PlantingResilience:
OneTreeataTime
Lessonslearnedfromdisaster
recoveryinJoplinandSt.Louis
NewPartnersforSmartGrowthConference
St.Louis,Missouri
February3,2017
‘Planting Trees. Enriching Communities.’
Presenters&Panelists
TraciSooter:AIA,LEEDAP,Professorof
Architecture,DruryUniversity
JoshCarron:UrbanForester,
CityofSt.Louis
DominiqueDavis:Neighborhood
ReLeaf Coordinator;
DonnaCoble:ExecutiveDirector,
ForestReLeaf ofMissouri
‘Planting Trees. Enriching Communities.’
WhatisResilience?
• Theabilitytobecomestrong,healthyand
successfulagainafterlossordisturbance
• Sudden(acute)vs.Slow(chronic)Losses
– Tornados,hurricanes,floods,invasivespecies
– Urbandecline/disinvestment
• SuddenLoss
• Joplin
• SimultaneousSuddenandSlowLoss
• EmeraldashborerinWard1
‘Planting Trees. Enriching Communities.’
EffectsoftheLossofTrees
• Numerousstudiesfindexposuretocommunity
forestsimprovementalandphysicalhealth,
including:
– Higherbirthweights
– Fewerdeathstocardiovascularandlower-respiratory
illness
– Fasterrecoveryfromsurgery
– Stressreduction
– Lowerasthmarates
– FewersymptomsforkidswithADHD
‘Planting Trees. Enriching Communities.’
EffectsoftheLossofTrees
• Studiesthatlookatenvironmentaljusticefind
hugedisparitiesinaccesstotreesandparksin
lowervs.highersocioeconomic
neighborhoods.
– Losingtreestopestsornaturaldisasterinthese
areasonlyexacerbatesthesedisparitiesand
furthernegativelyimpactshealthandsocialties.
‘Planting Trees. Enriching Communities.’
EffectsoftheLossofTrees
• Otherstudieshavedemonstratedthatthereare
strongconnectionsbetweenaccesstotreesand
greenspaceandsocialties.
– Areaswithmoretreesattractgroupsofpeoplewith
largervarietyofagesthanspaceswithouttrees.
– Morerobustrelationshipsbetweenneighborsare
foundinareaswithmorevegetation.
– Childrenplaymorecreativelyinspaceswithtrees.
– Improvedsocialtiesareapathwaytobetterhealth.
‘Planting Trees. Enriching Communities.’
SuddenLossofTrees:EcosystemCosts
• Researchtellsusemeraldashborer(EAB)is
estimatedtohavekilledover100milliontrees
sincefirstdiscoveredinDetroitin2008
– Ecologicalcoststocommunitiesarestaggering–
14,000St.LouisashtreesprovidedtheCitywith
nearly$2Minyearlyecosystembenefits.
• Joplinlost25,000treesandothervegetationona
singledayduetotheEF-5tornado
– Ecosystemlossesofover$3Mperyear.
‘Planting Trees. Enriching Communities.’
SuddenLossofTrees
http://www.semissourian.com/gallery/7852
•
•
http://fox2now.com/2016/09/07/st-louis-city-to-replace-13000-ash-trees-because-of-emerald-ash-borer/
Joplin naturaldisaster:
– EF-5tornado on5/22/11– asudden lossof25.000+trees,
161people, 8,000buildings
CityofSt.Louisemeraldashborerinfestation:
– Beganremovalof14,000ashtreesinfall2016
– SomeWardsinseriouseconomicdeclineand/or havelow
existingtreecanopy
‘Planting Trees. Enriching Communities.’
Recovery:WhoLeadstheWay?
• Howcancommunitiescreategreenspacesor
planttreestomitigatedisasterorloss?
– “Firesouls”– keyactorsindesign,stewardship,
environmentalgovernanceinthecommunity
– Urbangreeningasamechanismtoenhance
resilience,recoveryandadaptationbothpre- and
post-disturbance/disaster
‘Planting Trees. Enriching Communities.’
MakingItHappen
• Funding&Support
– Joplin:
• TKFFoundation;MissouriDepartmentofConservation;
Americorps;Wal-MartFoundation;DruryUniversity
(Joplin)
– St.Louis:
• Mysun CharitableFoundation;Wells-Fargo/National
Fish&Wildlife;CityofSt.LouisForestry
‘Planting Trees. Enriching Communities.’
St.Louis&Joplin
“Firesouls”andFriends
• Joplin
–
–
–
–
–
ChrisCotten,CityofJoplinParks&RecreationDirector
TraciSooter,DruryUniversity(andcolleagues)
ErikaSvendsen,USDAForestService(andcolleagues)
KeithTidball,CornellUniversity
DonnaCoble,ForestReLeaf ofMissouri
• St.Louis
– JoshCarron,Parks,Recreation&Forestry(andcolleagues,past
andpresent)
– Ward1NeighborhoodImprovementSpecialists&Alderwoman
– ForestReLeaf ofMissouristaff
‘Planting Trees. Enriching Communities.’
CommunityResponse– St.Louis
• St.LouisEABInfestation&Response
– Removalplansinplacein2008;stagedover5-yearperiod
– StrategicCommunicationsPlan
• CityForestry;Mayor’sOffice;ForestReLeaf;VectorCommunications
• Treesigns,infographics,mediaoutreach,schools,backtoschoolevents
– Ward1selectionfactors
• %ofashtrees;lowexistingcanopy;highsocio-economicneed
• Committedleadership:AlderwomanSharonTyus,NeighborhoodImprovement
Specialists
• CityForestry,ForestReLeaf longstandingrelationship
– Neighborhoodengagement
• NeighborhoodImprovementSpecialists
• NeighborhoodReLeaf Coordinator
• Volunteeroutreach– doorhangers,doortodoor,socialmedia
‘Planting Trees. Enriching Communities.’
CommunityResponse– St.Louis
• LessonsLearned
– Gainingtrustisdifficultindistressedneighborhoods
– Identifyneighborhood“firesouls”early,reachoutto
allofficialandunofficialleaders
– Findthelocalgatheringplaces/communitycenters
andarrangetospeaktopeoplethere
– Enthusiasmdoesnotnecessarilytranslatetoa
committedvolunteerresponse;i.e.,plantingtrees
– Situationalawarenessiscritical;politics,safety,etc.
‘Planting Trees. Enriching Communities.’
CommunityResponse– St.Louis
• LessonsLearned(continued)
– Trytotimeplantingprojectssoasnottocoincide
withcompetingevents;e.g.,largechurch
conference
– Partnerwithalocalvolunteer-drivenorganization
orgrouptoensureenoughplantersonhand;e.g.,
GirlScouts,BoyScouts,gardenclubs
– Bringastumpgrinderandvarietyoftools
(includingchildsizeshovelsandgloves)
– Donutsandhotdogsareamust!
‘Planting Trees. Enriching Communities.’
CommunityResponse– St.Louis
• WhatWorkedWell
– StrategicCommunicationsPlan
•
•
•
•
•
Digitalcellphoneads
Socialmedia
TV/radio
Treetags,infographics,doorhangers
Presentations
– StrongPartnershipwithCityForestry
– EngagementfromNeighborhoodImprovementSpecialists
– Kids5-14yearsoldplantingtreesmakeitfunandengaging
foreveryone!
‘Planting Trees. Enriching Communities.’
CommunityResponse- Joplin
• GovernorJayNixonconvenedaTree
RoundtableinOctober2011
• MODepartmentofConservationfundeda
temporaryurbanforester
• ForestReLeaf hasprovidedmorethan8,000
treestoJoplinhomeownersandCityParks&
Recreation
‘Planting Trees. Enriching Communities.’
CommunityResponse- Joplin
• PartnerOutreachEfforts&Projects
– CunninghamPark:
•
•
•
•
ButterflyGarden&Overlook
VolunteerTribute
Planting161treesinmemoryofliveslost
ExtremeMakeover-HomeEdition
– OtherSpecificResponses:
• ForestReLeaf homeownertreegiveaway
• Seedling&othertreedonations/projects
‘Planting Trees. Enriching Communities.’
SymbolicTrees
VolunteerTribute,Cunningham Park,Joplin – DruryUniversity
• 161treesplantedinCunningham Park
• ExtremeMakeover-Home Edition, Drury UniversityandJoplin Parks&Rec
madegreening apriority
‘Planting Trees. Enriching Communities.’
OpenSpace,SacredPlace
APlacetoHeal
ButterflyGardenandOverlook, Cunningham Park
TKFOSSP
Portal
Path
Destination
Surround
Worden’s 4TasksofMourning
AcceptRealityofLoss
ProcessPainofGrief
Adjust toWorld withLoss
Enduring Connection toLoss
‘Planting Trees. Enriching Communities.’
LinkagesBetweenUrbanGreeningand
SocialResilience
• USFSResearch
– Urbanenvironmentalstewardsconserve,monitor,
advocatefororeducatethepublicaboutthelocal
environment(Fisheretal,2007)
– Stewardshipbrokersor“bridgeorganizations”
(e.g.,ForestReLeaf,Americorps)
‘Planting Trees. Enriching Communities.’
LinkagesBetweenUrbanGreeningand
SocialResilience
• USFSResearch(continued)
– Chronicvs.Acute
• Chronic:urbanfiscalcrisis…communitygardens,conversion
ofvacantlots,etc.
• Acute:Joplin’stornado…newparks,treedistribution,nature
aspathwayforrecovery
– USFS,CornellUniversity,andDruryUniversityfunded
byTKFFoundationexaminedisturbanceandrecovery
stagesandtheemergenceofsourcesofresiliencefor:
individuals,communityandsocial-ecologicalsystems
‘Planting Trees. Enriching Communities.’
GreenReadiness,Responseand
Recovery(GRRR)
• Thegoalistosharelessonslearnedaboutthewaysthat
communitystewardshipcanhelprevitalizeneighborhoods
andrestorenatureandtobestpreparefor,respondto,and
recoverfromdisturbances.
• AsaForestServiceGeneralTechnicalReport(GTR)this
publicationwillbeavailableinbothprintandonlineforfreein
fall/winter2017.
• KeytakeawaysfromthisGTRcanbeusedtoinformeffective
communityorganizing,policymaking,landmanagement
planning,andprogramdevelopment.
‘Planting Trees. Enriching Communities.’
GreenReadiness,Responseand
Recovery(GRRR)
• Theintendedaudiencesinclude:
– Communitygroups,NGOs,civicgroupsandleaders
seekingexamplesandtemplateforhowgreen
practicesandspacescanbereclaimed,designed,
managedandusedtostrengthenconnectionstothe
landandoneanotherinawaythatbuildssocial
resilienceandaidsinpre-disturbancepreparedness
andpost-disturbanceresponseandrecovery,all
whileproducingsubstantialcommunityco-benefits.
‘Planting Trees. Enriching Communities.’
TheBottomLine
üHelpingcommunitiesrecoverbyreplacing
treesandgreenspacesbuildsresilience.
üResilientneighborhoodsaremorelikelyto
thrive.
üSmartGrowthdemandsconsiderationof
thesefactorsindevelopmentprojects.
‘Planting Trees. Enriching Communities.’
ThankYou
‘Planting Trees. Enriching Communities.’