Visualizing The Urban Forest Impacts of A Hurricane
In October of 2018, Hurricane Michael became the first category 5 hurricane to make landfall in the continental U.S since 1992. The hurricane devastated communities in the Florida panhandle with 160 mph winds, pounding rains, and an inundating storm surge. Along with the tragic loss of life and billions of dollars in structural damage, Hurricane Michael also wreaked havoc on the region's forests and urban trees.
The Florida Forest Service hired PlanIT Geo to measure the damage to the region's urban forest by mapping tree canopy from pre- and post-storm imagery. The Florida Forest Service is using this information to help restore the hardest hit areas and ensure that new trees are planted equitably. The project data was also used to build an interactive StoryMap to share the hurricane’s urban forest impacts with the public.
Research Correlates Neighborhood Green Space And Lower Health Care Costs
A new study further affirms the beneficial relationship between green space and public health, this time with a focus on health care costs.
"Annual average health care cost was $374 lower per person per year for those living near the most green space than it was for those living near the least green space."
The National Trust charity has pledged to plant 20 million trees by 2030 in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, with a focus on the right trees in the right places. “The first two years of our 10-year plan was always going to be about doing the research and scoping out the right places to plant and establish trees – to try to ensure we maximise in balance the benefit to nature, regenerate landscapes or creating new woodlands near urban areas.” It's great to see an ambitious, but tactical planting campaign.
We’re kicking off the first in a series of LIVE sessions on Instagram on April 26th, starting at 9am MST. We’ll be diving into our private tree care-focused software TreePlotter JOBS and answering your questions.
How do you start an urban forest management plan on the right foot? Join PlanIT Geo's Alex Hancock and Rachel Ormseth to learn the steps and pre-planning needed to execute a successful urban forest management process.
Display Raw Tree Canopy Data in TreePlotter CANOPY
Data-driven TreePlotter CANOPY clients can now display the current canopy cover and a previous year's canopy cover within their application. Utilize this data to show specific areas of canopy gains and losses. Reach out to your Account Manager, Beth Corrigan, about getting tree canopy data added to your subscription today.
Groundwork Ohio River Valley, an environmental justice nonprofit based in Cincinnati, engaged residents in drafting a climate resiliency plan and assembled and paid a small workforce of neighborhood youths to create what it says is Ohio’s first climate-safe neighborhood.
This Is How You Measure The Impacts of Nature On Public Health
Different components of the public health benefits of nature have been calculated, but a broad quantification has been more elusive. This blog explores how different tools, such as NatureScore™, are taking on the challenge of condensing the health impacts of nature exposure into an actionable form.
WATCH-The Unique Value of Forest Patches Within Cities
There are 1.7 million acres of natural forested land embedded within U.S. cities, but despite their prevalence and importance in cities, these forests are often underfunded and lack consistent management. In this webinar, learn from The Forests in Cities Network, a national network dedicated to promoting and advancing healthy forested natural areas in cities across America through science, management, partnerships, and communication.
National Coastal Resilience Fund 2022 Request for Proposals
Calling all coastal communities: Pre-proposals are due April 21st for the National Coastal Resilience Fund, which is planning to award $140 million in grants to increase the current and future resilience of communities to coastal hazards and enhance wildlife habitat.
This could be a great opportunity to source funding for a tree canopy analysis of your community.
The native Florida Strangler Fig (Ficus aurea) comes to life in a very interesting way. It’s seed is deposited into the crowns of Cabbage palms by birds or squirrels, then it sends a root down from the crown of the palm until it’s firmly in place at ground level. Once established, it will begin to “strangle” it’s palm host slowly until eventually it’s the only organism standing.
