With big plans on the horizon, the Tree Trust needs your support!
In the face of climate change, studies have shown that a prosperous urban canopy is one of our best tools to combat rising temperatures and the negative impacts they have on the community’s physical health. PLAY Boulder is proud to support our Tree Trust program, which mobilizes community partnerships and citizen action to support the trees in Boulder, and to expand and sustain a healthy urban canopy over the city.
The Tree Trust plays an essential part in ensuring the long-term sustainability of Boulder’s environment. While the City of Boulder is able to manage trees on public land, over 75% of the tree canopy lies on private lands. Through our partnership with the City as a separate entity, the Foundation is able to connect with residents to manage and expand the canopy on private lands throughout Boulder.
The importance of a sustainable urban canopy has never been more clear after results of a heat mapping study conducted by the city’s Cool Boulder campaign revealed that Boulder experiences some of the most extensive heat extremes of any community studied.
While the older neighborhoods nestled up to the mountains lie under a robust canopy, the tree coverage thins out in East Boulder and in less affluent neighborhoods. These less-green areas experience higher air and surface temperatures, whereas covered green spaces work to cool everything off.
In 2023, the Tree Trust will focus its work on the vulnerable areas identified by the heat mapping study. We will collaborate with residents in the areas to plant trees and provide resources for care for existing trees, with the goal of expanding our urban canopy and protecting all community members from the sweltering temperatures of summers to come.
The Tree Trust is striving to expand our urban canopy in an equitable, collaborative manner to achieve results that will benefit our community for many years to come. This Colorado Gives Day, a donation to PLAY Boulder will directly support the work and expansion of our Tree Trust program. Every donation made through coloradogives.org is boosted by the $1M Incentive Fund.
Schedule a CO Gives Donation to PLAY BOulder
Learn more about the work of our Tree Trust & how your donation will be allocated by reading a Letter from our Executive Director of Reflections on Trees & People.
