In honor of Earth Month, the City of Tempe and Arizona State University are seeking Tempe residents, volunteers and community members to help plant 40 trees at Esquer Park on Saturday, April 29 at 8 a.m. Tempe, ASU and partners are launching their Urban Forestry Program to help offset carbon emissions.
Mayor Mark Mitchell, Vice Mayor Robin Arredondo-Savage, and councilmembers Lauren Kuby and Kolby Granville will participate in Saturday’s Esquer Park tree planting. Tempe has a tree canopy goal of 25 percent by 2040. Increasing tree coverage in urban areas increases walkability, decreases surface temperatures, increases community economic benefits and improves air quality, among numerous other benefits.
For this volunteer event, please bring a hat, sunscreen, a reusable water bottle, and gardening gloves (if you have them). Shovels, rakes and other tools will be provided. ASU will provide light refreshments. To RSVP, please visit http://bit.ly/ASUTrees2017 or contact steven.russell@asu.edu
The Esquer Park tree planting is one of two events hosted by ASU over Arbor Day weekend. It’s part of a pilot initiative by University Sustainability Practices, target Scope 3 carbon emissions. Scope 3 emissions come from activities that the university may not be able to limit and reduce, like air travel.
Implementation and additional funding was provided through collaboration between Arizona State University, the City of Phoenix, the City of Tempe, Duke University Carbon Offsets Initiative, Habitat for Humanity of Central Arizona, Maricopa County Food Systems Coalition, Mountain Park Health Center, The Ramsey Social Justice Foundation, Tuft & Needle and Urban Offsets, Inc.
Funds for this project were provided by the Urban and Community Forestry Financial Assistance Program administered through Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management – Urban and Community Forestry Program and the USDA Forest Service. These institutions are equal opportunity employers.
The City of Tempe takes care of people, profit and planet through a variety of innovative programs, including water and energy conservation, recycling, composting, alternative transportation, sustainable business practices, urban forest, and environmental stewardship. For more information about Sustainable Tempe, please visit http://www.tempe.gov/city-hall/public-works/sustainable-tempe.
Source: City of Tempe.