Building Tree Canopy for Climate Resilience
Franklin Park Zoo is growing a greener, cooler future with a new tree-planting and climate resiliency initiative, supporting both the environment and local communities.
Franklin Park Zoo has launched a tree-planting and climate resiliency initiative to enhance the health of our tree canopy, combat the urban heat island effect, and promote climate justice in vulnerable communities.
The urban heat island effect occurs when cities become warmer than surrounding areas due to heat absorbed by buildings and pavement. Planting trees and creating green spaces helps cool these areas, supporting the City of Boston’s climate justice goals for a greener, more equitable future.
Through this initiative, we’ll plant over 2,000 trees and shrubs in nearby neighborhoods, adding 2 - 4 new acres of tree canopy. These plantings will generate 23 tons of oxygen, store 9 tons of carbon, and take over 47,000 gallons of water from the soil and release it into the air as water oxygen and water vapor – all of which reduce the effects of urban heat islands.
We’re also building a 2,400-square-foot greenhouse and nursery to grow and care for the plants used in this project. This initiative aims to raise awareness, create career pathways, and expand access to green jobs for unemployed and underemployed youth and adults who are often underrepresented in these fields. To support this goal, the greenhouse will serve as a space for educational programs and job training, providing hands-on experience in potting, growing, watering and maintaining plant stock.
So far, we’ve planted 300 trees, with 90% strategically placed near Franklin Park’s public streets and the remaining 10% in nearby neighborhoods. Tree species were carefully selected based on Franklin Park Zoo's tree canopy health and replacement report, as well as recommendations from the City of Boston. The diverse selection prioritizes climate resilience, biodiversity, and benefits to our animals, featuring species like oak, maple, redbud, catalpa, hackberry, crabapple, hawthorn, birch, and tulip trees.
