Under the Canopy of Hope
It all starts with a knock. Since 2010, URI has planted an average of 500 trees annually. Through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022, the United States Forest Service is investing a historic $1 billion in urban forestry nationwide to reduce heat and address environmental inequalities. Fortunately, URI is one of the Forest Service grant recipients, supporting the doubling of trees planted over the next five years. Starting this spring, we will produce an additional 500 trees per year in New Haven’s Environmental Justice (EJ) communities.
Tree Ambassadors Lee Cruz and Melinda Tuhus meeting a potential tree adopter.
In 2023, the Earth’s average surface temperature was the highest in recorded history. More frequent and severe heat waves will significantly impact human health, especially in urban areas. The Urban Heat Island Effect (UHI) is a phenomenon in which urban areas are warmer than rural areas due to human infrastructure’s retaining more of the sun’s heat. UHI also increases energy costs, air pollution, and heat-related illnesses.
Moreover, the impacts of UHI disproportionately affect marginalized communities of color. For example, Dr. Karen Seto is leading a research team with NASA support to document temperature changes across Connecticut’s major cities over time. Several neighborhoods in New Haven are much cooler and can have upwards of three times more trees than others. Staggeringly, more land in Fair Haven is covered by parking lots than by parks and schoolyards, resulting in hotter summer temperatures. Recent IRA investments prioritize these issues by funding tree planting in these communities.
In a local effort to reverse these inequities, URI is committed to connecting with community members in EJ neighborhoods and planting more trees in these areas. Trees lower surface temperature by providing lasting shade and circulating water throughout the atmosphere. Combined with a tree’s ability to increase aesthetic and property value, they can also reduce energy costs, air pollutants, and stormwater runoff. To ensure the survival of these trees, URI only plants where we are invited and have tree adopters committed to watering them.
Due to having the lowest canopy cover in the city, URI is focusing outreach in Fair Haven. We are grateful to the volunteer Tree Ambassadors who have been canvassing there to encourage residents to reduce heat in their own space by adopting a free tree. This engagement has led to valuable conversations between residents about the effects of climate change in urban areas and how trees can help. Fostering community dialogue will be paramount as we face more severe climate challenges. Our Tree Ambassadors are at the forefront of this effort and are essential for connecting URI’s work to those who need it the most.
Please contact URI if you want to adopt a free tree or join our Tree Ambassadors team. You can find more information on our website or call us at 203-432-6189. It all starts with a knock. If you answer, you will be invited to go on an unexpected journey to adopt a tree that will grow to symbolize the strength of your community. And…you will get some much-needed shade!