COMMITMENT
A map of Richmond, Virginia showing variations in temperature due to differences in land use (J. Hoffman, 2018).
Trees Virginia acts as a catalyst for urban forestry by cultivating commitments from diverse stakeholders (A. Appling, 2023). By building strategic partnerships, Trees Virginia is able to help preserve and enhance the urban forests throughout the state. By recognizing the vital role that trees play in urban environments, the non-profit volunteers work diligently to increase awareness and community engagement through educational workshops and public information campaigns. In addition, they participate actively in policy development and the implementation process. Thereby, leading efforts in sustainability.
Urban forests serve as a green infrastructure that provides vital ecosystem services (The Green Infrastructure Center Inc., 2019). Over time, urban tree canopies have declined due to natural disasters, land development, and as older trees die. Unfortunately, just a slight decrease in the tree canopy can cause a significant increase in the amount of stormwater runoff (The City of Harrisonburg, 2019). In addition, the conversion of green infrastructure into impervious grey infrastructure increases the overall temperature of the urban environments (The Green Infrastructure Center Inc., 2019). To mitigate urban heat islands and limit flooding, there needs to be a concerted effort to increase canopy coverage in urban environments.
In 2020, Trees Virginia partnered with the Department of Forestry, Capital One, Virginia’s Science Museum, and 13 state universities to implement the largest heat island study in the country (Trees Virginia, 2023). The goal is to use temperature and air quality sensors to monitor urban areas across the state. The project will help to identify areas that are experiencing the urban heat island effect and develop strategies to increase tree canopy coverage.
According the to President of Trees Virginia, Ashley Appling, their goal is to get everyone in Virginia to care about our trees (A. Appling, 2023). As communities continue to expand and evolve, fostering engagement from the community becomes increasingly important. To effectively address the complex challenges of urban landscapes, it is imperative that they dismantle any existing silos and leverage their connections with government agencies, businesses, academic institutions, and non-profit organizations. By doing so, they can enhance their sustainability initiatives and expand their public outreach. The key to success is recognizing that the motivations of stakeholders can vary significantly based on individual interests, perspectives, and organizational goals. As such, public outreach programs and educational workshops should be tailored to address the concerns specific to each community. Moreover, increasing the number of volunteers and securing additional donations should be a priority.
Ashley Appling (2023). Trees Virginia Info. Email.
The City of Harrisonburg, Virginia. (2019). Protecting and Restoring Urban Tree Canopy for Stormwater Management Grant. Retrieved from: https://www.harrisonburgva.gov/tree-canopy-grant
The Green Infrastructure Center Inc. (2019). Norfolk: Trees to offset H2O. Retrieved from: http://www.gicinc.org/PDFs/Norfolk_TreesandStormwaterCaseBook.pdf
Trees and Urban Heat Islands. (2023). Trees Virginia. https://www.treesvirginia.org/trees/benefits/152-trees-urban-heat-islands