NeighborWoods® Month Survey Reveals How Important Trees Are to Home Owners

79% of Americans Feel Trees Define Their Neighborhood

Lincoln, Neb. (Oct. 6, 2016) - Alliance for Community Trees, a program of the Arbor Day Foundation encompassing a collective of local tree planting non-profits, kicks-off NeighborWoods month, the annual celebration of trees and green communities. Every October, tens of thousands of volunteers take action to improve neighborhoods across the country by planting and caring for trees. NeighborWoods Month supports local tree planting organizations and their efforts to make neighborhoods cleaner, greener and healthier. To illustrate the importance of trees in our communities, the Alliance for Community Trees commissioned the 2016 NeighborWoods Month Survey*, conducted by Wakefield Research. Key findings include:

Americans will pay more for a house with trees.
• 88 percent of people surveyed would pay more for a house with trees in the yard compared to a house without trees.
• On average, Americans pay 18 percent more for a house with trees in the yard.
• Nearly 2/3 of Americans (63 percent) would never buy a house that didn't have trees in the yard.

"It's apparent that trees have become part of a American's DNA when determining the value on where people want to live, however the value doesn't stop with a home sale," said Dana Karcher, Alliance For Community Trees program manager. "Trees have added benefits on a local and international scale including helping to mitigate climate change, reduce air pollution and control stormwater runoff."

Trees are an important consideration when choosing a neighborhood.
• 79 percent of Americans feel trees define their neighborhood's character.
• Nearly 3/4 of Americans (74 percent) would never move to a neighborhood without trees.
• 59 percent of Americans have favorite trees in their neighborhoods.

"The national reach of NeighborWoods Month raises the level of discussion and action in local communities by emphasizing that tree canopy protection is a national, not just local, concern," said Dan Lambe, president of the Arbor Day Foundation. "Participation in NeighborWoods Month adds validity and weight to collective efforts, provides an opportunity to both utilize and acknowledge volunteers, inspires businesses and local government support and can enhance a community's appearance and reputation."

Regardless of your location, people can get involved for the chance to win a block party for their neighborhood this coming Arbor Day, compliments of the Alliance for Community Trees, by taking a picture of their neighborhood and sharing it on their social channels with the hashtag #neighborwoodscontest.

"With 61 percent of Americans wanting more trees planted in their neighborhoods, having local organizations participate in NeighborWoods Month shows that people all across the country care deeply about fulfilling this vision," added Karcher "It is remarkable to see so many groups come together with the shared vision of improving their community forestry."

NeighborWoods Month is made possible by the generous support of Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day®, Aetna Foundation, Boise Paper, CSX Transportation, DoubleTree by Hilton, Boxed Water and the U.S. Forest Service.

For more information on events in your area and how you can get involved, please visit neighborwoodsmonth.org.

About Alliance for Community Trees
Alliance for Community Trees, a program of the Arbor Day Foundation, is a national network of local non-profit organizations dedicated to improving the health and livability of cities by planting and caring for trees. With member organizations and program partner organizations throughout the United States, Alliance for Community Trees engages volunteers to take action to improve the environment where more than 90% of people live. Learn more about Alliance for Community Trees and its member organizations at arborday.org/alliance-for-community-trees.

*Methodological Notes
The Arbor Day Foundation Survey was conducted by Wakefield Research (www.wakefieldresearch.com) among 1,000 nationally representative U.S. adults ages 18+ between July 19th and 25th , 2016, using an email invitation and an online survey. Quotas have been set to ensure reliable and accurate representation of the U.S. adult population ages 18+.
Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation. The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing the results. For the interviews conducted in this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 3.1 percentage points from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample.