Forests are essential to a healthy community and a healthy planet — from cleaning and cooling the air, to holding water in the ground, from providing habitat for wildlife and biodiversity, to enriching the soil and creating the very oxygen we breathe.  Life as we know it cannot exist without forests.

More than that, simply being around trees is beneficial to people’s health. The New York Department of Environmental Conservation reports that exposure to forests and trees has been proven to:

• boost the immune system
• lower blood pressure
• improve mood & reduce stress
• increase ability to focus, even in children with ADHD
• accelerate recovery from surgery or illness
• increase energy level
• improve sleep

You can read more here, and also here. It is in the direct interests of our own health to maintain healthy forests.

So let’s raise as much money as possible to protect as much forest as we can.  Click on the red tab at the bottom of the screen to jump to our fundraising page at Kitsap Community Foundation.