THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, March 12, 1995 TAG: 9503100207
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 15 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ERIC FEBER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 48 lines
Donald C. Willeke, one of the nation's top authorities on trees and their worth to urban centers, returned to Chesapeake Thursday to address the ``Building Among Trees in Hampton Roads'' conference at the Holiday Inn.
The conference, which featured daylong workshops conducted by local and regional experts on tree maintenance, care and preservation, was sponsored by the City of Chesapeake, the Chesapeake Environmental Improvement Council, the City of Virginia Beach, the Virginia Dare Soil and Water Conservation District, the Virginia Department of Forestry and Virginia Power.
``He was so good last year at our Arbor Day breakfast, people wanted him to come back,'' said Gail M. Bradshaw of Chesapeake's Special Programs Department, which oversees the Environmental Improvement Council.
Willeke, who heads American Forests, the country's oldest citizen conservation organization, introduced his audience to the national ``Cool Communities'' program, which works to lower the summer temperatures of cities, reduce energy use and lower carbon emissions, all through the prudent use and preservation of trees.
``The Cool Communities program is built on solid science foundation,'' he said.
Willeke referred to research that shows increasing the number of trees in an area reduces the temperature, reduces air pollution, slows storm water flow, reduces soil erosion and generally improves public health.
In addition, Willeke cited research at the University of Illinois that shows a difference in attitudes and behaviors, especially in matters of violence and family values, between people who live among trees as compared with those who are surrounded by asphalt and concrete.
``Trees are cheaper than cops, they're cheaper than courts and they're cheaper than hospital emergency rooms,'' he said.
Willeke said the ``Cool Communities'' program is ``win-win'' for utility companies, communities and the environment.
``There is a lot of talk these days about the fact that we are creating a huge national debt to hand to our children,'' he said. ``But debts and deficits can take more than one form. If we hand our kids communities that are hot, expensive to cool, uncomfortable and ugly, they won't love us any more than if we hand them a $6 trillion debt to pay.'' by CNB