Arbor Month in full swing

SALISBURY, Md.- With Spring finally here, Arbor Month is in full swing.

Studies from the American Psychological Association have shown links to nature improving your physical and mental health. More trees and greenery in cities like Salisbury can help reduce temperatures and climate change, while also improving the public’s state of mind.

William Lowery, Senior Horticulturist for the Salisbury University Arboretum, was a part of the celebration of the 140th anniversary of Arbor Day. He was happy to participate in a ceremonial tree planting at SU’s Holloway Hall, while also contributing to additional greenery around Campus. Lowery says he is a big advocate for planting trees and plants around SU.

“Planting more trees helps to clean the air, it helps to get rid of the heat island effect or absorb some of the heat that a lot of the impervious surfaces trap and generate,” Lowery says. “It is important to combat tree canopy loss and habitat destruction caused by construction.” 

Lowery talked about how the Island Heat effect can increase temperatures in the city up to 30 to 40 degrees higher than normal during sunny summer days. Many residents in Delmarva would like to see more greenery Downtown. Patricia Peterson always enjoys being outside and even said being outdoors is “fun” for her.

“I would like to see more natural things, trees, and plants,” Peterson says. “We all know the impervious surfaces in parking lots and driveways cause runoff and runoff picks up all things from the nutrients from the soil and puts them in the rivers so we absolutely need more trees.”

Many people were seen around Salisbury on Monday with the clear forecast and sunny weather. Preschool teacher and Mother Destinee Addlesberger was glad to enjoy the good weather with her son and new puppy. She thinks that more green space around Salisbury would be important to future generations growing up in urban environments with few outdoor places to play.

I would love to see more trees and more flowers,” Addlesberger said. “I would just love to see it to be more beautiful outside, instead of roads and all these other things that are taking away from our children and our families to be outside and the trees make it better to be outside.”