Plant trees in low-income U.S. neighborhoods

Summary

Support the work of ACT affiliates in low-income neighborhoods and affordable housing projects across the country, planting trees to improve the health and safety of these often-neglected areas.

What is the issue, problem, or challenge?

Trees in cities provide numerous environmental and health benefits, including reducing the impact of urban heat islands, cleaning polluted air, increasing property values, and encouraging outdoor activities. Residents of low-income neighborhoods suffer disproportionately from childhood asthma and crime, both problems that have been proven to decrease with the presence of more trees. Trees provide these residents with cleaner, greener, healthier and safer neighborhoods.

How will this project solve this problem?

Throughout the planting season, ACT affiliates organize tree planting and stewardship events, engaging residents and volunteers alike. These community-building events give low-income residents a stake in caring for their own neighborhoods.

Potential Long Term Impact

For moderate up-front costs, trees mitigate many of the problems that residents of low-income neighborhoods face. Their benefits increase, rather than decrease, over time. Few efforts can match urban reforestation for positive long-term impact.

Project Message

The planting events sponsored by ACT helped us reach out to neighborhoods, schools, and residents in need. The grant really helped us set the stage for a bold new urban forestry campaign.
- Judy Steckler, Exec Director, Land Trust for the MS Coastal Plain

Additional Documentation

This project has provided additional documentation in a Microsoft Word file (projdoc.doc).

Resources