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Focus on Low- to Moderate- Income Tree Planting Can Lead to Large-Scale Impact
Traditionally, urban areas with the lowest canopy cover are low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. People living in these areas don’t have the opportunity to benefit from all that trees provide. Longtime partner TD Bank works with the Arbor Day Foundation to help solve this inequitable access to trees and green space. The TD Grants program funds critical urban tree planting efforts across the United States and Canada.
One such project was completed last fall in Lewiston, Maine. The second-largest metropolitan area in the state, Lewiston has a great deal of poverty and food insecurity. A park within the community was selected as an excellent location to add orchard trees, and support through this grant ensured the project could be brought to life.
The city worked with two local nonprofit organizations and two different classes of high school students for the planting. The students involved, a diverse group of young people working together to create change for their community, truly took ownership of this orchard. “They are invested in something they feel is meaningful and purposeful,” said Melissa Burgess, a teacher at Lewiston High School. “The excitement they feel and express while planting and taking care of the trees is something you can’t put a price on. The valuable learning experiences will also have a real-world and functional purpose. Thank you for allowing us this experience.”
But positive student engagement is just the beginning. These trees will grow to provide shade, beauty, and other ecological benefits to the area. And they will serve as a much-needed source of healthy food for the school, the students, and the community as a whole.
Work like this is critical. With the support of corporations, local nonprofits, and dedicated Arbor Day Foundation members and donors, trees can ensure a better tomorrow for all of us. Find more information about the TD Grants program at arborday.org/tdgrants.
