Plant For Peace NOLA
Presented by Green Clean Neighborhood Effort. In New Orleans, trees have offered us a space to gather on neutral grounds. Their canopies shade our homes and sidewalks and keep us cool in the summertime. Their roots soak up the enormous amounts of water that fall on our city. A tall tree that started as a sapling symbolizes hope and together many trees bring peace. Unfortunately, we have experienced a loss of trees and a loss of peace. Many of us have lost a loved one due to violence and we will come together to plant trees in their memory.
The Healthy Community Services partners with scientists to measure and monitor the effects of the placement of trees and rain gardens (for example, to measure the water uptake of trees and rain gardens), as well as measure the effect of tree plantings on the heat island effect, to assess how the organization’s greening activities are improving the community.
Concurrently, The Healthy Community Services partner with a social scientist who can carry out research to help link these environmental programs to possible social outcomes. An important part of the project will be educating the community about these programs and their environmental and social effects. This work will inform the HCS’s greening activities and future efforts for tree plantings and rain garden placement.
Involvement of the residents in this work will increase ownership and community engagement. Desired outcomes are reduction in the heat island effect, localized flooding, and crime, as well as improved air quality.
We envision that the community will benefit from the project as they beautify and improve the health of their environment, learn about new data sources and resources for greening and green infrastructure.