{"id":233036,"date":"2026-07-01T18:29:07","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T18:29:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/233036\/"},"modified":"2026-07-01T18:29:07","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T18:29:07","slug":"phillys-new-tree-coalition-is-leading-the-street-tree-planting-movement-and-cooling-neighborhoods-in-the-process","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/233036\/","title":{"rendered":"Philly\u2019s new Tree Coalition is leading the street tree-planting movement \u2013 and cooling neighborhoods in the process"},"content":{"rendered":"

For the sake of both the dogs and the volunteers walking them at Philadelphia\u2019s Animal Care and Control Team\u2019s headquarters in the city\u2019s Hunting Park section, Jesse Familetti knew something had to be done about the burning-hot concrete expanses surrounding the facility. And she knew just where to go for a solution: a tree-planting program run by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.<\/p>\n

Familetti, ACCT\u2019s director of strategic programs and initiatives, already knew she was barking up the right tree: PHS had previously planted a tree outside of her own Northeast Philadelphia home.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOur tree is now huge \u2013 we’ve probably only had it for about five years \u2013 and the difference that it made in the cooling inside our house is really amazing,\u201d Familetti told City & State. \u201cWe actually had neighbors coming up to us and asking us about it because there’s so many people who, unfortunately, don’t know about the program.\u201d<\/p>\n

The term \u201curban forest\u201d may sound like an oxymoron, but it\u2019s not. For cities like Philadelphia, these sylvan environments are as existentially important as the Amazon – providing oxygen, removing carbon dioxide and, just as importantly, cooling streets, buildings and humans with their canopies.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In Philadelphia, according to data from the U.S. Forest Service, the city’s parklands constitute 9.3 percent of the total land area; harbor an estimated 1.1 million trees, providing a 64-percent canopy cover; and account for 38.8 percent of carbon storage and 34.8 percent of air-pollution removal thanks to the city’s urban forest.<\/p>\n

\"Tree
\nTree Tenders is run by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and plants 2,000 trees annually. Photo credit:\u00a0Pennsylvania Horticultural Society<\/p>\n

But as shown by one of the city’s newest organizations speaking for the trees, more can and needs to be done. The Philly Tree Coalition, formally launched on Arbor Day on April 24, is just beginning to grow and tackle its core mission: increasing Philadelphia\u2019s tree canopy to 30% and thus preventing an estimated 400 heat-related deaths per year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In 2023, the city released its first-ever strategic plan for its urban forest, known as the Philly Tree Plan. The 10-year roadmap included several partner organizations and recommendations related to tree planting, maintenance and preservation, all in an effort to grow the city\u2019s tree canopy equitably \u2013 and boost the environmental and economic benefits that come with the shade.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cTrees basically make our neighborhoods livable,\u201d Erica Smith Fichman, the city\u2019s community forestry manager and leader of the TreePhilly program, told City & State. \u201cThe presence or absence of trees is correlated with high heat, with high asthma, with poverty, and (with) lots of other public health concerns. Trees are basically at the intersection of a lot of equity conversations.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the helm of the new Philly Tree Coalition is Kiasha Huling, who brings years of experience in social work. Huling told City & State she views the efforts as a \u201cpublic health intervention.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cSeniors talk about their concerns about how brutal the heat is, and how (in the past) they used to be able to just close the blinds in their airtight homes, not turn on any appliances on a hot day, and just kind of take it easy,\u201d Huling said. \u201cThey were appearing in the emergency room with heat stroke because of the \u2018heat island effect.\u2019\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Spring
\nSpring Garden Tree Tenders plant a tree along a Philadelphia Street. Photo credit:\u00a0Pennsylvania Horticultural Society<\/p>\n

That is a phenomenon occurring when \u201cstructures such as buildings, roads, and other infrastructure absorb and re-emit the sun’s heat more than natural landscapes such as forests and water bodies,\u201d according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which goes on to explain: \u201cUrban areas, where these structures are highly concentrated and greenery is limited, become \u2018islands\u2019 of higher temperatures relative to outlying areas.\u201d<\/p>\n

The heat island effect is more often found in \u201cenvironmentally disinvested neighborhoods,\u201d Huling added, making the equitable public health approach that much more vital.\u00a0<\/p>\n

These neighborhoods, many of which are lower-income, industrialized, and densely built, particularly in North, South, and Southwest Philly, have lacked the investment and the open sidewalk or lot space that lend themselves to tree planting.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of times trees are framed as a \u2018nice to have\u2019 (or) as a beautification amenity, but (we\u2019re) really thinking about trees as an investment in people,\u201d Huling continued. \u201cIf you\u2019re investing in trees, you\u2019re investing in the quality of a neighborhood, and the quality of a neighborhood dictates the individuals in those neighborhoods\u2019 ability to thrive.\u201d<\/p>\n

Xiaojiang Li, a University of Pennsylvania professor who developed the Treepedia Project <\/a>to map and quantify streetscapes in cities, said that trees affect how humans experience air temperature in more ways than one.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe usually use air temperature to quantify the heat, but air temperature is not enough \u2013 the humidity, the wind speed and the shade all impact how humans feel,\u201d Xiaojiang told City & State. \u201cPlanting a tree can reduce the human-perceived temperature by about 20 degrees or more.\u201d<\/p>\n

His research backs up the city\u2019s own data.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Smith Fichman said neighborhoods that lack street and yard trees \u2013 some areas have as little as 2% tree canopy \u2013 can be up to 22 degrees hotter than ones with an adequate tree canopy: \u201cThat is the difference between life and death for some people,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

Coalition coalescence<\/p>\n

The Philly Tree Coalition, which includes more than half a dozen community groups and organizations focused on tree planting and care, grew out of the Philly Tree Plan established in 2023 by the city and organizations like TreePhilly, which is supported by the City of Philadelphia\u2019s Department of Parks & Recreation and the nonprofit Fairmount Park Conservancy.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Previously, the city\u2019s Tree Plan \u2013 and tree plantings \u2013 were carried out by community organizations, including the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. PHS, among others, led the efforts to secure major investments in Philadelphia\u2019s urban forest, working with tree-tending groups to plant and maintain street trees alongside residents who sign up for tree planting.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Now, under the leadership of Huling and the Philly Tree Coalition \u2013 housed within the Public Health Management Corporation \u2013 the community-led implementation of the Philly Tree Plan has branched out.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the past, there were amazing projects happening \u2013 at universities, through the Water Department, through PHS and Parks and Recreation \u2013 and collectively, they are for the greater good of increased canopy and greening in our city,\u201d Huling told City & State. \u201cWhat we\u2019re doing now is bringing all of those entities together \u2026 to really amplify and lend capacity to each of those projects (and) ensure that they’re done in a smart and sustainable way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Huling said the coalition will ensure there\u2019s equitable distribution of resources and planting and greening opportunities, with the overall \u201cend goal to demonstrably increase our canopy.\u201d Through the new structure, PHMC will facilitate collaboration among partner organizations and administer the community-based Tree Forward subgrant initiative.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Local
\nLocal groups hope to give Philadelphia a new moniker: \u201cThe City of Arborly Love.\u201d\u00a0Photo credit:\u00a0Pennsylvania Horticultural Society<\/p>\n

The Tree Forward grant, she said, will directly fund grassroots engagement efforts, as well as costs related to tree maintenance, preservation and removal. For 2026, with awards ranging from $15,000 to $40,000, PHMC distributed nearly $300,000 to 10 organizations through Tree Forward.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Few know the roots of TreePhilly like Ann Cohen, a Roxborough resident who\u2019s been volunteering at tree giveaways and events for more than two decades.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople are delighted (to get trees for their street). They want to tell you about their trees, they want to tell you how they\u2019re succeeding and, if it\u2019s their first tree, they can\u2019t believe how big they are and how beautiful they are,\u201d Cohen told City & State. Noting how her own trees help with shade and stormwater management around her home, she added: \u201cWhat the city\u2019s doing now, which makes a tremendous amount of sense, is, they’re targeting areas where there is not a lot of tree cover \u2013 that’s where we do the tree giveaways.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of those partners is Matt Rader, president of PHS \u2013 which, in addition to producing the internationally recognized Philadelphia Flower Show, runs Tree Tenders, a program that supports 140 local tree-tender groups in and around Philadelphia, operates in 110 neighborhoods and plants roughly 2,000 trees annually.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOur model is to provide all the support and encouragement and empowerment that somebody needs to make something green happen in their neighborhood,\u201d Rader told City & State. Interested tree tenders must take a nine-hour course to learn about tree biology, advocacy and care; once shown the ropes, the tenders form local groups to promote and implement the planting and continuing care of street trees for interested residents.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"The
\nThe absence of trees can result in high heat levels, particularly in urban environments. Photo credit: Craig Pearce<\/p>\n

Forgotten infrastructure<\/p>\n

Proponents of the tree-plan push are pitching trees not as an amenity, but as a necessity.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Both environmental and economic outcomes, they argue, make street trees among the most cost-effective forms of infrastructure for creating and sustaining healthy communities.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Data from the U.S. Department of Energy shows that properly placed trees around buildings can reduce air conditioning needs by about 30% \u2013 and having three trees can reduce a household’s energy bills by $100 to $250 per year. Tree plantings in urban areas have also been shown to have a significant impact on reducing crime, increasing property values and providing long-term health benefits to the surrounding community.<\/p>\n

The Philly Tree Plan got off the ground with the help of a $12 million USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry grant awarded in 2024 through President Joe Biden\u2019s Inflation Reduction Act, which included a dedicated five-year climate investment for cities. The Trump administration briefly halted federal funding last year before unfreezing it, allowing the coalition to hire Huling and two full-time staff members who will work at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s Center City headquarters.<\/p>\n

Through the Tree Plan, the coalition staff will oversee fundraising and coordinate the planting and upkeep of thousands of trees.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe planting and care \u2026 of urban trees is a really transformational public health move for every city and town in Pennsylvania, and it\u2019s not currently treated as an opportunity for funding,\u201d he added. \u201cAnd where funding happens, it\u2019s often for planting but not care \u2013 yet the care is critical to keep them healthy. It\u2019s also critical because that supports jobs and opportunities for tree-care contractors.\u201d<\/p>\n

There is widespread agreement among advocates that to ensure trees don\u2019t become a liability or financial burden for the homeowner, the focus must go beyond planting to maintaining existing and new trees.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s one thing to plant a tree. What do neighborhoods need to be able to maintain that tree and to maintain existing trees?\u201d Huling asked. \u201cIf we plant a tree today, it will have some health benefits. But if we can hold onto a tree that we already have, we\u2019re already benefiting from it, and so (we\u2019re) thinking about our preservation of our current canopy as we also plan for the future and the increase in our canopy.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re investing in trees, you\u2019re investing in the quality of a neighborhood.<\/p>\n

\u2013 Kiasha Huling<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re investing in trees, you\u2019re investing in the quality of a neighborhood.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere should be an ongoing annual investment to treat tree canopy as a core municipal service, and instead it\u2019s often treated as \u2018We\u2019ll do a planting project here or there\u2019 \u2013 and that\u2019s not what you need,\u201d Rader said. He added that there\u2019s also an economic incentive to funding local jobs: \u201cIf you have stable investment in tree maintenance in Philadelphia and municipalities commonwealth-wide, you have a huge opportunity to build a local tree care industry.\u201d<\/p>\n

But, Rader emphasized, \u201cthe goal would never be to move all of this into city government.\u201d While the public role is critical in terms of resources, policy priority and services around care and maintenance of trees, Rader added: \u201cYou want to keep the character of tree-tending programs like that deeply embedded in the community, so that there\u2019s ownership for the care of the trees.\u201d<\/p>\n

Huling and Smith Flichman agreed, noting that nonprofits and private partners can be more flexible than a municipal entity in responding to new opportunities.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That\u2019s because of the grassroots nature of the coalition, whose governance structure centers a community-based advisory committee, \u201cwith voting power on how money is spent \u2026 and what the priorities are for coalition recommendations,\u201d Smith Flichman affirmed. \u201cWe\u2019ve had decades and decades of amazing volunteer programs, but they haven\u2019t translated into an advocacy effort.\u201d Now, he adds, that is changing.<\/p>\n

Community connection<\/p>\n

Much like the tree plantings that have taken place over the years, tree tenders and volunteers lead both on-the-ground and in-the-ground efforts from around the city.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The ability for these hyperlocal groups to meet with residents, assess neighborhood needs, and plant and maintain trees where needed is the root system for the coalition\u2019s effort.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Tree
\nTree Tenders plant street trees in Philadelphia on April 18, 2026. Photo credit:\u00a0Pennsylvania Horticultural Society<\/p>\n

The coalition is actively seeking \u201cPriority Area Leaders\u201d to represent neighborhoods, a role that comes with a $1,200 annual stipend over three years and the responsibility for a tree plan progress report set to be published in the fall.<\/p>\n

The application window for community-based organizations to submit projects opens on July 6 and runs through Aug. 24. Notification of awards will take place in October, setting the stage for newly organized projects to begin in 2027 to support the long-term sustainability of the city\u2019s urban forest.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOur largest opportunity to increase our tree canopy is through street trees \u2013 and street trees exist on our blocks, and they have to be permitted by the homeowner,\u201d Huling said.\u00a0 So individual Philadelphians, like my neighbors to my left and right, are also critical participants in the successful increase of tree canopy.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For the sake of both the dogs and the volunteers walking them at Philadelphia\u2019s Animal Care and Control…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":233037,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[2328,1131,69,71,70],"class_list":["post-233036","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-philadelphia","tag-energy","tag-environment","tag-philadelphia","tag-philadelphia-headlines","tag-philadelphia-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/233036","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=233036"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/233036\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/233037"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=233036"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=233036"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=233036"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}