Why Save Trees?
The Mystic River Watershed begins as a series of springs in a forest on the north side of Lantern Hill. You can visit for free, because it is land Avalonia conserves for public access. There you can observe, wonder, wander, and feel the power of being a part of something much bigger and more complex than ourselves. Renewing our relationship to the rest of life actually calms our minds and relaxes us. We know we belong here, to this place. And that is just the beginning.
Just as forests need water to survive, water needs the forests, too. And so do we. Forests provide the least expensive, cheapest to maintain, best designed erosion control, water treatment, and water replenishment (recharge) system there is. And that's in addition to being home to millions of valuable species. Remember that forests play a significant role in the water cycle--they can make it rain! And remember something else about the water cycle. All of the fresh water we have, less than 2% of all of the water on the earth's surface, is all we will ever get. We need to take care of our forests to take care of the water that sustains life.
“Keeping forests forests” is one of the overarching principles of Connecticut’s 2020 Forest Action Plan (Public Act 23-206). One reason the state created such an important law is because of the many health benefits forests provide for distressed communities, for biodiversity protection, green infrastructure for flood and disease control—almost for free. In no other expensive social program can you find these benefits in all their ecological complexity available for the public now and for future generations.
What follows are Seven Good Reasons why we should all be working to secure tree cover and forest wetland benefits for future generations.
1. Whitford Brook, the main north-south stream in the Mystic River watershed, is prone to flash flooding and we will see more intense rain storms in coming decades. This video shows flooding in the area in 2010. This flooding destabilized an essential bridge on Lantern Hill Road which took 16 years to replace. Other culverts and bridges further downstream have yet to be repaired.
Forest soils absorb up to 10 inches of rain water in an hour. Tree cover and strong roots prevent erosion. Deforestation and impervious surface increases flow rates of rainwater, eroding riverbanks and culverts, depositing sediments, and wiping out habitats. Conserving trees is good disaster risk reduction for the whole watershed.
2. The forest is busily recharging groundwater including the underground streams that are feeding wells, even as you are reading this. This happens because of the slow soaking of the water through root channels and air pockets underground. In an area where summer droughts can last for 10 weeks or more, a healthy forest can continue to hold and release water underground. If large developments go in near existing private wells, the deforestation and increased water demand can have a detrimental effect on both the availability and quality of the water we drink. In the western states, already there are incentives to plant trees and requirements to design buildings that capture water and use it instead of letting it run off.
3. Forested land naturally filters water, improving water quality and aquatic habitat downstream. In Seattle, Washington, and Hoboken, New Jersey, new buildings are equipped with man-made "bioswales," vegetated soils mimicking forest soils that clean stormwater as it passes through and before it enters the rivers. Boston's Harrison street uses trees and other vegetation to filter stormwater as it runs off the highway. Why not us??
4. A forest wetland provides the very best in ecological support for insects such as dragonflies, amphibians such as frogs and turtles, a nursery for baby mammals, and a safe space for nesting birds. Dragonflies love to eat mosquito larvae. Because of the critical role wetlands play in the ecosystems’ capacity to regenerate life, they should not be disturbed.
According to the Natural Diversity Database (NDDB), there are SIX species of SPECIAL CONCERN in Whitford Brook near Long and Bush Ponds: Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina), Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttata), Blue Corporal Dragonfly (Ladona deplanata), and in the wetland and brook, Beck's water-marigold (Bidens beckii), and smallest but not least, the Bridle Shiner (Notropis bifrenatus) fish. These Species of Special Concern would almost certainly disappear if there were to be a typical development nearby. If Whitford Brook were to be conserved in perpetuity, children could learn to take care of our extended family there with respect for the mutual benefits of the forest relationships.
5. Cutting up a forest into patchwork with roads and development in the center disrupts the natural range and mobility of animals and humans. Animals (birds, too) accustomed to ranging through the forest will not necessarily be able to go past potential development sites. Darkness in a forest is essential for animals and birds (and not just the nocturnal ones). Typical human homes with lots of lights outside disrupt migration navigation, nesting, and the necessary darkness of the night. We can do better.
6. The mental health benefits of uninterrupted walks, shade, and access to greenery have long been established by both science and experience. Reconnection with the rest of the natural world brings a sense of wonder, belonging, and well-being. Forest walking reduces stress hormones and boosts the immune system. Also, the forest functions as a natural cooling center, with temperatures likely to be 10 degrees cooler than in the sun or in homes without air conditioning. Trees directly contribute to our health and our economy, improving our ability to focus and our ability to work and live a long life of good quality.
7. Trees filter air pollutants and release beneficial chemicals, directly reducing the triggers for chronic lung conditions like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Air pollutants filtered by tree leaves and bark include smoke from wildfires (PM 2.5 and PM 10), nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide such as that produced by vehicles and industrial activity, and the airborne chemicals such as formaldehyde generated by typical construction activity.
Trees are among nature's best solutions for the floods, droughts, bugs, heat, and water pollution that are starting to make our lives more and more difficult. If you own a patch of forest, consider working with your local land trust to care for it well and maybe put it into conservation. You might even get a tax break!
Let's consider trees as we develop our Watershed Regeneration Action Plan (WRAP). Come to our neighborhood co-design sessions started in December!
Let's think of better ways to build--there are so many good examples out there--so that we'll be able to answer our grandchildren when they asked, "once you knew, what did you do?" Join us on June 15, 2027 for a conference about ways to build in relation with land and water.
Humbly submitted by Maggie Favretti, 10/27/26
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