Taking a Hands-On Approach
is couple is committed to getting more trees in the ground — and willing to dig the holes themselves.
SomeOak Society members are focused on supporting tree planting all around the globe; others invest in planting work closer to home. Jamie and Margie Gray go one step further, grabbing shovels to actually plant the trees they fund themselves.
The most recent event the Grays were involved in happened in March in Elysian Park. This green space is Los Angeles’ oldest park, located in a densely populated, economically deprived, and environmentally distressed part of the city known as Northeast Los Angeles. The severe effects of climate change have taken their toll on the older, non-native trees in the park. And this has been a real hit for the community, as some of the surrounding neighborhoods have tree canopy cover of less than 1%.
The Grays are committed to ensuring that green space is accessible for local residents, so they worked with the Arbor Day Foundation and local planting partner North East Trees to plant trees to replace those being lost. More than simply funding the trees, however, Jamie and Margie showed up on planting day with work gloves in hand. And this isn’t the first time the Grays have volunteered at a planting project they’ve supported. In 2023, they funded and planted trees at Monrovia High School in Monrovia, California.
“We planted at a high school and then we planted in Elysian Park. It was amazing. It was so inspiring to meet local people that are actively campaigning to get more trees,” she said.
The draw to these events is more than seeing their dollars at work. For Jamie, it’s about the joy of putting in the work.
“It’s relaxing. The dirt doesn’t talk to you, doesn’t complain. It doesn’t ask for the keys to the car,” he said. “We go out there, and it’s fun to get your hands dirty and try to help nature as much as you can.”
In addition to the park and school in LA, the Grays have also funded community tree distributions following a wildfire that hit Shaver Lake, California, and tree planting efforts that are ensuring more resilient forest stands in Montana’s Flathead National Forest.
The Grays are a great example of what being an Oak Society member is all about. This group is connected by a common thread of commitment to caring for the natural world all around us. And this very passion is what makes the work of the Arbor Day Foundation possible.
Jamie and Margie Gray
Technology in the Wake of a Tornado
Targeted community tree restoration is a reality in Kentucky thanks to GIS.
When it comes to an EF4 tornado, science and technology play major roles in predicting the storm, tracking it, and providing warning.
In Kentucky, technology is also a key part of recovery efforts.
The Kentucky Division of Forestry used GIS to help multiple communities recover through tree plantings in partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation.
GIS stands for Geographic Information System, which is a computer mapping system that analyzes and displays geographically referenced information, using data that is attached to a unique location.
For the team in Kentucky, GIS helped authorities determine where trees were ripped from the ground or damaged to better understand where replanting efforts should be focused.
“One of the great things about GIS is being able to process data and really use it effectively. Kentucky is one of the top map states in the country. The amount of open-source mapping data that we have available for the public to use is huge,” said Rebecca Ramsey, a geoprocessing specialist with the Kentucky Division of Forestry.
The Forestry’s GIS team built out a dashboard to help summarize the data, allowing for easier assessment and the ability to overlay different layers of information. It had previously been used to assess tree damage after some ice storms, but a massive tornado in 2021 put the system to work in a largescale way.
Surveying a Massive Amount of Damage
In December of 2021, a violent and long-tracked (a moniker given to tornadoes that travel significant distances on the ground) EF4 tornado ripped through an 11-county area in western Kentucky. It traveled an astounding 165.7 miles. And it wasn’t alone. Numerous other EF4, EF3, and EF1 tornadoes were produced by the same storm system.
Collectively, they were the most widespread, severe, and devastating storms in Kentucky’s history. The long-tracked EF4 tornado alone killed 57 people, injured more than 500, and damaged or destroyed more than 5,000 structures.
As morning broke, it was nearly impossible to process the aftermath. The catastrophic damage and loss of life stretched from community to community. The Kentucky Division of Forestry immediately stepped
into action, grabbing chain saws to help clear a path for emergency services. They also turned to GIS to help assess the situation. The path of the tornado was established, with a 1-mile width to ensure all potential for damage was considered.
“The GIS dashboard is a great way of being able to get on-the-ground information quickly,” Ramsey said. “It will be able to say there are this many structures or this many 911 address points or this many institutional buildings that were within that path.”
This technology quickly allowed them to see that the tornado could have affected more than 76,000 residences and businesses, 100 populated places, 24 corporate boundaries, and 47 local parks.
That’s a lot of ground to cover to measure the loss of trees after the conclusion of the emergency response and cleanup efforts. Fortunately, Ramsey was able to use a mix of satellite imagery and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) to help find the areas with the most canopy damage. The NDVI assesses the health of a forest or green space by measuring near-infrared and red light. Healthy trees and plants will reflect a lot of the near-infrared light and absorb the red light.
“We have satellite imagery from that summer (prior to the storms) and then satellite imagery of the summer after. So we compare the amount of light reflected within the two different wavelengths at the two different periods,” she said.
Getting the Trees Where They’re Needed Most
This GIS data was combined with aerial assessments and information from staff on the ground in these areas to determine which communities had experienced the greatest loss of trees. That helped to determine where they should focus first for the tree distributions happening in partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation.
“We wanted to be able to provide community tree recovery events based on communities that may have needed trees the most,” said Bridget Abernathy, assistant director of the Kentucky Division of Forestry. “We discerned that three communities trickled to the top. Those were the first three tree distributions that we offered in western Kentucky. And that occurred in the fall of 2022.”
In addition to supplying residents with trees, the Kentucky Division of Forestry also orchestrated targeted tree planting efforts focused on municipal areas — such as town centers, parks, schools, residential areas, and businesses — as well as natural forested areas.
Leading the Way for Storm Recovery
This emphasis on technology for intentional recovery efforts has helped the Kentucky Division of Forestry work more effectively and efficiently to restore the tree canopy lost to these tornadoes. Their efforts are paving the way for improved disaster response, not just for the trees but also for emergency services across the board.
The Arbor Day Foundation feels privileged to work alongside partners like this — partners working to find new ways to plant trees where they can do the most good.
Satellite images from the summer of 2020 (left) and the summer of 2022 (right) clearly illustrate the damage and loss of trees caused by the tornado in Mayfield, Kentucky.
Tree distributions like this one in Lyons County were held throughout western Kentucky.
Meet Our Team
Shannon Jerram, Project Development Manager
What do you love about your work at the Arbor Day Foundation?
I love the relationships I get to build with community forestry advocates and leaders all over the globe. The work we do in communities cannot happen without our incredible planting partners, and I feel grateful I get to work so closely with them every day! My role at the Arbor Day Foundation has also opened my eyes to all the benefits trees provide our cities — and reinforced their vital role in combating climate change.
How did you develop a connection with trees?
When my sister and I were very young, our parents planted two trees outside our bedroom windows. Getting to watch them grow while we lived there was so special. My family has since moved, but just a few blocks over in the same neighborhood, so we still get to check in on our trees whenever we’re back home!
What is your favorite tree?
I love oak trees. I feel like they represent strength and longevity, and they look so majestic. Part of my work territory covers the southeastern region of the U.S., and one of my absolute favorite activities when I spend time with planting partners in that area is seeing their live oaks.
The Canopy Report
New report from the Arbor Day Foundation is a deep dive into how America sees trees
What does the average American think about trees? How do they interact with the trees and green spaces around them and what are their perceived benefi ts around health and climate change? Th e Arbor Day Foundation knows trees are powerhouses helping to solve some of the biggest challenges facing people and the planet today, but it wanted to know how Americans felt. Th us, the Canopy Report was born.
Th is wide-ranging study has provided a wealth of insights. Developed in collaboration with Th e Harris Poll, one of the nation’s leading consumer research groups, the report examines Americans’ engagement with green space and their awareness of the health and climate benefi ts of trees.
Across a variety of ages and backgrounds, the fi ndings are interesting, surprising, fun and, in many cases, affi rming.
Standout Findings
3/4 of Americans wish their neighborhood had more trees.
91% of Americans believe we need to replant trees that get deforested each year.
Read the Full Report
9 in 10 say trees contribute to their mental well-being.
87% of Americans believe planting trees helps fight climate change.
Take a moment to download the entire report and see for yourself what your fellow Americans have to say about trees. You will also find a definitive answer to the burning question: If a tree could talk, what celebrity’s voice would you want it to speak with?
Download the Canopy Report now at arborday.org/CanopyReport