Dallas based nonprofit is planting new trees to combat heat

Dallas, Texas - The relentless Texan sun shows no signs of abating this week, with the mercury persistently breaching the triple-digit threshold.

According to Dallas Metro News, experts advise those venturing outdoors to seek refuge in the shade wherever possible. However, inhabitants of bustling metropolises like Dallas might feel the heat more intensely due to a phenomenon known as the "urban heat island."

This concept encapsulates areas within city boundaries characterized by extensive concrete, asphalt, and infrastructure, bereft of adequate tree cover to shield against the sun's fierce glare. The result is a noticeably warmer micro-climate in comparison to more verdant, rural locales.

Organizations like the Texas Trees Foundation are making strides towards altering this scenario.

Speaking to CBS News, the foundation pointed out that Texas surface temperatures can fluctuate between 30-40 degrees under a shaded tree as opposed to a heat-absorbing asphalt surface. This disparity stems from the fact that surfaces retain warmth throughout the day and continue to radiate heat after dusk, a phenomenon absent in tree-laden areas.

"Trees help cool areas by shading, they transpire the evapotranspiration that they utilize, it's kind of like a swamp cooler, and so it cools temperatures around those trees and then also the carbon sequestration which is absorbing carbon from the atmosphere in different tree parts those are absorbed and that shows that it cools down temperatures as well," said Rachel McGregor, Urban Forestry Manager, Texas Trees Foundation.

The foundation identified Dallas as the seventh hottest city in the nation, attributing this to a lack of sufficient tree canopy, especially in the UT Southwestern Medical District and school campuses.

Currently, Dallas boasts a tree canopy encompassing 32% of the city, equivalent to over 14 million trees. The mission over the coming years is to augment this figure to 37%, a goal they are striving towards in collaboration with the city.

However, increasing the city's green footprint isn't a straightforward task. The initial two years of a tree's life demand intensive watering and maintenance, entailing substantial costs and manpower. Moreover, the average lifespan of an urban tree is significantly shorter than their rural counterparts. Yet, the Texas Trees Foundation emphasizes the urgency of city-wide tree planting initiatives.

"There's a definite concern with the cities getting even hotter, I mean it is projected that they're going to get hotter so we need to start putting policies in place now, we need to start expanding budgets and capacity to maintain these trees over years to come," added McGregor.

Adding more trees to urban landscapes could also alleviate medical conditions such as asthma and induce traffic calming effects on city streets, McGregor noted.

This week, the city of Dallas declared a partnership with NOAA to chart the city's heat island zones, appealing for volunteers to assist with temperature recording on designated routes on August 5th.

For more information, click here.

Credit: Dallas Metro News, CBS News, Texas Trees Foundation