by Oscar Valencia
Here in the Valley of the Sun, our urban forests plays a vital role in cooling our cities. They do so by providing shade and through evapotranspiration, which is a process that cools surrounding areas through water vapor released into the atmosphere.
Trees can help cool an area by up to 9°F during peak summer months, which could be the difference between a hot summer day and a potential heat related illness. Although we all experience the hot summer months here in Arizona, many of us experience it differently than others. It is often the low-income and underserved neighborhoods that will have the smallest tree canopies, leading to higher temperatures, higher air pollution and a lack of shade.
These factors will grow over time as climate change progresses, further endangering the residents of these communities.
A major factor that got us here is the discriminatory practice of redlining. Redlining simply put is the denial of credit to someone based on the area they live. These redlined neighborhoods were at a higher risk of having their natural spaces disrupted and replaced with large infrastructure due to their land being graded as “D” grade by the Home Owners Loan Corporation (HOLC) (Benitez, 2022). This scale created by the HOLC looked at factors such as housing market conditions, economic characteristics and neighborhood demographics (Benitez, 2022).
Although redlining was made illegal by the passing of the Fair Housing Act in 1968, its effects can still be observed today.
Using the Tree Equity Score Analyzer (TESA), a tool created by American Forests, one can see how tree inequities disproportionately affect certain communities over others. With this map, we at Trees Matter, a 501(c)(3) local nonprofit, are able to identify disproportionately affected communities and redistribute the benefits of trees through shade tree distributions and tree planting initiatives.
Our mission at Trees Matter is to foster and inspire an increased, more equitable tree canopy in the Valley of the Sun. In partnership with SRP and Treeland Nurseries, Trees Matter is able to distribute upwards of 5,000 desert adapted shade trees each year. Through our tree planting initiatives, we have planted hundreds of trees in schools, parks and neighborhoods in low-income communities which they can directly benefit from as the trees mature. All of our projects are fueled by our amazing volunteers, who’s hard work and dedication are the foundation of all that we do.
In order to help those with the drive to improve our tree canopy in the Valley but without the means to do so, Trees Matter is starting a new volunteer tree planting cohort called the Tree Team! We will be providing the team with training related to Urban Forestry such as planting, pruning, tree selection, and tree biology. They will have the opportunity to join us at tree plantings, help with pruning and measuring projects, and eventually be able to adopt their own tree planting site to help manage and maintain the urban forests sustainably.
Email volunteer@treesmatter. org for more information!
by Oscar Valencia, Trees Matter VOLUNTEER!
Oscar Valencia is the Tree Team Coordinator
oscar@treesmatter.org
Works Cited
“Tree Equity Score Analyzer for Maricopa County, AZ.” Tree Equity Score, www.treeequityscore. org/analyzer/maricopa/map. Benitez, Mia.
“The Problem of Tree Inequity: Redlining and Its Contribution to Tree Inequity in Low Income Neighborhoods.” The Problem of Tree Inequity: Redlining and Its Contribution to Tree Inequity in Low Income Neighborhoods | Department of English, 2022, english.umd.edu/researchinnovation/journals/interpolations/ fall-2022/problem-tree-inequit y-redlining-and-its#:~:text=Tree%20 inequity%20stems%20from%20 redlining,minorities%2 0are%20 affected%20by%20redlining.