As temperatures climb, some parts of the commonwealth are heating up faster than others — a result of too few trees and too little shade. Neighborhoods without tree canopy can be up to 15 degrees hotter than those with tree cover, and often those areas are home to communities of color and lower income households.
To address the legacy of redlining and underinvestment in these parts of Virginia localities, state and local groups are working to lower temperatures naturally by planting trees.
Across Richmond, hundreds of tree wells sit empty. Through a $6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the city and community-based groups are working to plant more trees and bring shade to neighborhoods that need it most…