I was sure I had married the right man when he moved his furnishings into my house and I discovered a framed copy of my lifelong favorite poem.

"Trees," by Joyce Kilmer, had been on the wall of my husband's grandparents' home for as long as he could remember.

When his grandparents died and their belongings were divided, my husband chose a few books and that beautiful poem as cherished remembrances.

Many years later, he just happened to marry someone who not only loves that poem, but also loves absolutely every tree she encounters.

Even snags, those tall, irregular stumps left to decay when a tree falls, are beautiful in my eyes because they provide homes and food sources for woodpeckers and many other wild critters.

April, National Arbor Day month, is the ideal time to count the blessings trees give us every day.

A few weeks ago, however, I wasn't sure whether I would be celebrating trees in April or mourning the untimely loss of my street tree, my green friend.

To my dismay, I uncovered a city plan to remove every tree within a three-block area of Allentown, including my block. Replacement trees, young, small and all the same species, were to be planted in each block instead.

Residents received no notice of the plan, even though the work was scheduled to begin in three business days, according to the permit for "stump grinding" at every address that had a street tree.

Thankfully, I am a curious journalist (is there any other kind?) and I plunged into the research.

When neighbors were informed of the plan, calls and protests to the mayor and city officials began.

To make a long, stressful story short, even though originally we had been told the city would spare none of the trees ("no exceptions"), and the city's tree inspector had told me the three blocks are "ugly" because most of the trees "are dead," the plan has changed.

Now, many of our street's shade trees of various ages, sizes and species will be left alone. There is quite a difference between dead and dormant!

Diversity in tree populations is as important as it is in human communities, according to horticulturists.

Great tree species ravaged by disease and invasive insects during the past century include the elm, chestnut, hemlock and ash. Why denude entire urban neighborhoods of mature shade trees by planting only one type?

"We tend to have these cycles. If we plant all the same trees, in 40 or 50 years we'll lose them, too. That's why we need to diversify," explained David Robson, a University of Illinois Extension horticulturist, in an interview with Tribune Newspapers writer William Hageman.

Many urban communities are keeping inventories of their tree diversity, according to Robson, who said officials make sure not to have more than 5 percent of any one species.

Some cities also place a monetary value on their trees, to show nature's contributions to the balance sheets that are important to government and business.

Baltimore's trees, for example, cut air conditioning bills by more than $3.3 million yearly, according to a study. That's because trees keep us cool and comfortable by blocking the hot summer sun and by transpiring water that cools the air through evaporation.

New York City has conducted a tree census of every street tree to determine a dollar value of each, based on how much it cleans the air by absorbing carbon dioxide and how much its shade reduces energy use.

Factoring in planting and upkeep costs, New York City street trees were said to provide an annual benefit of more than $122 million.

Other studies have found that homes with a tree in front sell for almost 1 percent more than similar homes without a tree.

Although money doesn't grow on trees, large shade trees are like money in the bank, increasing property values and lowering energy costs.

Trees also beautify our communities and muffle noise. They make oxygen to help us survive. They purify the air we breathe.

Their roots and soil cleanse pollutants from the water and help prevent runoff and flooding.

When we realize all the benefits of trees, we know why Earth Day and Arbor Day are celebrated so widely in April.

Take time to plant a tree or to thank a nearby tree for its many gifts. Better yet, feel free to give it a big hug.

I'll join you.