Our partners in the WSU Ravenholt Urban Forest Health Lab completed an analysis to identify priority Tacoma public schools (K-12) for tree planting. In this analysis, WSU ranked Tacoma’s public schools based on 5 metrics, then averaged the ranks of each school to identify ten schools as priorities for urban greening efforts. Learn which schools rank highest.

What does Tacoma need to do in order to confront the health threats posed by the urban heat island effect and the overall challenges of climate change? In this post, Executive Director of the Tacoma Tree Foundation, Lowell Wyse, explains the health and environmental effects of urban heat island, how the Foundation and city and county partners are working to confront these challenges, and the urgent steps that leaders and governments must take today to ensure trees are an essential component of urban infrastructure tomorrow.

In this essay, Eden Standley interviews TTF partners, Robb Krehbiel and Vivian deZwager about their alternative yards, and explains why it is actually greener on the other side—when there’s no lawn. The post provides numerous tips for anyone curious about creating an alternative yard, as well as ways to start small.