Tree Equity Score in Action - Tiny Stories by American Forests
  • illustration of a paint roller held in a child's hands leaving a streak of green paint and tree icons over a town.

    Door by door, tree by tree.

    Newport Tree Conservancy has continued to ramp up their community engagement work. Staff are spending even more time going door-to-door and holding community events to get to know residents.

    They use Tree Equity Score Analyzer's property-level data to find sites for new tree plantings and guide outreach.

    "We're in the right neighborhoods," says Harrison. "Now we need to get down to specific streets where Tree Equity can be dramatically improved and hone our communication strategy to engage those residents."

  • illustration of tree icons inside a birdcage

    "There's a lot of conversations these days about addressing historical inequity in Newport. Our work in Tree Equity focuses our mission and helps build momentum because it fits in with the ways Newport is trying to change."

    -Natasha Harrison

    Executive Director of Newport Tree Conservancy

  • illustrated mansion with many trees transposed over a row of small houses with few trees

    When most people think of Newport, Rhode Island, they picture the luxurious summer homes of the wealthy. But beneath the surface, the city is grappling with uneven wealth and access to natural resources, like trees.

    Newport Tree Conservancy is a local nonprofit on a mission to support a healthy and resilient urban forest. Since 1987, the organization has given away thousands of free trees, established a citywide arboretum, helped shape city policies, set up a teaching nursery, and provided a range of educational programs and tree maintenance services.

    The organization recently took a deep look at their annual planting program. They found their first-come-first-serve tree giveaway was inadvertently serving residents who lived in wealthier, greener neighborhoods. It was time for a change.

  • Map of Newport's Tree Equity Score showing low scores in the North End and higher scores in the south. A callout image shows a shady, tree-lined street on Bellevue Avenue. Another callout image shows a street in the North End with very few trees.

    Newport's hidden inequality.

    Mapping Newport's Tree Equity Score reveals the city's tree coverage divide. "The North End is really cut off and distinct from the South," says Harrison.

    There are fewer trees in the North End, particularly along the area's exposed and unshaded residential streets. Nearly half of all households in this part of town are living below the poverty line, and the area is home to the majority of the city's residents of color.

    The North End has been selected as one of the state's fifteen Health Equity Zones. This designation is helping cities like Newport leverage investment and support community-led solutions to eliminate disparities in livability.

  • Now, the Newport Tree Conservancy is making sure every resident of Newport reaps the benefits of trees.
    How? They are putting Tree Equity Score to work.

    illustrated tic-tac-toe board showing three tree icons in a row.

    Check out three tactics they are using...

  • illustration of a map showing an area with many trees and an area with few.

    TACTIC 1

    Use data to inspire action.

    For years, the Newport Tree Conservancy had been aware of the lack of trees in the North End. But they needed board support to shift from a simple tree giveaway to a more intensive program model.

    They turned to Tree Equity Score to extract precise, measurable data on the disparities in tree cover, heat and health.

    "The tool gave us the data we needed," says Harrison. "TESA [Tree Equity Score Analyzer] confirmed our instincts - that we needed to prioritize the [North End] because that's where the lowest Tree Equity Scores are. We could move forward with confidence because our plan was no longer subjective."

  • illustrated paint can and brush dripping green paint and tree icons.

    In 2022, Newport Tree Conservancy got approval from their board to remodel their planting program to focus on equity.

    "We have a big opportunity to improve tree coverage in areas that need it most," concluded Robert Currier, a Newport Tree Conservancy board member.

  • illustrated faucet with trees streaming out of the tap.

    TACTIC 2

    Tap into funding.

    The intensive new model would require more resources and staff time. The organization needed a bigger budget to support outreach, planting and maintenance services.

    Turning back to the Tree Equity Score Analyzer, the staff gathered data and secured a grant under the USDA State Urban Forest Resilience Grant Initiative for their 2022 work.

    The following year, they won a $35,000 "Citizens in Action" grant from Citizens Bank to continue their work to address racial and economic disparities through Tree Equity.

  • illustration of tree icons escaping like butterflies from a birdcage.

    "TESA [Tree Equity Score Analyzer] helped us communicate how our program can elevate everyone's access to the benefits of trees," says Harrison.

  • illustration of a potted tree held by child and their parents' hands.

    TACTIC 3

    Build meaningful relationships.

    The organization is making it a priority to get to know North End residents.

    They introduced the free tree program through direct mailings and flyers featuring simple Tree Equity Score maps and metrics. Then, staff arborists headed onsite to work with each resident to select and plant their tree. The staff fielded questions from passers-by and chatted up locals about Tree Equity and the generational health benefits of trees.

  • illustrated mailbox open with tree icons spilling out.

    "People might not have been looking for a tree program, but they're starting to see trees going into the ground," says Joe Verstandig, Living Collections Manager at Newport Tree Conservancy. "They ask questions and we can talk to them about Tree Equity and the impact for their community."

  • illustration of a paint roller held in a child's hands leaving a streak of green paint and tree icons over a town.

    Door by door, tree by tree.

    Newport Tree Conservancy has continued to ramp up their community engagement work. Staff are spending even more time going door-to-door and holding community events to get to know residents.

    They use Tree Equity Score Analyzer's property-level data to find sites for new tree plantings and guide outreach.

    "We're in the right neighborhoods," says Harrison. "Now we need to get down to specific streets where Tree Equity can be dramatically improved and hone our communication strategy to engage those residents."

Article and design by Julia Twichell. Code by Chase Dawson.
Special thanks to the Newport Tree Conservancy, Natasha Harrison, Dana Henry and Molly Henry.
Copyright 2023 American Forests. All Rights Reserved.