Dane County Has New Tool for Planting and Protecting Trees
by Aubrey Bevenue, age 13
A new online tool by the name of Growing Shade has been launched with hopes of having more trees planted in the Dane County area.
The Capital Area Regional Planning Commission (CARPC) and the Dane County Tree Canopy Collaborative recently made an interactive website called Growing Shade, which was designed to preserve and widen the Madison area tree canopy. The advanced website helps people learn about planting trees and illustrates the different tree canopies of Dane County and how they have changed over time. Community members can find data about any village, city, town, or neighborhood in Dane County including Madison.
“Growing shade makes it easier for local staff members, residents, and neighborhood groups and residents to figure out what planting new trees will have the most impact,” said Meline Askay, a climate specialist at the Dane County Office of Energy and Climate Change. The website combines environmental, public health, demographic, and socioeconomic data to express how tree canopy can differ, and change over time in Dane County.
Jason Valerius, an executive director of the CARPC said, “Trees are important to the community’s infrastructure, and we see that funding opportunities and enthusiasm to plant more trees in our region for their many benefits.”
A tree canopy can provide erosion control, flood mitigation, and cooler temperatures. Trees also absorb carbon from the atmosphere, which helps stabilize greenhouse gas emissions.
Dane County’s trees have been under threat, especially in residential and recreational spaces. The CARPC and the Tree Canopy Collaborative made a new analysis and found that, on average, towns and villages all around Dane County lost around 12% of their coverage from 2010-2017, with large decreases of up to 38% in some areas. This significant loss of trees is mainly attributed to diseases. This area was not being well kept up and inconsistent policies also played a big role.
Trees are a crucial resource for the community and they hold many different benefits for humans, animals, and plants. The interactive website is designed to help multiple staff, neighborhood groups, and community members find the information they need to continue supporting their community’s health.
[Sources: Madison.com; County of Dane]
Loading Comments...