The Community Canopy Alliance (CCA) announced it was awarded $75,000 by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources to support a Heritage Tree Celebration in the Northwest Landing Neighborhood of Indy.
A Heritage Tree is a native species with a trunk diameter of 18 inches or more, measured at 55 inches above the ground. The funds for the project were provided through the USDA Forest Service as part of the federal Inflation Reduction Act.
“We are honored to partner on this project that combines environmental stewardship with local history in Northwest Landing,” said Lori Perdue, founding director of community organizing at CCA. “These trees are living monuments that witness the stories of the community and preserving them is crucial for both environmental and cultural reasons.”
The project will raise awareness of the environmental equity in underserved communities and how trees can contribute to the issue. Trees make the area a healthier place to live and provide needed shade and cooler temperatures and symbolize the area’s past and future.
“Our Heritage Tree Celebration project is the first-of-its-kind to map heritage sized trees throughout Northwest Landing and provide detailed information on the environmental benefits these trees provide — such as carbon sequestration and air and water quality improvements,” said Rae Schnapp, founding partner and director of science and education at the Community Canopy Alliance.
For more information about CCA and the Heritage Tree Celebration and to donate, visit heartwood.org.
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Contact Health & Environmental Reporter Hanna Rauworth at 317-762-7854 or follow her on Instagram at @hanna.rauworth.
