This project engages community members and schoolchildren in learning about, establishing, and supporting urban bird habitat through hands-on tree and shrub plantings in environmental justice neighborhoods near the Blackstone River (an American Heritage River and National Heritage Corridor). Tree Equity Scores show that the cities of Central Falls and Pawtucket (Rhode Island) are significantly lower in urban tree canopy and will be increasingly burdened with the heat island impacts of climate change. Residents of these cities also have significantly less opportunities to be connected to nature. The project will plant 200 trees and dozens of additional shrubs to create 6-10 bird-friendly, highly visible demonstration sites (elementary schools, YMCAs, parks, private businesses) near the river, coordinate volunteer resident planting days, train high school students on tree planting and maintenance, and develop an urban bird habitat and restoration curriculum for schoolchildren in the two cities. Student researchers in Clark University\u2019s HERO (Human-Environment Regional Observatory) program will also model other urban tree benefits (heat island, flooding, air quality) from the new bird demonstration plantings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
This project engages community members and schoolchildren in learning about, establishing, and supporting urban bird habitat through hands-on tree and shrub plantings in environmental justice neighborhoods near the Blackstone River (an American Heritage River and National Heritage Corridor). Tree Equity Scores show that the cities of Central Falls and Pawtucket (Rhode Island) are significantly lower […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"tags":[21],"principal-investigator":[341],"funding-agency":[370],"class_list":["post-1735","research-projects","type-research-projects","status-publish","hentry","tag-past","principal-investigator-john-rogan","funding-agency-national-fish-and-wildlife-foundation-and-groundwork-rhode-island"],"yoast_head":"\n