Why living with trees makes you happy!

1. It maintains a stable temperature.

According to data from the United Nations, in 2018, approximately 82% of North Americans live in urban areas, and around 55% of the world’s population lives in urban areas. It is projected that by 2050, approximately 68% of the world’s population will live in urban areas. Why do we humans flock to urban areas like this? Perhaps it is because of the convenience of living and the benefits of easily accessible cultural life along with a social safety net. 

But do you know why so many wild animals nest in forests? In general, it is said that the difference between day and night temperature in a city or field is severe, more than 36 degrees Fahrenheit, whereas in the forest, the difference between day and night temperature does not exceed 9 degrees Fahrenheit. As such, the dense forest provides a stable climate that is not sensitive to temperature changes, which is why many animals make a living in these forests. So, what should people who live in a forest of buildings like Manhattan, New York do?

If you can’t live in the woods, if you build a house out of wood or similarly decorate your home with wood, it can make up for it. The thermal insulation performance of wood products is 8 times better than concrete, 400 times better than steel, 6 times better than brick structure, and 1.7 times better than glass. The reason wood products can have good thermal insulation performance is that they have millions of tiny air sacs inside their structure. This is the reason why a constant temperature can be maintained because hot air in winter and cold air in summer are stored and released into the air bag that acts as a natural insulation material. Therefore, as humans, it is beneficial in many ways to live in a house built with these wooden structures or interiors using wood products.

2. The best method of healing is the forest.

A few years ago, I visited Redwood National Park in California. The fresh air that reaches my lungs really seems to purify my body. Have you ever heard of forest healing?

Forest healing is already a common treatment method in Canada, Germany and Japan. In Germany, there are about 300 hospitals that take forest healing as a prescription, and it is said that health insurance is also provided. Why are the people of this country so passionate about trees? Just as I felt the refreshing and uplifting feeling I felt when I visited Redwood National Park, when I put a tree next to it, an ingredient called phytoncide is released from the tree itself, which makes me feel refreshed. When this phytoncide enters our body, it helps physiological activity, stabilizes the mind, and triggers anti-inflammatory and antioxidant reactions. It also strengthens the cardiopulmonary function to treat asthma and lung diseases. The negative ions emitted from the wooded areas stimulate the parasympathetic nerves of the brain, helping to stabilize the mind. Also, when we humans enter the forest, serotonin secreted from our own brains benefits our minds and bodies.

Professor Morimoto’s team at Nippon University, Japan, said, “We found that as a result of having cancer patients stay in a wooded forest, immune cells, natural killer (NK) cells, increased and adrenaline, which is related to stress, decreased. Our medical team’s recommendation to this patient is to go to the forest and take in the trees.” he said. For these reasons, it is said that the best method of healing is the forest. These good benefits are the reason why  Woodambitious focus on wood.