land were converted to green lots with grass and a number of trees. Other recent studies have found greenery can reduce cognitive decline in elderly people in England.

To top it all off more research has shown that greenery can help boost test scores in children and boost productivity in the office. This all adds up to a compelling reason to get more green if your life, whether that be planting some new trees in your garden or turning your office into a tropical rain forest, there’s many ways to green up your life.

If you want to get involved in National Tree Day and help plant trees in your local area jump online to the National Tree Day website and find an event near you. There are a number of events in Perth this Sunday, with a number of local government holding events including:

• City of Vincent
• City of Melville
• City of Canning
• City of Wanneroo
• City of Gosnells
• City of Kalamunda