Abstract

Trees are critical to human, environmental, and societal well-being sometimes in subtle ways7 . The physical value of trees is indisputable (e.g., sources of building materials and the transformation of carbon dioxide). However, the psychological and communal benefits of trees are also important, albeit less apparent. For example, research suggests trees play an important role in promoting healthy communities2 .Trees provide communities with shared, structured symbols that ground people by producing a constant feeling of place and comfort for the people that are around them the most2 . The relationship between experience with and memory for trees is another novel area of research yet to be studied in depth. This study has been designed to examine the human psychological relationship with trees, focusing on how memories and relevant attitudes may be impacted by individual experience with trees. The specific dimensions of the human psychological relationship with trees that were investigated in this study included: experience with planting and climbing trees; visual and other sensory preferences of trees; how people value of trees; how trees may relate to communal and personal identity; whether trees are associated with autobiographical memories; and whether relationship with trees is associated with nature-connectedness. The results show that 78.5% of the participants recalled a favorable memory of trees from childhood and 74.7% of the participants were able to describe engaging in an activity with a tree when asked to recall a tree memory. Results also reveal a positive association between experience with trees and the degree to which trees are perceived to provide community value. The full results are discussed in terms of the ways that trees positively influence psychological and social well-being in the participants’ lives.

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