NW Phila. coalition aims to plant more trees, reduce urban heat

Local volunteers are banding together to help achieve what’s known as “tree equity” in Northwest Philadelphia, meaning that streets and neighborhoods with fewer trees are targeted for more planting.

This year, several chapters of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) Tree Tenders launched Cool Down Northwest Philly, a grant-funded program that aims to expand the tree canopy, especially in the most overheated neighborhoods. The initiative combines the efforts of groups in Chestnut Hill, Mt. Airy, Germantown, Nicetown-Tioga and West Oak Lane.

“It’s sort of power in numbers,” said Jean Hemphill, the co-founder of Chestnut Hill Tree Tenders. “We all have the exact same goals. It makes sense to share the expertise and to work with PHS together as a group, rather than five different tree tenders.”

PHS’s Tree Tenders program works with volunteer-based groups to plant trees in Philadelphia, which has lost more than 1,000 football fields of cover from 2008-2018, according to the Philly Tree Plan. Tree Tenders work with homeowners to plant street trees provided by PHS and assist the city with the Philly Tree Plan, a set of goals that aim to expand and sustain the region’s tree canopy.

Mt. Airy Tree Tenders formed the idea for Cool Down Northwest Philly last year, when West Mt. Airy Neighbors received a grant from the state Department of Environmental Protection to increase tree equity, said Liz Hersh, co-leader of Mt. Airy Tree Tenders. The group canvassed 1,200 houses and reached out to faith communities, block captains and community groups about the Tree Tenders’ services.

“We were thinking, ‘Well, why don’t all of the tree tender groups in Northwest Philly come together?’” she said.

Cool Down Northwest Philly organizers hope to plant 100 trees this year, with the help of the Public Health Management Corporation’s 2026 Tree Forward grant. The five Tree Tender groups and Awbury Arboretum conducted their spring plantings in April. Mt. Airy Tree Tenders planted trees on April 18 consisting of 14 species, including cherry, maple and serviceberry, Hersh said.

Trees provide a wide range of benefits, helping create healthier and cooler communities. They are especially crucial for urban heat islands like Philadelphia, which tend to have worse air quality and hotter temperatures compared to rural areas. Studies show more tree cover leads to reduced energy usage, lower crime rates, as well as better health for people, watersheds and wildlife.

But in the United States, wealthier and whiter neighborhoods are more likely to enjoy these benefits compared to other communities. Researchers have attributed this disparity to historic discriminatory practices like redlining, the decisions of private landowners and other factors.

In Northwest Philadelphia, more than half of Chestnut Hill is covered in trees, while Nicetown-Tioga has less than 20% cover, according to an analysis by the conservation organization American Forests. As a result, they have a 10-degree average temperature difference. The median household income in Chestnut Hill, one of the coolest neighborhoods in the city, is around $109,000 while Nicetown’s is $36,000, according to The Pew Charitable Trusts.

Simone Roberts, a Temple University student and an intern at Cool Down Northwest Philadelphia, said the group will canvas homeowners and use resources like the city’s Philadelphia Heat Vulnerability Index and the Philadelphia Street Tree Planting Opportunity Map to identify areas that need trees the most.

The group will canvas neighborhoods and community groups to learn about what barriers residents face in planting sustainable canopies and educate them on the benefits of trees. Planting just one to two trees on a block could be enough to capture the interest of neighbors.

“I think it’s worth it to continue to plant more, and to really move the needle with my position, even if just one person does it,” Roberts said.

One obstacle to “greenifying” neighborhoods is that the responsibility for planting and maintaining trees largely falls on homeowners, making it harder for people who are older and have physical and financial limitations, Hersh said. People also don’t know they can get free trees. Residents can apply twice a year to have trees planted by Tree Tenders in April and November.

The Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Department’s TreePhilly program has a number of local and citywide yard-tree giveaways, posted on its website. Cool Down Northwest Philly will be hosting a free tree giveaway on Oct. 23 at Pleasant Playground, thanks to Tree Philly, Hersh said.

“Just because you live in a neighborhood that hasn’t had trees, you should still have access to them,” Hersh said.

Apart from improving tree equity, Cool Down Northwest Philly organizers plan to assist residents with maintenance and help replace the lost and aging canopy in Mt. Airy, Germantown and other areas.

Urban greenery is becoming more crucial as human-induced climate change causes more frequent and intense heatwaves. Studies show global warming is expected to lead to more pollution– and heat-related deaths.

Hersh said local environmental initiatives like Cool Down Northwest Philly can connect communities and offer a direct, immediate solution.

“At a time when there’s a lot of bad stuff in the world, doing something that’s an expression of love and hope is really healing and important,” she said. “Sometimes when people think about planting trees, it seems kind of quaint or trivial, but it isn’t. It’s a really concrete way of making things better.”