Western redcedar dieback has been observed throughout the Northwest, leading to growing concerns about their survival in future climates. This study conducted by the WSU Ravenholt Urban Forest Health Lab with support from the Tacoma Tree Foundation is helping us understand how to make sure this amazing tree continues to grow in our state.

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.

Does the health of our trees reflect the health of our communities? In this post, Joey Hulbert, PhD, Forest Health Watch Program Director, and his team explain why diversifying the trees in our urban forest is an important means of keeping trees, like the beloved native Bigleaf Maple, and other maple varieties, healthy and thriving.