WSU and Local Colleges Join Forces to Green Our Urban Spaces and Combat Climate Change

Washington State University (WSU) has started a project with four community colleges in Washington to improve urban forests and increase tree canopy coverage. This five-year project, supported by a $1.8 million grant from the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program under the Inflation Reduction Act, aims to build resilience in urban areas facing climate change challenges. The colleges involved are Spokane Community College, Highline Community College in Des Moines, Whatcom Community College in Bellingham, and Tacoma Community College.

Joey Hulbert, the lead researcher at WSU's Puyallup Research & Extension Center, stated that the project focuses on areas with insufficient tree coverage, which are more susceptible to heat waves. The goal is to expand urban canopies to reduce heat and improve life quality in these neighborhoods. Hulbert will collaborate with WSU colleagues Tim Kohlhauff, Marianne Elliott, and Molly Darr, and with faculty and students from the community colleges to implement the project.

Alyssa Chen, a specialist with the U.S. Forest Service, noted that the project could help develop a diverse and skilled urban forestry workforce. It is expected to serve as an example for similar efforts across the country, encouraging other educational institutions to integrate urban forestry into their programs and community activities.

The project will include tree equity lessons, labs, campus tree giveaways, and tree planting events in the curricula of the involved colleges. These activities will be adapted to each location. The grant will also fund student internships that focus on tree health, urban heat research, and community science projects, such as data collection and invasive species monitoring. These internships are designed to increase student participation in urban forest conservation.

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