Why Chicago's shrinking tree canopy hurts communities

Chicago has been losing tree canopy cover that helps reduce the impacts of extreme heat and air pollution.

Why it matters: Urban tree canopy improves air quality by removing harmful gasses from the air and storing CO2, according to a recent report from environmental information newsroom Climate Central.

By the numbers: Chicago's tree canopy cover shrank in the city proper from 2010 to 2020. Trees covered just 16% of the city's land in 2020, trailing behind New York and Los Angeles, per the Morton Arboretum.

State of play: On average, each year Chicago has lost about 10,000 more trees than it has planted since 2010, per a 2020 analysis by the Sun-Times. The decrease was mostly driven by pests and disease.

What they're saying: "Mayor Lightfoot did try to improve the situation with the initiative of planting thousands of trees each year, but we're still struggling," Tonatiu Rodriguez, a coordinator for the Openlands Forestry Program, tells Axios.

The intrigue: Last spring, Openlands partnered with green search engine Ecosia and the Brighton Park Neighborhood Council to start the "Truffula Club" at Kelly High School on the Southwest Side.

What you can do: Chicagoans can join groups like Openlands to become "treekeepers" — stewards who plant, nurture and protect local trees.

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