Those who know me well know that my happy place is in the forest. I love to hike, and I spend much of the summer exploring our beautiful county and state parks. If I have an afternoon free, you will most likely find me on a trail. I especially love the trees and the birds. As my new term began a few months ago, I joined the Dane County Tree Board. It is exciting to be part of a group that helps to coordinate forestry issues and policy in our community.

At a recent meeting, a member introduced me to the National Tree Benefit Calculator. This was developed by Casey Trees and Davey Tree Expert Co. and can be found at treebenefits.com. It is not intended to offer a scientific and precise value of a tree, but rather it offers an accessible starting point that can help people understand the value of street-side trees in our community.

The website is very simple to use. Simply input your ZIP code to get your climate zone. Then choose the type of tree and add the diameter of the trunk. This calculates the overall benefits of that tree, including a breakdown in the areas of stormwater, property value, energy, air quality and CO2.

Obviously, trees are beautiful and offer a home to wildlife. The additional benefits are also extremely important. Trees help to make our community and planet a healthier place. Strategically planted trees can help to save money on energy bills as well as reduce our carbon footprint. As if that were not enough, there is no better place to hang a bird feeder and a hammock on a beautiful afternoon.

Please feel free to contact me with any concerns or issues. I can be reached at 335-6827 or ritt.michele@countyofdane.com.