10/14/2026
Three cheers for trees!!! 🌳 🌲 🌳
What does tree cover have to do with a community’s health?
-From summer heat and stormwater to mental well-being and wildlife habitat, trees shape our daily lives.-
At a Cool Cities STL pop-up, Chuck Caverly discussed these connections—including the 3-30-300 rule, a guideline for bringing nature closer to everyone.
🌳 3 trees visible from every home, school, and workplace
Even a view of greenery can help reduce stress and restore attention. Connecting with nature can begin right outside our windows.
🌳 30% tree canopy in every neighborhood
Tree canopy—the area covered by trees’ crowns—provides shade, helps cool streets and buildings, and intercepts rainfall to reduce stormwater runoff. The goal applies to each neighborhood so these benefits reach residents throughout a community.
🌳 300 meters to a park or green space
A short walk—roughly 1,000 feet—to green space gives people more opportunities to move, gather, relax, and spend time outdoors.
🦚What we plant matters, too.
Native trees support the insects, birds, and other wildlife that share our neighborhoods. Keystone plants such as native oaks have an especially large role in sustaining these food webs.
According to the National Wildlife Federation, 96% of terrestrial birds rely on insects for food. Protecting the native plants that feed those insects helps sustain the birds we love to see and hear.🦉
Community greening takes long-term stewardship: protecting mature trees, planting suitable native species, and caring for them as they grow.
Thank you, Cool Cities STL and the City of Clayton, Missouri, for encouraging this conversation about healthier communities—for people and wildlife alike.
