Wildlands Awarded Grant to Advance Tree Planting in Taunton, Brockton

By Thomas Patti, Communications Coordinator

On July 26, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts awarded Wildlands Trust $52,300 through the Greening the Gateway Cities Program (GGCP) to advance urban tree planting in Taunton and Brockton, two of the largest Environmental Justice communities in Southeastern Massachusetts. 

The award marks the sixth time Wildlands has received funds through GGCP, but the first time for work in Taunton. From 2017 to 2021, Wildlands conducted outreach in Brockton through the program. 

“GGCP is a win-win-win for urban landowners and communities, especially in the face of climate change,” said Wildlands Chief of Staff Rachel Bruce. “As the program outreach partner in Taunton and Brockton, we're thrilled for the continued opportunity to improve quality of life in some of the most densely populated areas of Southeastern Massachusetts." 

Community tree planting as part of the GGCP in Brockton.

GGCP is “an environmental and energy efficiency program designed to reduce household heating and cooling energy use by increasing tree canopy cover in urban residential areas in the state’s Gateway Cities,” according to the Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation (DCR). 

Through the program, state and local foresters plant trees in high-priority neighborhoods, defined by socioeconomic status, existing tree cover, housing stock age, population size, and other variables. Beyond energy savings, GGCP aims to unlock other key benefits of urban tree planting, such as local employment, improved water and air quality, and a greater sense of community. GGCP is a partnership between DCR, the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA), and Gateway Cities and local grassroots organizations. 

Wildlands’ award comes via GGCP’s Non-Profit Partnership Grant Program, which funds non-profits to conduct outreach to residents and business owners interested in receiving free trees from the program. Our outreach efforts will include in-person community engagement, recruiting and training tree maintenance volunteers, and distributing print and digital materials to educate the public about GGCP and the diverse benefits of urban tree planting. 

Brockton is a Tree City USA thanks in part to GGCP tree-planting efforts.

“Expanding our forest canopy is one piece of the larger puzzle to combatting climate change in Massachusetts,” said EEA Secretary Rebecca Tepper in a press release. “With continuous heat waves leading to higher energy bills and greater greenhouse gas emissions, our Greening the Gateway Cities Program leverages our state resources and engages residents to help plant trees and enhance public health. Reducing the urban heat island effect is a top priority, and our non-profit partnerships through the GGCP will help cool our neighborhoods, towns, and cities.”   

In 2023, with funding from NOAA, Wildlands and Manomet Conservation Sciences worked with the City of Brockton and Towns of Avon and Abington to test the urban heat island effect in the Brockton area, finding that temperatures differed between tree-shaded and exposed paved areas by up to 13° on a single July afternoon. Planting trees in highly developed areas is key to leveling the playing field in Environmental Justice communities that already suffer disproportionately from climate change. Besides reducing energy costs and protecting public health from intensifying heat waves, denser tree canopies reduce flooding and improve water quality by absorbing and filtering stormwater runoff. 

GGCP crew delivering free trees to the Brockton community.

Wildlands thanks the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for its continued confidence in and support of our efforts to advance environmental justice throughout our service region. 

We will begin outreach this fall in Taunton and this winter in Brockton. Stay tuned for updates as our work continues! 

Reaching Higher for Environmental Justice

Members of Wildlands Trust are well aware of our commitment to the city of Brockton, where we have worked for over a decade. During these years, Wildlands has dedicated staff and funding to protect and restore 250 acres of much needed open space. But that is just the beginning. We have coached over 125 Brockton High School students through the Massachusetts Envirothon competition, introducing kids to environmental issues and potential career opportunities before they head off to college. We manage community outreach for the city’s urban tree planting program (Greening the Gateway Cities), aimed at lowering energy costs by creating tree canopy to reduce temperatures and provide direct shading. Through our Green Team program, we provide Brockton youth with paid service-learning positions on natural resource projects where they work alongside our staff. We convene and advise neighborhood park groups, church groups and community garden promoters who want to take more initiative to further environmental progress in the city. Currently, we are working on the restoration of the iconic Flagg Pond on the Brockton High School grounds, a project that will engage high school students and their teachers as our partners. 

Serving this environmental justice community is some of our most meaningful work at Wildlands and we have plans to do much more.  As a society, we all need to be reaching higher to help communities like Brockton, and the land trusts spread across the United States are not released from this imperative. Land trusts like Wildlands need to look beyond our habit of tallying up acres and reporting on our completed deals because these measurements fall short in a changing America. Both are the measures of a bygone era and although we will probably always apply them to gauge our success on some level, our communities are desperate for more than simply an acre count. 

Essentially, land trusts are civic organizations and as such, are well-positioned to build authentic and effective partnerships that reflect the diversity and demographics of those communities that need us most, like Brockton. For the past several years, Wildlands has been part of a cohort brought together by the Island Foundation to work with environmental justice expert, Angela Parks, to learn how to embed diversity, equity and inclusion principles into our guiding documents and programmatic work. Wildlands still has a long way to go, but our clear commitment is a starting point. 

Thank you to all of our supporters for making this work possible.

Karen Grey
President

Wildlands Trust Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion 

Wildlands Trust is committed to protecting land and providing access to nature for the people of our region, regardless of income, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or gender identity. We will approach our work with complete respect for the cultures and perspectives of the communities we serve as we endeavor to connect and inspire all people to care about nature and the future of our planet.

Wildlands' Commitment to Green Infrastructure

By Community Stewardship Program Coordinator, Conor Michaud

Massachusetts is the 15th most populated state in the nation and as growth trends continue, the communities within the Commonwealth face increasing environmental concerns, intensified by the burgeoning state. Climate change has recently catalyzed some of the most creative solutions to population growth and fading grey infrastructure. As Massachusetts grows, particularly in the Boston metro area, concerns around stormwater runoff, rising temperatures, and compromised air quality in urban landscapes will need to be addressed through innovation and community commitment.

For nearly half a century, Wildlands has been helping to stave off the local effects of climate change through the implementation and conservation of green infrastructure (GI). The Environmental Protection Agency defines GI as “…a cost-effective, resilient approach to managing wet weather impacts that provides many community benefits…green infrastructure reduces and treats stormwater at its source while delivering environmental, social, and economic benefits.”[1] GI is not a new idea but it has become an essential lens in which urban redevelopment is viewed.

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A basic rain garden schematic. (Source: https://www.natureworkseverywhere.org/)

Using the GI lens, impermeable surfaces are redesigned to allow for water passage and stormwater filtration. Street trees and rain gardens are some examples of nature-inspired adaptations which not only facilitate storm water management but help to purify the air, cool our cities, and benefit urban agriculture, all while playing an important role in the mental and physical health of city residents.

Conservation of open space is one of the most significant types of GI. Land conservation in proximity to urban areas greatly reduces localized climate effects while providing city residents with essential exposure to the natural world. Since 1973 Wildland has been working to protect Massachusetts’ natural spaces and promote open space as an opportunity to connect with nature. Helping to sustain the health of Southeastern Massachusetts has long been Wildlands’ mission and within the last ten years, Wildlands has been able to bring its expertise to the city of Brockton.

Wildlands acquired the Brockton Audubon Preserve in 2012 and began working with the city to reestablish the adjacent Stone Farm Conservation Area over the last two years. Together, these preserves comprise over 200 acres of protected woodland and wetland habitat, which help to regulate temperatures in surrounding neighborhoods, filter stormwater runoff, and sequester carbon. All of this occurring only 3 miles from the city center.

Like other Gateway Cities, Brockton is in the midst of redeveloping a formerly robust urban landscape to promote economic growth while creating a safe and attractive home for its residents. A city’s vitality, especially in consideration of a growing population, is now critically linked to GI. In an urban landscape where there is often limited space, making land conservation near impossible, other solutions must be thought of.

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(Above) Street trees being planted as part of GGCP. By 2020, thousands of newly planted trees will line the streets and fill the yards of Brockton residents.

Over the last two years Wildlands has partnered with Brockton and the Department of Conservation and Recreation to increase the urban tree canopy through the Greening the Gateway Cities Program (GGCP). Through this free tree program the partnership will help to decrease the heating and cooling demand on residential properties while raising the real-estate value within these neighborhoods. Numerous other cities across the nation have implemented similar tree programs to effectively reduce the impacts of climate change while empowering their communities through increased property values and the natural beautification of trees.

The GI revolution affects society in a number of ways aside from the environmental and health benefits. The economic impact goes beyond saving on energy costs; the widespread implementation of GI is now beginning to have an effect on the local workforce and the future of the job market. With an increase in the urban tree canopy comes an increased demand for skilled labor and urban foresters. Investing in GI will require an investment in the green technology workforce and the citizens who inhabit these rapidly redeveloping cities. Organizations are already beginning to see this trend and are developing training and internship programs to provide new skills for those interested in joining the field.

Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MACEC), for example, helps match aspiring clean energy employees with green technology companies within the Commonwealth. Organizations like MACEC are helping to keep the Massachusetts workforce in place by providing potential employees with an opportunity to expand their skill set while working for a cause that will sustain their community. While green job training and environmental education is becoming more prevalent there are some organizations taking the green technology and GI workforce one step further.

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is pushing the boundary on innovation and commitment to a sustainable future with the development of the Sustainability Accelerator. The accelerator is designed to fast track green innovations by providing a space for incubation and connecting entrepreneurs with potential funding sources.  Efforts to sustain the GI and green technology revolution are essential to preserving our cities and providing a home for future generations. Equally important, is working with the communities most impacted by climate change to discuss and implement GI and discover opportunities for career advancement and workplace innovation.

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Brockton Envirothon team members met with Brockton State Reps. Claire Cronin and Gerry Cassady and Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo on May 6, 2019 after Joyce Voorhis (bottom row, middle) received the Secretary’s Award for Excellence in Energy and Environmental Education.

While groups like TNC and MACEC are working directly with the work force, Wildlands is taking a different approach to the redesign of our urban landscapes, focusing on environmental education and public exposure to natural spaces. The long established partnership with Brockton High School has allowed Wildlands to aid in student’s education and demonstrate the possibilities for environmental and community based work through Envirothon. Community outreach in the Greening the Gateway Cities Program goes beyond helping put trees in the ground; weekly one-on-one canvassing interactions with Brockton residents are opportunities to discuss the importance of GI and ask each resident to take a step forward in helping to protect their environment.

The goal of developing healthy and environmentally conscious communities across Massachusetts is not lofty. Wildlands realizes that these efforts must start from the ground up through land conservation, community outreach, and environmental education. The commitment to the protection of open space in perpetuity is a commitment to the communities within these spaces and a commitment to help build a more healthy and equitable planet.

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[1] https://www.epa.gov/green-infrastructure/what-green-infrastructure.

Canvassing Increases Awareness, Participation for GGCP

Wildlands Trust hits the streets of Brockton to promote Greening the Gateway Cities

Tommy Blanchard and Conor Michaud with a recently planted tree at Brockton City Hall

Spring has launched the new planting season for the Massachusetts Greening the Gateway Cities Program (GGCP) and in Brockton, it’s off to a great start. As of April 27, 611 trees have been planted throughout the city, 179 on public land and 432 on private, putting the program on track to reach its overall goal of planting 2,400 trees within three years. Success will increase canopy cover by 5-10 percent and reduce heating and cooling use and costs for households throughout the planting zone.

Responsible for supporting the program's outreach initiatives, Wildlands’ Community Stewardship Program Coordinator, Conor Michaud, and AmeriCorps member, Tommy Blanchard, have met with community members throughout the planting zone and have received overall positive responses from residents. Many who utilize the program report they first heard of GGCP from a canvasser.

Conor and Tommy will be kicking off their first tabling event of the season at the Plant and Seed Swap at the Frederick Douglass Community Garden on Sunday, May 6, from 12:30–3 p.m. To learn more about the Greening the Gateway Cities Program, stop by their table or visit our website at wildlandstrust.org/greening-the-gateway-cities.

It's Tree Planting Season!

By Tommy Blanchard, TerraCorps Land Stewardship Coordinator

The City of Brockton has been selected to receive 2,400 free trees to be planted for environmental health and energy efficiency as a part of the Greening the Gateway Cities Program (GGCP), and we here at Wildlands are gearing up for the spring planting season! Planting trees in urban areas has many beneficial effects, from lowering energy usage and costs, to decreasing noise pollution, to improving air and water quality and reducing pollution, and much more – thanks, Science! So far, around 500 trees have been planted through this program, and the GGCP aims to plant all 2,400 trees in the identified area (below) before the end of 2019. In order to meet this goal, we must plant about 1,000 more this year and another 1,000 in 2019. We need your help to make this happen! Please share this with anyone you know who lives in the area of Brockton shown below. We have lots of trees that need loving homes!

Tree Planting Area

Greening the Gateway Cities, Brockton, MA

“We have over 40 different species of trees that the homeowner gets to choose from,” says DCR's Community and Urban Forester Matt Dyer. “The trees are free. The labor is free. This is truly a free program. We just ask that the residents water the trees after we plant them so the trees will survive.”

To request your free trees, call 617-626-1503 and leave your name, address, and phone number. For more information, visit wildlandstrust.org/greening-the-gateway-cities.

In addition, we are looking for GGCP volunteers! If you are looking to help a great cause and engage with members of a diverse and vibrant community, please email Tommy Blanchard at tblanchard@wildlandstrust.org to inquire about open volunteer positions, and learn more at wildlandstrust.org/volunteer-with-ggc.

And don’t forget to like/follow our Facebook and Instagram pages to keep up with the latest GGCP news!

Facebook: facebook.com/GGCBrockton/

Instagram: instagram.com/ggcbrockton/

Trees are planted on public and private lands at absolutely no cost. Volunteers help plant this tree in a Brockton park!

The Greening the Gateway Cities Program is a state funded initiative to plant trees in urban neighborhoods throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Greening the Gateway Cities in Brockton is executed in collaboration with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.