JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Some of the hottest neighborhoods in Jacksonville could see relief after Mayor Donna Deegan put aside millions of dollars for shade tree planting in her budget, but does planting tress actually make a difference to temperatures?
Feletta Smith and Inez Brown visited A. Philip Randolph Heritage Park to find a good spot to hold their crime survivors’ event.
“We love to have more trees, and that cuts down on tents, and you can being chairs without bringing a tent to an event," Inez Brown, a member of Crime Survivors Safety and Justice, said.
According to a 2022 Urban Heat Study published by the city and UNF, fewer trees make areas like the Eastside and Lavilla hotter.
It something Smith has noticed from living in different parts of the city.
"It just depends where you are it’s a little hotter… Trees will create shade, in your home or outside, trees bring shade, it makes the wind blow, so yes more trees are needed," Feletta Smith, a member of Crime Survivors Safety and Justice, said.
An Environmental Protection Agency Urban Heat study found that trees and vegetation can help reduce peak summer temperatures by 2–9°F. This happens through shade and transpiration. Transpiration is when plants pull water in through their roots and evaporate it out of their leaves.
Mayor Deegan’s budget includes $21.5 million for shade tree planting and maintenance to help lower temperatures in neighborhoods impacted by excessive heat.
In statement she said; “In the 2022 Urban Heat Study, there was an 11*F temperature differential between different parts of Jacksonville at the same time on the same day. However, we saw some of our coolest areas in parks and other neighborhoods with more greenspace and tree canopy. We are using the $20 million remaining in the Tree Replacement Trust Fund to plant more trees in neighborhoods that need them. Doing so will provide shade coverage that disrupts the Urban Heat Island effect, reducing temperatures, and lowering energy costs for Jacksonville residents.”
It’s good news to Smith and Brown who hope that more trees will help neighborhoods save money on energy and spend more time outside.
“I love the idea, because we doing so many event so we’re hoping if we plant trees this year by the time we hold events in the future, we’ll have more shade," Smith said.