Two hundred and fifty dollars was the cost of planting a tree in Mt. Vernon, New York. Saturday, May 3rd, we observe the 25 million trees project. The project is aimed at recognizing the importance of trees and forest.
Planting trees is perhaps the best thing that can be done by communities to build climate resiliency and public health. Ecologically, trees are helpful for absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which reduces the amount of greenhouse gases accountable for global warming. Urban forests cool urban centers through evaporation and shadow, mitigating the urban heat island effect and protecting vulnerable people from heatwaves. Rainwater is soaked up by the roots, reducing surface runoff and flood risk, and ground stabilization to prevent erosion. Trees are also utilized as natural windbreaks to protect homes and infrastructure from intense storms.
Aside from their role in the environment, trees also positively impact the health of the community. Trees act as natural air purifiers by filtering out the air and eliminating pollutants, thereby making it possible to breathe safely, particularly in locations where asthma and respiratory illnesses prevail. Exposure to greenery tree-lined areas has been established to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, giving mental and physical health benefits. Green tree-lined roads and parks encourage walking, cycling, and outdoor play, resulting in healthier living styles. Trees also serve as a buffer against urban noise and create environments peaceful. Finally, public green spaces bring people together, fostering community relationships and feelings of belonging to the immediate environment. Together, these benefits make planting trees a solid investment in human health and climate adaptation.
This program, under the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, was to allot $75 million to cities, tribes, and nonprofits to plant shade trees. The contract cancellation involved the Trump administration’s effort to cut federal diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, and the project was discovered to no longer fall under agency priorities. Although the Inflation Reduction Act provided $10 million for planting trees along the Hudson Valley, including Mount Vernon, funding for tree planting went to Groundwork Hudson Valley.
The Mt. Vernon project targeted specifically tree planting on the city’s east side, which is underprivileged in terms of climate change and pollution. It is my passion for climate action so much so that I am actually overjoyed every time that I get to implement sustainability activities, whether it is tree planting, local environmental activities, or even just an exchange to create awareness.
Knowing that the small steps I make can be part of a larger movement towards environmental justice and a greater world for everyone provides me with this amazing sense of purpose. I’m propelled by the mounting momentum for climate action and touched by being in a generation that is not going to remain quiet when there is an ecological crisis. That passion inspires me to keep learning, keep appearing, and keep striving towards innovative, people focused solutions that serve the planet and human beings.
With Love Cynthia
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