Volunteers needed to map trees and plantable spaces in Tacoma
Zay Montejano, Fig Dewitz, Zarina Gallardo, Joey Hulbert, Washington State University Forest Health Lab, Puyallup Research and Extension Center
Street trees and plantable spaces in North Tacoma.
Our partners at the WSU Forest Health Lab in Puyallup have organized a series of training events in Tacoma for volunteers interested in inventorying trees and plantable spaces. Attend one of the upcoming trainings to learn about the importance of Tacoma’s urban forest and the approaches for participating in the Grit City Tree Count.
WSU received a Washington Department of Natural Resources 2024 Community Forestry Grant to organize training and volunteer events in Tacoma. The grant was partially funded by the state for planning and providing initial trainings for participants.
The City of Tacoma identified a more complete tree inventory as a priority need. Identifying, mapping, and assessing the trees in our community provides essential information for managing hazards, informing policy, and prioritizing areas for protection or planting.
Volunteers are also needed to map plantable spaces. Understanding where trees can be planted now or in the future is helpful for planning and advocacy. For example, if 2000 spots for trees were identified in Tacoma’s South End and that community wanted more trees, they could more easily ask for funding or initiatives to plant 2000 trees. The Tacoma Tree Foundation leverages information like this when deciding which neighborhoods would benefit the most from free trees.
Mapping trees and plantable spaces is essential for addressing the historical injustices of Tacoma’s unfair forest, where its benefits are not equally distributed. Mapping the trees and plantable spaces in our community will help equitably enhance Tacoma’s urban forest by identifying where new trees could have the most positive impact, where additional services and support is needed, and where communities are the most vulnerable to heat waves or other extremes worsened by climate change.
The aim of the Grit City Tree Count is to organize trainings and events for community members to participate in inventorying trees and plantable spaces in Tacoma. Four trainings have been organized in May.
Compensation is available ($100 gift cards; in limited capacity) for those with demonstratable need (e.g. those in Washington Quest EBT program, WIC nutrition program, foster parenting and kinship care, TPU Payment Assistance Program, school or college students also eligible).
Interested volunteers can learn more and sign up at https://treehealth.wsu.edu/tacoma.
May Training Events:
May 8th: 5:30pm-7:30pm, East Side Community Center - Cheney Meeting Room (1721 E 56th St, Tacoma, WA 98404).
May 17th: 10am-12pm, East Side Community Center - Cheney Meeting Room (1721 E 56th St, Tacoma, WA 98404).
May 20th: 5:30pm-7:30pm, Tacoma Public Library, South Tacoma Branch (3411 S 56th St, Tacoma, WA 98409).
May 22nd: 5:30pm-7:30pm, Parks Tacoma, STAR Center, Discover Space (2873 S. 66th St, Tacoma, WA 98409).