Fight 'Climate Change with Urban Forests' In Atlanta: Conference

ATLANTA, GA — Trees Atlanta will host its fourth annual Atlanta Canopy Conference at The Kendeda Center on Thursday, February 20. The theme for the full-day conference will be "Fighting Climate Change with Urban Forests."

City leaders, nonprofit and industry professionals, scientists, community advocates, and residents from throughout Metro Atlanta will come together to have an action-oriented conversation. Climate change is a global crisis, but important achievable solutions can happen at the local level, organizers said.

The conference will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 225 Chester Ave.

Conference speakers include:

• Dave Nowak, Senior Scientist from USDA Forest Service who specializes in quantifying tree loss and gain trends throughout the United States. He is widely known for the development of the iTree tool.
• Dan Lambe, Arbor Day Foundation Executive Director
• Commissioner John Dargle (Department of Parks and Recreation)
• Commissioner Tim Keane (Department of Planning)

Other policy, climate, and health experts will address the case for more trees in Atlanta and the local effects of urban forests in fighting climate change.

Tiered registration fees are offered. City of Atlanta residents are eligible for a limited number of scholarships through their City Council Member's office.

“The impacts of climate change are amplified in urban areas where rapidly growing populations and competing demands for land use intersect in neighborhoods of widely different conditions,” the organization said in a news release.

According to Trees Atlanta, the population for both the city and the entire metro region are predicted to more than double by 2050.

“As more people move into urban areas, demands on Atlanta's infrastructure grows,” they said. “Investing in the natural infrastructure of trees can have high returns on investment and provide real benefits to people.”