Do you know what naturalists do? They observe animals, plants, and entire ecosystems to understand how they function and how they’re connected. That’s how they find answers to fascinating questions and gather a wealth of knowledge. 
One very famous naturalist is Sir David Attenborough. He was born in London, England, in 1926, and he said something very important about trees:

“Old trees are precious. There is hardly anything else on Earth that harbors such a rich community of life within a single living organism.”

Here, on the Lankow Tree Trail, you can be a naturalist today, take a close look at many things, and learn a lot. Are you up for it? Then let’s get started:
Trees are an important asset to urban design. They bring vibrant greenery to monotonous streets and remind us to find peace amid the hustle and bustle of daily life and to marvel at the beauty of nature. Why not just sit down under a tree, lean your back against its trunk, and look around? What can you see?
By the way, trees don’t just stand there—they do a whole lot of things that benefit us humans. These things are called ecosystem services. Some of them can be measured and expressed in numbers. On our tree nature trail, you can learn a lot about what trees do for us. Basically, it’s all about oxygen, water storage, and trapping fine dust. Let’s get started.


Trees produce oxygen and sequester carbon

When something burns, we exhale, or something decomposes in nature, carbon is released, which we find in the air as carbon dioxide—CO₂.
While we urgently need oxygen to breathe, trees can do a lot with carbon dioxide: As soon as a tree grows from a seed, it begins to absorb this CO₂ from the air. This marks the start of an exciting process we call photosynthesis: Through the leaves, the carbon dioxide from the air enters the tree. There, the gas is broken down into carbon and oxygen by light energy. The carbon forms the building blocks of wood—these are very small molecular components. This is how the tree grows. The leaves release the oxygen back into the air. Thanks to this biochemical reaction, humans and animals on Earth can breathe and live. Amazing, isn’t it?
 

Trees Store Water

How big do you think a tree’s root system is? Well?
I’ll tell you: The roots are about as large and branched out as the tree’s crown. So take a look up and then imagine that happening underground. Deep in the earth lies a vast, hidden network that soaks up water and nutrients like a sponge. This allows trees to absorb a lot of rainwater, protecting us from flooding and high water. And when it rains less, something exciting happens: The roots don’t just grow evenly in all directions, but toward where water seeps into the ground. This is called opportunistic growth – a tricky word, but a really cool thing!
 

Trees Trap Fine Particles

Especially in cities and along roads, vehicle exhaust releases many harmful fine particles into the air. These particles are even smaller than a grain of dust and float invisibly past us or are inhaled.
Trees help counteract this air pollution because the fine dust particles stick to rough and sticky leaf surfaces and are later washed away by rain. Tree canopies thus act as giant, natural filters and contribute significantly to improving air quality.

So trees provide us with oxygen, serve as water reservoirs, and help remove fine dust from the air—you can already see how important trees are to us, right?

But trees can do even more—what they do and how they live is incredibly diverse:
Trees can live for hundreds of years. And the trees here have been standing here much longer than you’ve been alive. Some are even older than your parents or grandparents. Trees also provide a habitat for countless other living things, such as lichens, mosses, and fungi, as well as insects, birds, and small mammals like squirrels. Wherever a tree stands, there is a vibrant ecosystem: in its crown, on its bark, and within its wood.