Green Spots

Trees in cities provide many benefits.

The little-known physical and mental health benefits of urban trees » Yale Climate Connections Trees slow climate change — and they help people live happier, healthier, and longer lives.

Ecosystem services can be quantified.

Land could be worth more left to nature than when farmed, study finds Nature-rich sites such as woods and wetlands more valuable because of the ‘ecosystem services’ they provide

Ellen knows the value of native plants!

Gifts from nature can be a model for human economics.

The Serviceberry: An Economy of Abundance – Robin Wall Kimmerer As Robin Wall Kimmerer harvests serviceberries alongside the birds, she considers the ethic of reciprocity that lies at the heart of the gift economy.

Ecological services getting attention from investors.

Joint venture looks to invest billions in 'natural capital' projects to help combat climate change Founding partner says ‘investing in the resilience of nature is investing in the resilience of the economy’

By 2050, the U.S. will lose $83 billion a year because of all the nature we’ve destroyed Turns out, we use a lot of natural processes—bees to pollinate, rivers to irrigate crops, reefs to act as flood protection. When they’re gone, it’s going to get expensive.

Trees clean the air.

Trees often better, cheaper than technology at mitigating air pollution Planting trees and shrubs around factories and power plants may be a better air pollution mitigation strategy than installing scrubbing technologies, according to a new study.

Native plants support the insects that are vital for birds to raise their young.

Ecologists Have this Simple Request to Homeowners—Plant Native A new study shows how quickly songbird populations fall off when gardens are planted with exotic trees and shrubs