Background

While climate change is felt by everyone, vulnerable populations are disproportionately affected since their neighborhoods have fewer natural mitigators, such as urban trees and green spaces. The unequal economic distribution of trees and parks is sometimes called the green space gap.

In recent years, there has been a growing focus on trying to plant trees to lessen inequalities, but the fact remains that neighborhoods that are historically populated by people of color are still under forested and have less access to public green spaces, like parks.

Urban areas that have less green space and more impervious surfaces, like pavement, record higher temperatures. On average, low-income areas are 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than high income areas. This difference is significant in the face of increasing temperatures.

For example, areas like Beloit, WI are getting closer and closer to the climate of a town in Alabama. By 2050, the average daily maximum temperature in Beloit is going to increase from 58 to 64 degrees Fahrenheit.

Rock River Coalition seeks to work with local Beloit communities to lessen tree inequity, and will be focusing on historically underserved neighborhoods. We plan to focus our efforts in areas that have less tree cover and overall lower average incomes. Our goal is to empower communities to identify and communicate their forestry desires and help them achieve those goals. The final result will be the growth of Beloit’s overall tree cover and more equitable distribution of trees across their population. Visit our Beloit Neighborhood Tree Project page for more information.