Trees for me, we and thee: What's behind the growing push for 'tree equity'
Most of us don't think of trees as a measure of social justice, but it's a real thing.
Wealthy areas have up to 65% more tree cover than lower-income communities.
When we talk about environmental justice, we usually talk about how vulnerable communities are disproportionately impacted by things like contaminated water, air pollution, toxic living conditions and lack of access to healthy food. We aren't usually referring to about how many trees someone has around them on a regular basis, but a push for "tree equity" indicates that maybe we should.
That's right, tree equity. It's a real thing.
The impact that trees have on our daily lives is significant. Not only do trees provide natural beauty that brings us joy and comfort, but they absorb carbon dioxide and other air pollutants, release oxygen, provide cooling shade, filter drinking water and support wildlife. Being near trees helps us live healthier lives in various ways, but some people see more of these benefits than others.
In fact, according to the non-profit group American Forests, wealthy areas have 65% more tree cover than lower-income areas nationwide in the U.S., and it's especially an issue in our cities.
"The inequitable distribution of trees exacerbates social inequities," American Forests shares on its website. "A map of tree cover is too often a map of income and race—especially in cities. That’s because trees often are sparse in low-income neighborhoods and some neighborhoods of color. In fact, policies from the early 1900s are still shaping the way redlining contributes to periods of disinvestment, exacerbating tree inequity in these neighborhoods."
The "tree equity" project aims to minimize these disparities so that everyone can reap the health, economic and other benefits trees provide. Through calculating a "tree equity score" derived from tree canopy cover, climate, demographic and socioeconomic data in 486 Census-defined Urbanized Areas, the project aims to prioritize planting trees in neighborhoods that need them the most.
And cities are stepping up to the plate. Washington, D.C., now boasts an overall tree equity score of 91 out of 100—one of the best in the nation—but it took concerted, sustained effort to get there. Decades of disinvestment in the 70s and 80s led to a profound reduction in tree cover in the city, and by the late 1990s, the impact of that disinvestment was clear. In 1999, the Washington Post’s Metro section shared two aerial photos of the city, one from 1973 and one from 1997, showing how the landscape had changed over that time and people were shocked.
"The story needed no words," shares American Forests. "From the perspective of the 30-meter resolution available at the time, one image was predominantly green, the other looked like a tornado had ripped through a majority of the nation’s capital."
The stark difference between those images sparked a citywide conversation about priorities, and a push for more vegetation ensued. The city created an Urban Forestry Administration with a robust budget for getting the city's tree canopy thriving. And according to D.C.'s current tree equity score, it has worked.
On the other side of the country, the other Washington is also investing in trees, which may seem ironic considering its nickname as The Evergreen State and Seattle's "Emerald City" moniker. Trees have always been a big part of Washington's identity, but that doesn't mean its overall tree equity score is good. The interactive tree equity score map shows neighborhoods around Seattle ranging from a perfect score—100 out of 100—all the way down to 16 out of 100.
According to Grist, Washington has initiated the nation's first statewide tree equity project, the Washington Tree Equity Collaborative, bringing together city governments, Native tribes, community groups, businesses and researchers to expand the tree canopy in Washington’s urban areas with a focus on underserved populations.
\u201cThe Washington state government and a local nonprofit announced Thursday the country's first statewide collaborative on \u201ctree equity,\u201d which aims to expand tree cover to underserved communities. https://t.co/ZXj96swGNb\u201d— grist (@grist) 1681482181
Washington’s commissioner of public lands Hillary Franz said in a statement, “We must invest like never before, in order to ensure our most vulnerable communities have cleaner air and are better protected from extreme heat."
Grist offers a specific example of tree inequity in Seattle: Wealthy neighborhoods along Puget Sound and Lake Washington tend to have a lot of trees, while lower-income areas of south Seattle do not. Some communities will naturally have more trees due to proximity to water or natural topography, of course, but an analysis from Seattle’s Office of Planning and Community Development found that the most disadvantaged communities have been losing tree coverage 11 times faster than the least disadvantaged. That's an equity issue.
With climate change leading to more deadly heat waves in the American West, trees have become even more vital. The shade provided by trees can lower surface temperatures by double digits, and the evaporative properties of tree leaves can lower overall temperatures by as much as 9 degrees Fahrenheit. Lowering temperatures reduces energy use, which in turn helps lower pollution and increase air quality and even helps reduce the costs of street pavement maintenance since excessive heat makes pavement break down more quickly.
Of coure, the flip side of thee relationship between climate change and trees is that extreme weather events put a lot of stress on trees. Heat waves, droughts, strong storms, fires—not exactly ideal conditions for trees to thrive in overall. Even in areas where climate change may appear to be having a positivite impact on tree growth, researchers have found that pollution and higher temperatures are making trees larger, but weaker.
There's no question, however, that planting more trees is a good thing. Seattle's current plan will see three new trees planted for every healthy, site-appropriate tree removed from city property and two trees planted for every tree that dies or is deemed hazardous or invasive. And over the next five years, the city plans to plant 8,000 trees on public and private properties and 40,000 trees in parks and natural areas, with underserved communities being prioritized.
We all deserve the benefits trees have to offer. To learn more about tree equity and projects to build more tree cover and find out how you can help, visit the American Forests website.
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Baby boomers are a fascinating and endearing group. 
An average boomer's basement. Photo by 
They love to scare their adult children with dramatic texts. 
Boomers love to talk about random people who have died, and large-scale tragedies. 
Boomers love staying at home for no good reason. 
If it can't be held in their hand, they don't trust it. 
They'll keep food for way, way too long. 
They still hold onto outdated gender stereotypes. Photo by 
This is the generation that invented TV as background noise. 
They love intensely tracking a thunderstorm via The Weather Channel 
—they have big mental health benefits. 
a distortion GIF 
Super trippy disorted face
Mom shares her $100 'Thriftmas' plan for 4 kids, and it sparks a fascinating debate
One parent's practical holiday strategy is another's irresponsible decision.
A family opening humble, inexpensive Christmas gifts.
Every year, families walk a tumultuous tightrope of creating holiday magic and trying not to wreck their budgets in the process. One growing trend, often called “Thriftmas,” helps strike that balance by finding secondhand treasures.
For one Pennsylvania mom of four, that approach recently became an unexpected viral moment.
Jade Wagler shared that her family set aside a $100 holiday budget for all four of their children. In a TikTok video that spread far beyond what she expected, she explained that they would rather save for a family vacation next year than go into debt for Christmas gifts. With everything costing more these days, and having to pay for two surgeries of her four-year-old son that year, things were already quite tight, and they couldn’t prioritize both.
To stretch her budget, Jade visited local thrift stores and kept track of color coded sales. So far her finds include a musical jewelry box, a unicorn hoodie, an alphabet toy, a book, and a toy grocery cart for her youngest. Her total so far is only $14.50, which leaves her with “a whopping $85.50” to continue building a thoughtful and affordable gift collection.
Plenty of viewers applauded her focus on reducing overconsumption and keeping her spending realistic. Many also agreed that choosing memory-making experiences like a vacation was far more important than having stuff.”
“I wish thriftmas was more common, we truly are ruining the world,”
“As an older parent trust me the vacation will mean so much more,”
You don’t need to spend lot of money on Christmas to have a good Christmas 🎄.”
“We need to stop this overconsumption and get back to just love.”
“My kid is 20 years old. He doesn't remember any of the gifts he received at Christmas BUT he does have good memories of the Christmas vacation to Disney Land. You have the right idea mama. We live in a consumer society. Your children won’t know the difference between new and used.
Others in the comments disagreed more bluntly and questioned her approach. Some insisted she “knew Christmas was coming all year” and therefore should “learn to budget it in.” Others insisted she should have been shopping sales throughout the year. “I start Christmas shopping December 26, for the next Christmas! This way I can provide a magical Christmas and not get in debt,” one person wrote.
Jade admitted to Fox News that the volume of negative comments was difficult to take in. "I think that it's hard to see people not choosing kindness, especially in the state of the economy that we're living in."
Still, she’s remained committed to her plan. Because for her, Thriftmas is not just about being frugal. It’s also about reducing negative environmental impact. As she reminded critics 80% of all toys ending up in landfill, incinerators, or the ocean every year. In 2022 alone, people worldwide threw out more than 7 billion e-toys, according to the Michigan Library.
The bigger conversation her video sparked touches something familiar for many families. The pressure to create a picture perfect holiday often collides with financial (and environmental) realities that cannot be ignored. It seems to be a lesson that needs repeating year after year: the heart of the season does not depend on the price of the gifts. It grows from the traditions we shape, the care we put into our choices, and the memories our children carry forward.
Jade’s version of Christmas magic may look different from someone else’s, but it’s guided by intention, creativity, and love. And for many families searching for balance this year, that feels like a meaningful reminder.