Responding to a pandemic

New ideas for unique challenges of the global health pandemic.

Summary

2020 presented a number of challenges in delivering our programs to a locked-down California during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those that could adapted to a new routine of working from home, and our urban forests became more important for our physical and mental health than ever before.

Financial Summary: Income

This year our grants under management increased to $2.25 M (98.4% of our total income) to deliver essential programs across California.

Financial Summary: Expenses

As we manage grants, almost all of our expenses are related to fulfilling grant deliverables. This year, our expenses relating to promotion and education were down slightly from last year, as some of our scheduled events were postponed or canceled.

Tree Planting Programs

Our key programmatic activity during 2020.

CIRCLE 3.0

We wrapped up work on our third iteration of the California Initiative to Reduce Carbon and Limit Emisssions (CIRCLE) program this year. The program planted 4,000 trees, with 2,000 trees being planted on private property. Residents were able to sign up, and select up to three free trees through the community canopy portal. See the full report.

COOL PARKS

Work continued on Cool Parks this year with workshops and tree planting events before the state shut down with COVID19 prevention measures. The Cool Parks team worked alongside partner cities and nonprofits to plant 2500 trees in California’s disadvantaged and low-income communities. This program will be completed next year.

CITY FOREST RENEWAL

This year we commenced a new program aimed at helping cities manage their urban forests for the future. Cities reviewed and updated their policies pertaining to their urban forests and received assistance with removing dead, dangerous, or diseased trees. Two new trees are planted for each removal.

Education & Outreach

As part of our ongoing mission to bring the benefits of the urban forest to all communities across California, we produce a number of items focused on education and outreach. Trees are Essential campaign.

Trees are Essential campaign

In response to the COVID19 pandemic, many cities started to cut their budgets for maintaining the urban forest. The Trees are Essential campaign featured a survey, see results below, and numerous resources for advocating for urban trees.

Webinars

Events shifted online in 2020 and we hosted a number of webinars throughout 2020.

Haiku Promotion

Our annual haiku poetry promotion encourages our supporters and followers from across California to express their love of urban trees.

Regional Councils

Local updates from our Regional Councils

1. The Bay Area Urban Forests Ecosystem Council

The Bay Area council cohosted out Trees are Essential – Growing Human Health and Equity Webinar with Dr. Ming Kuo.

2. Sacramento Valley Regional Urban Forests Council

The Learn-at-Lunch series of workshops started strong in February with How much information do we need? The session examined the benefits of taking an inventory of our urban forests.

3. San Joaquin Valley Urban Forest Council

In the San Joaquin Valley, our regional council worked with our City Forest Renewal program to plan a webinar for early 2021.

4. Inland Urban Forest Council

The council held a pruning workshop early in the year before moving to online webinars and videos during the rest of the year.

5. San Diego Urban Forests Council

In San Diego, the regional council was successful preventing the City Council from dissolving three existing City Advisory Boards (Sustainable Energy Advisory Board, Wetlands Advisory Board, and Community Forest Advisory Board) and replace them with a new, poorly planned “Environment Advisory Board”.

6. LA/Orange County (Street Tree Seminar)

In response to the COVID 19 pandemic, STS took the summer symposium online for 2020. A great turnout of over 100 attendees learned about identifying and treating pests in Southern California.