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May is Minnesota’s Arbor Month, an entire 31 days of appreciating trees and what they can do for our world, our community and what they can do for our spirits.

Aside from being aesthetically pleasing and a cool place to rest beneath their branches on a warm summer day, trees fulfill a vital function by pulling carbon dioxide out of the air, contributing to a healthier environment and are vital to the sustained health of the planet.

According to the Arbor Day Foundation: “Trees play a critical role in creating healthier, safer, and more connected communities. They clean our air, filter our water, and even slow storm surge and flooding in our cities. Trees also provide shade and cool our cities by up to 10 degrees, which can help prevent heat-related deaths in urban areas.”

And they also contribute to the biodiversity that surrounds us and helps make up this wonderful world we live in.

But we would wager that largely, a great many of you go about your day not thinking about things like this and we’re included. Sure, you may appreciate a tree or remember the branches you scaled in your youth, but pay specific attention to the role trees play?

The fact of the matter is we should be paying more attention because of those aforementioned benefits and the direct effect they have on ourselves and the lives we lead. This has become directly relevant in the face of the emerald ash borer infestation that is resulting in a large number of Austin’s ash tree population needing to be cut down.

We support and are thrilled by the Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department’s efforts to save as many ash trees as they can and by all accounts the efforts are going forward with wins, but also a few losses. The reality remains that more will likely need to come down leaving gaps in our beautiful, tree accented community.

As of March, Parks, Recreation and Forestry Director Jason Sehon said that around 1,200 ash trees had been removed from city land between the work of city crews and Carr’s Tree Service, who the city has a contract with.

Carr’s alone had taken down 325 trees by that point, while at the same time, the city opened the receiving of bids for another 400 trees.

That’s why, this month, we urge you to consider planting a tree. Not only can it benefit the community, but it plays a role in the betterment of our lives. Best of all, it doesn’t have to be a chore.

The city was already in the midst of forming an adopt a tree program that would see a tree planted by the city for any who would be interested in doing the watering and caring for the tree themselves. More information can be found at the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center hosted Arbor Day event this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Planting a tree can also be a great way for a family to spend time with each other, or start a tradition that can be handed down through the generations. It can be something service groups can do throughout their community to add more to that life we walk beneath every day.

It might be easy to walk throughout Austin and not think too much about the trees you walk beside, but it’s worth giving the idea some time. Austin has always been about fostering its community and environment and trees have been a part of that.

We hope you take some time this month to appreciate this important part of nature and perhaps consider adding to it.