Texas Trees Foundation Offers Free Trees to ‘Cool School’ Parents, Local Residents
The Texas Trees Foundation is giving complimentary trees to those who live within five miles of a future Cool Schools Neighborhood Park or have a child who attends one of Dallas ISD’s “Cool Schools.”
Walnut Hill Leadership Institute of Preston Hollow is one of these “Cool Schools.”
The free trees, available until Nov. 11, are provided by the Texas Trees Foundation’s NeighborWoods program to increase neighborhood tree canopy coverage and will provide shade, reduce heating/cooling costs, and beautify the neighborhood.
“Studies show that more trees in neighborhoods increase residential property value and enhance community pride,” said Rachel McGregor, urban forester for the Texas Trees Foundation. “The newly planted trees will help mitigate the urban heat island effect and improve the infrastructure of the city.”
The Texas Trees Foundation Cool School Program is a partnership with Dallas ISD that will transform selected campuses into safer and cooler outdoor learning spaces to increase outdoor education and park access. These campuses are in areas known as “park deserts,” as they don’t have a park within a 10 minute walk.
Recipients will be given a bag of mulch and tree planting and maintenance instructions to ease the process. Trees should be planted in the public right-of-way in front of homes, and residents are asked to agree to water and tend to trees during their establishment periods and call 811 before digging to survey the yard for underground hazards.
“We are delighted to be working with North Texas residents to increase the tree canopy in their neighborhood,” said Norm Daley, Texas Trees Foundation’s chief operations and communications officer. “The newly planted trees will improve residents’ quality of life and provide them with all the benefits that trees bring to their community, such as shade, clean air, and energy conservation.”
For more information or to register for a complimentary tree, visit TexasTrees.org/projects/neighborwoods-program.
