Last updated: November 2024
As heat waves and high temperatures intensify due to climate change and urbanization, the City of Phoenix is exploring how to reintroduce tree shade into urban spaces to create a more equitable, livable environment. In 2014, the city set a goal to shade at least 25% of Phoenix by 2030, known as the Tree and Shade Master Plan. Achieving this ambitious target requires substantial resources and active community participation. A key player in this initiative is Trees Matter, an environmental nonprofit dedicated to helping Phoenix reach its shade goals. Trees Matter not only works to expand and sustain the city’s tree canopy but also aims to foster environmental equity. Among its initiatives, the Trees for Schools program promotes tree planting in schools while educating staff and students about the significance of trees and tree care. Silvestre Herrera Elementary School is one example where the Trees for Schools program has made a direct impact. As part of this program, 30 trees were planted on the school grounds, involving students, staff, and community volunteers in the process. These new trees offer critical environmental benefits, including shade, air purification, dust reduction, food production, and carbon sequestration. Additionally, tree presence has been linked to improved physical and mental health outcomes. Beyond the immediate environmental gains, the project also offers educational value by involving students, staff, and maintenance crews in hands-on learning about tree care and environmental stewardship. This approach ensures that participants are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to care for the trees long term, reinforcing both sustainability and community resilience. Through these combined efforts, Phoenix is making strides toward a greener, more shaded future—one that benefits not only the environment but also the well-being and health of its residents. (1-5)
APS and students at a Valley school are hoping to make things a little more green in the community by planting trees!
PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) - Dani Birzer
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Grey infrastructure featuring greens
- Green playgrounds and school grounds
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Climate change mitigation
- Environmental quality
- Air quality improvement
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Improving physical health
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Environmental education
- Environmental and climate justice
- Sense of community and community engagement
- Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
- Economic development: service sectors
Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)
- Climate-Related Hazards
- Heat stress & Extreme temperatures
- Environmental Degradation
- Air pollution
- Land use and Socio-economic change
- Unequal availability and access to public green spaces
- Health, Well-being and Social cohesion
- Physical health harm (from pollution, wildfire, extreme temperature)
- Mental health issues (stress, anxiety)
Key priorities
Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation), Social Justice and community
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Creation of any other green urban spaces, Knowledge creation and awareness raising, Educational and awareness raising programs
Project objectives
The goals of the Silvestre Herrera Elementary School Tree Planting Project were to:
To plant trees on school grounds to increase tree cover, support carbon sequestration, and improve air quality.
To engage students, staff, and maintenance crews as integral participants in the planting process to foster hands-on involvement and enhance physical health.
To educate students and staff on the importance of trees, tree care, and the broader environmental benefits.
To support the city’s efforts to combat heat waves and high temperatures, addressing the impacts of urban heat on health, safety, comfort, and economic development as conditions are expected to intensify. (1, 2, 5-7)
Implementation activities
To realize the goals various activities were implemented including:
The Trees for Schools program was founded to provide schools with funding opportunities for tree planting projects. Using the Tree Prioritization Map from Maricopa County Public Health's Office of Epidemiology and Data Services, Silvestre Herrera Elementary School was identified as a prime candidate for the program. A partnership was then established between Trees Matter, Arizona Public Service, and the school to bring the project to life.
As a result, 30 desert-adapted shade trees were planted on the school grounds, enhancing carbon sequestration, improving air quality, and providing much-needed shade. The project also emphasized environmental education by involving students, staff, and maintenance crews in the planting process and equipping them with knowledge on long-term tree care. This hands-on involvement fosters a lasting commitment to environmental stewardship. (1-2)
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Increase urban vegetation cover to reduce urban heat island effect
Climate change mitigation:
- Increase the availability of green urban space for carbon storage (street tree cover)
Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts
Yes
Specification of climate or environmentally vulnerable communities
Low-income neighborhoods, Minority or marginalized ethnic groups
Main beneficiaries
- Citizens or community groups
- Young people and children
Governance
Management set-up
- Led by non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Public sector institution
- Non-government organisation/civil society
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
- Dissemination of information and education
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
Non-governmental organisation (NGO):
-Tree's Matter is the founder of the Tree's for Schools program, they partnered with the elementary school to plant 30 trees and provide an educational opportunity for those involved (1-2).
Private sector/Corporate/Business:
-Arizona Public Service is an energy utility company that provided the funding for the planting project through their own "Community Tree Program" (1-2, 6).
Public sector institution:
-Silvestre Herrera Elementary School applied to the Tree's for Schools program and partnered with Trees Matter to bring 30 new trees to the schoolgrounds (1). Volunteers involved in the planting were students and staff from the school (1).
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Yes
(The intervention was inspired by the City of Phoenix Tree and Shade Masterplan (5). )
Type of enablers
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Corporate investment
Type of funding
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Type of non-financial contribution
- Provision of land
- Provision of labour
- Provision of expertise
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
- Public authorities (e.g. land, utility services)
- Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Lowered local temperature
- Expected lowered local temperature
- Enhanced carbon sequestration
- Expected enhanced carbon sequestration
- Environmental quality
- Improved air quality
- Expected improved air quality
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Achieved increased green space area
Economic impacts
- Generation of other type of work opportunities (e.g. voluntary, work for rehabilitation)
- Achieved generation of other type of work opportunities (e.g. voluntary, work for rehabilitation)
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved access to urban green space
- Achieved improved access to urban green space
- Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
- Achieved increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
- Health and wellbeing
- Improved physical health
- Expected improved physical health
- Education
- Increased support for education and scientific research
- Achieved increased support for education and scientific research
Type of reported impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs
Unknown
References
1.
Birzer, D. (2022). APS, elementary school, Trees Matter plant trees to give back to the Valley. [Source link];
2.
Trees Matter (n.d.). Trees for Schools. [Source link];
3.
Meiners, J. (n.d.). Big data and a money tree: How Phoenix decides where to create more shade. [Source link];
4.
Trees Matter (n.d.). About Us. [Source link];
5.
Montanari, S. (2020). Will Phoenix Be Able to Plant 100,000 Shade Trees in the Next 10 Years?. [Source link];
6.
APS (n.d.). Community Tree Program. [Source link];
7.
The Nature Conservancy (2024). Addressing Heat and Air Quality in Phoenix. [Source link];
8.
Maricopa Association of Governments (n.d.). Arizona Demographics . [Source link];
APS and students at a Valley school are hoping to make things a little more green in the community by planting trees!
PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5)- Dani Birzer
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.