Sustainability Defined is the podcast that defines sustainability, one concept (and bad joke) at a time. Hosts Scott Breen and Jay Siegel explore a new topic each episode with the help of an expert in the field. Each concept falls into one of seven sectors — Energy, Cities, Natural Environment, Transportation, Business, Policy, and Social — and is visually represented in a Sustainability Tree found at www.sustainabilitydefined.com.
Trees do so much more than make our neighborhoods beautiful. In this episode, we explore the surprising science behind why trees are essential for our mental and physical health, our communities, and our climate.
In this episode Cecilia and Nethra discuss how spending time in nature can reduce stress and improve focus, why urban forests are critical for cooling cities and protecting public health, and how trees clean our air, store carbon, support biodiversity, and even save billions of dollars through the ecosystem services they provide.
Plus, we dive into one of the most fascinating questions in ecology: Can trees communicate? From the “Wood Wide Web” to chemical warning signals and the latest research on tree behavior, we separate myth from science (a little mythbusting moment!) while uncovering the hidden world beneath our feet.
After this episode, you may never look at a tree the same way again!
Curious about conservation? Check out organizations like the Arbor Day Foundation, One Tree Planted, American Forests, and The Nature Conservancy to support reforestation and urban forestry efforts. You can also use Ecosia for your everyday searches, contribute to biodiversity science with iNaturalist, or look for local tree planting and stewardship events in your community.