National Tree Benefit Calculator

This is the wonderful tool that I used to calculate the ecological benefits of the trees at Rockcliffe Lands for my Spacing Ottawa article.  It was conceived and developed by Casey Trees and Davey Tree Expert Co and is based on  i-Tree’s street tree assessment tool called STREETS.

From the website:

The National Tree Benefit Calculator allows anyone to make a simple estimation of the benefits individual street-side trees provide. With inputs of location, species and tree size, users will get an understanding of the environmental and economic value trees provide on an annual basis. The Tree Benefit Calculator is intended to be simple and accessible. As such, this tool should be considered a starting point for understanding trees’ value in the community, rather than a scientific accounting of precise values. 

While in theory this tool can only be used in U.S. you can adapt it for Southern Ontario by choosing the most northerly hardiness zone (Northeast Zone).

For more information on the benefits of urban street trees, take a look at this video from i-Tree:

Community Trees: A Living Asset