In NYC, extreme heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths with an average of 370 residents dying prematurely of extreme heat-related health impacts every year. Unfortunately certain demographic groups experience these impacts worse than others. Black NYC residents experience higher than average risks and more than twice the number of deaths compared to those in other racial categories. Outdoor workers in the US are up to 35 times more likely to die from heat exposure than the general population.Read More >
No matter the neighborhood, we hear the same thing from New Yorkers. They love their trees, want more of them, and support any program that protects or expands their tree canopy.Read More >
One of the easiest ways to cool our communities is by planting more trees, and yet tree planting has hit its lowest level in 15 years.Read More >
A new Cornell University study offers clearer details on how much shade New York City trees provide.Read More >
From the H&N Fields podcast, Melissa and Wythe Marshall talk about the concept of the “urban forest” in NYC with scientist Mike Treglia of The Nature Conservancy. Mike was trained as a herpetologist (reptile scientist), but he now focuses on the total ecological systems of cities, especially trees.Read More >
The Nature Conservancy, a convening member of Forest for All NYC, is pleased to announce the release of a new report on urban forestry workforce training opportunities within New York City. Learning and Growing:…Read More >
I’ve watched the number of trees on a portion of West 58th Street dwindle down to one survivor.Read More >
Officials and environmental advocates want to increase the city’s tree canopy to 30 percent by 2035, up from the current threshold of 22 percent. Hitting the new benchmark may not be so straightforward: questions remain over maintenance, funding, and how to mobilize city dwellers to plant more trees.Read More >
The City Council is pushing the Adams administration to think big about growing the city’s tree-shaded areas by developing an urban forest master plan. The goal is to boost the role New York’s greenery plays in combating the effects of a changing climate in the five boroughs.
The more than 800,000 trees cared for by the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation provide an array of environmental and economic benefits: They sop up flood waters that would otherwise damage properties, reduce energy costs by shading buildings, and clean and cool the air—a crucial benefit New Yorkers were reminded of when wildfire smoke blanketed the region.Read More >
Nearly a year after the City Council held its first-ever hearing on urban forest canopy, the Forest for All NYC coalition applauds newly introduced legislation that will help the City protect and expand its more than 7 million trees and require ongoing monitoring of canopy cover across the city. These actions will increase community resiliency, equity, and quality of life through protection, maintenance, and expansion of the New York City urban forest. By mandating its first master plan, New York would join other large municipalities like Denver, Pittsburgh, Dallas, Sacramento, and Charlotte who have already taken this action.Read More >