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.

In our latest blog post, Eden Standley and Luke Vannice explore why ROWs were created in the first place, the challenges street trees face in Tacoma, and how to properly and creatively plant in this space!

A prairie in the middle of the city? In our latest blog post, we join Luke Vannice at his prairie right-of-way and learn how native oak prairie ecosystems can enhance urban biodiversity and grow community.

Urban forests are invaluable to cities, providing shade, improving air quality, reducing urban heat islands, and supporting biodiversity. However, urban trees face unique challenges, especially concerning water use under heat stress. Our latest blog post explains how tree age and root systems are related, and why knowing this is essential to keeping our urban forest healthy through the summer.

“Trees are good for your health.” This is a fact that we, at the Tacoma Tree Foundation, often share with our supporters, as do most organizations in our line of work. Yet, it is uttered so often and widely that it is at risk of becoming commonplace. Yes, trees and access to green spaces improve our health and wellness. But how and why? And what are the ramifications of access to green spaces–or lack thereof–for individuals and communities? To better understand the correlation between green spaces and health, we’ve been researching for answers. In this blog post, Kirsten Iverson, a PLU Environmental Studies student and Tacoma Tree Foundation intern, shares some of our findings.

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.

What does Tacoma need to do in order to confront the health threats posed by the urban heat island effect and the overall challenges of climate change? In this post, Executive Director of the Tacoma Tree Foundation, Lowell Wyse, explains the health and environmental effects of urban heat island, how the Foundation and city and county partners are working to confront these challenges, and the urgent steps that leaders and governments must take today to ensure trees are an essential component of urban infrastructure tomorrow.

In this essay, Eden Standley interviews TTF partners, Robb Krehbiel and Vivian deZwager about their alternative yards, and explains why it is actually greener on the other side—when there’s no lawn. The post provides numerous tips for anyone curious about creating an alternative yard, as well as ways to start small.

New data from our Branch Out event this February offers a promising look at our impact.

At Tacoma Tree Foundation, we believe that community and trees grow together. South Tacoma will be a neighborhood of focus for us in 2022–2023 thanks to a unique collaboration known as G.R.I.T.: Greening Research in Tacoma.