Branching Out or Taking Root? Your Urban Forestry Program’s Health Check
Urban Forestry Program Evaluations for a Thriving Urban Forest! Explore this recent article from Chris Peiffer, Director of Urban Forestry Strategy at PlanIT Geo.
Explore the critical role of program evaluations in urban forestry initiatives. Drawing from experience with over 60 planning projects, Peiffer highlights that successful programs typically feature dedicated staff, active management plans, proactive tree care, and supportive policies, while common challenges include funding issues and inadequate long-term planning.
Evaluations as essential tools for assessing program health, identifying growth areas, and ensuring long-term success, potentially leading to benefits such as increased canopy cover, healthier trees, and stronger community engagement. This article explores various resources for conducting assessments, including the Sustainable Forestry Initiative's Urban and Community Forestry Sustainability Standard, and offers tailored approaches for programs at different stages of development. Ultimately, urban forestry program evaluations are opportunities to unlock potential and drive positive changes in urban forestry programs.
Green Spaces in Schools: Nurturing Minds and Well-being
Exciting research highlights the power of green spaces in urban schools! A recent study in Belgium reveals how green playgrounds can positively impact children's well-being and academic performance.
Key findings: -Green school environments may compensate for limited green exposure in urban areas -Attention levels were higher in schools with green playgrounds, especially in highly urbanized settings -Benefits were most prominent in schools with higher socioeconomic status
This study underscores the importance of incorporating nature into our children's daily lives. By greening existing school playgrounds, we can: 1. Enhance child development 2. Improve urban green space cover 3. Extend health benefits beyond school boundaries
Palm Springs: Mandating 2-for-1 Replacement Ratio in Proposed Tree Ordinance
Palm Springs is taking a bold step towards preserving its urban forest. The city's Sustainability Commission is considering a new tree protection ordinance that could significantly impact how we manage our green spaces.
Key points of the proposed tree ordinance: *2-for-1 replacement ratio for large trees (12+ inches in diameter) *Stricter guidelines for new plantings *Focus on native desert species *Technical manuals for best tree care practices
This initiative aims to address climate challenges while recognizing trees as valuable city infrastructure.
The commission will vote in February, with potential City Council consideration in March. It's encouraging to see local governments taking proactive steps to enhance urban ecosystems and combat climate change.
Harnessing Urban Forests for Natural Disaster Resilience
On-Demand Webinar
Explore the crucial role urban forests play in mitigating the growing impacts of natural disasters, including record-breaking heatwaves, devastating floods, catastrophic wildfires, and more. Urban forests act as natural shields against extreme heat, enhance water absorption to prevent flooding, and help reduce air pollution. However, effectively managing urban tree canopies in the face of these escalating threats requires innovative solutions.
By utilizing data-driven approaches to assess, manage, and expand urban forests, communities can proactively prepare for future disasters. Prioritizing resilient green infrastructure not only mitigates immediate risks but also supports long-term environmental health, economic stability, and community well-being.
Urban Heat Islands pose a growing threat to global health and equity, with cities potentially experiencing temperature differences of up to 8-10°C compared to surrounding areas by mid-century. This phenomenon disproportionately affects vulnerable populations, especially those in informal settlements. A recent article by Nitya Mohan Khemka explores this critical issue and presents innovative solutions for creating more heat-resilient cities. These strategies include cool pavements, urban greening, and vertical forests. However, the challenge remains significant, as only 1 in 3 cities have integrated health into their climate-resilience plans. This timely piece offers valuable insights for urban planners, policymakers, and anyone concerned about the future of our cities, highlighting the urgent need to address heat vulnerability and promote heat equity in urban areas.
Urban Forests: A Nature-Based Solution to Climate Breakdown and Inequality. Visionary urban planners and community organizers recognize that effectively addressing the climate crisis requires drawing down carbon out of the atmosphere and sequestering it back where it belongs in natural systems. Urban forestry is a nature-based solution that can simultaneously address the parallel crises of climate change and wealth inequality. With Brett KenCairn, Boulder city Senior Advisor, and Samira Malone, Urban Forestry Program Manager at the Urban Sustainability Directors Network.
Gardening the Globe: Tech’s Impact on Urban Forestry & Horticulture for The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
On-Demand Webinar
Explore how the Commonwealth War Graves is redefining horticultural and urban forestry practices to preserve heritage sites across the globe. Discover how they manage a global tree population while balancing local regulations, historical preservation, and community needs.
This session showcased how tools like TreePlotter are enabling smarter green space management with solutions like progress reporting, language translation, governance tools, and tailored adaptations to meet local requirements. Learn how these innovations are streamlining operations, enhancing sustainability, and ensuring the care of historically significant landscapes.
Oklahoma City Using GIS Technology to Tackle Extreme Heat Challenges
Oklahoma City's Office of Sustainability has employed GIS technology to tackle extreme heat challenges, revealing crucial insights into urban heat patterns and their public health impacts.
Key findings include: -Significant temperature disparities, with downtown experiencing temperatures up to 15 degrees hotter than other parts of the city -Gaps in air quality monitoring coverage
The team created interactive, color-coded GIS maps combining temperature data, air quality readings, and demographic information.
The GIS implementation benefits various sectors: -Public health: Identifying at-risk populations -Urban planning: Guiding decisions on tree planting and cooling center locations -Utility services: Determining eligibility for summer discounts -Public transit: Informing placement of shaded bus stops -Long-term planning: Prioritizing sustainability efforts
Future Woodlands Scotland and bp have announced the first three community projects funded by their Urban Forestry Programme. This 10-year initiative aims to boost Scotland's urban tree cover from under 16% towards the EU average of 30.2%.
-Focus on improving tree visibility, canopy cover, and green space access -Projects follow the "3+30+300 rule" for urban trees -Utilizes Tree Equity tool to address imbalances in tree distribution
This collaboration between corporations and non-profits is creating greener, healthier urban environments while supporting Scotland's net zero goals.
FREE GUIDE: Having a tree advocate or two among government decision makers can be a game changer for a public urban forestry program.
Urban forestry programs often operate on tight budgets and urban forest managers must continually advocate for funding from internal and external sources. Having a supportive mayor, city council member, county commissioner, division supervisor, or any other role with sway over budgets and priorities, can make a huge difference in getting the staff and resources needed to grow a healthy urban forest.
Public and political awareness of the importance of trees has come a long way in the last two decades, but in many communities the benefits of urban forests are still unrecognized or underappreciated. Even when a government values trees, urban forest projects must compete with other public services from a general fund that is often stretched thin.
So, how do you turn those in charge into tree advocates? Make the benefits and risks of urban forestry real and relatable through canopy data visuals, inventory statistics, and urban forest management plan benchmarking. Reenforcing your messaging with numbers brings a measurable context to the conversation. Below, we’ve gathered lessons from urban forestry professionals who’ve used different types of data to grab attention and foster support from their government leaders.
Green Infrastructure in Flood Mitigation: Why it’s Critical Now More Than Ever
As climate change intensifies, traditional flood defenses are proving insufficient, making green infrastructure a critical tool in flood mitigation. This innovative approach combines natural processes with engineered systems to reduce flood risk while simultaneously enhancing biodiversity. From urban rain gardens to rural wetlands, green infrastructure is reshaping our approach to flood management, offering both protection and environmental benefits. Not only is it cost-effective, but it's also adaptable to changing conditions, making it an ideal solution for our evolving climate challenges.
One Tree at a Time: A Plan for Reviving Kansas City’s Urban Forest
Karen Uhlenhuth's grassroots initiative in Kansas City demonstrates the power of individual action in combating climate change and enhancing urban environments. Over two decades, she has planted nearly 200 trees in public easements and areas with limited tree cover, highlighting the numerous benefits of urban forests. These include cooling urban heat islands, improving air quality, reducing flooding, and enhancing mental health. Despite challenges such as aging trees, environmental stress, and the emerald ash borer infestation threatening 9% of the city's public trees, Uhlenhuth remains committed to her cause. She sources free native trees and encourages community involvement, emphasizing the importance of scalable local actions in addressing environmental crises and planting for future generations.
