Our top reasons why trees make the world go round.

Rainforests are the lungs of the world, generating 20% of the world’s oxygen. But they’re also at the world’s heart, providing shelter, food, and medicine for millions of people. They provide an income from forest produce grown under the shade of their branches. And of course, they are home to millions of species.

By no means a complete list, we’ve gathered together some of the reasons why you should show trees some love every day.

We could not exist without trees. From oxygen to shelter and food, every living thing relies on trees to survive (heavy stuff we know.) 1. Oxygen releasing It's pretty important.

Absorbing odours and pollutant gases (nitrogen oxides, ammonia, sulphur dioxide and ozone), trees remove particulates out of the air by trapping them on their leaves and bark 2. Air cleaning The rainforest acts as a giant filter for the air we breathe.

There’s still so many mind-boggling facts we are learning about trees adapting and overcoming extreme weather. Recent studies have shown that Australian trees ‘sweat’ to survive extreme heat and stave off freezing in winter by converting liquid in cells to a kind of ‘antifreeze’. Read More 3. Adapting to extremes Yes, trees sweat and produce antifreeze.

In Cool Earth’s Awajun partnership, Peru, trees are providing an income for families; the seeds of the rainforest are used for creating beautiful jewellery. Read More 4. Supports incomes Trees provide innumerable economic services.

Amazingly, studies have shown that patients with views of trees from their hospital windows heal faster and with less complications. Viewing trees helps people become less stressed - and the effect increases the more trees are visible. A walk or jog carried out in a natural environment has 50 percent more of a positive effect on people’s mental health than they might expect from going to the gym. Read More 5. Improves Wellbeing More trees = Less stress

Trees provide shelter from strong winds, slowing soil erosion which removes vital nutrients from the surface soil. 6. Shelters soils Keeping nutrients in the ground.

Trees are carbon sinks, absorbing and locking away carbon dioxide in the wood, roots and leaves. With deforestation contributing 15% of greenhouse gas emissions globally, keeping our rainforest standing is more important than ever. 7. Locking away carbon On the frontline against climate change.

In the Amazon rainforest, such as in Cool Earth’s Peru partnerships, a single square mile of rainforest often houses more than 50,000 insect species. Read More 8. Species Habitat Trees are home to creatures great and small.

Help Cool Earth keep trees standing...good for the planet, good for you. Read More 9. Free Hugs Hugging a tree has been scientifically verified as being good for you.

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