Walnut Hill is one of the Texas Trees Foundation’s “Cool Schools.” (Provided)
Those who live within five miles of the Walnut Hill International Leadership Academy, along with families who have a child enrolled at the school, are eligible to receive a free tree from the Texas Trees Foundation through its NeighborWoods program.
Walnut Hill is a Dallas ISD “Cool School,” an elementary school partnered with the Texas Trees Foundation that does not have a public park within a 10-minute walk from its campus. Eligible neighbors living close to Cool Schools can sign up online to pick up a young tree on Nov. 11. In addition to the tree, participants receive a bag of mulch and maintenance instructions, so long as they agree to water and care for the tree for its two-year establishment period. Residents should also call 811 to make sure there are no underground hazards where they would like to plant the tree.
Participants are encouraged to plant the trees in their front yards to increase the neighborhood’s canopy coverage. According to the Texas Trees Foundation, properly placed trees can lower surrounding temperatures by up to 15 degrees and reduce air conditioning costs by 30 percent.
“Studies show that more trees in neighborhoods increase residential property value and enhance community pride,” said Rachel McGregor, a forester with the Texas Trees Foundation. “The newly planted trees will help mitigate the urban heat island effect and improve the infrastructure of the city.”
Tree coverage in U.S. metropolitan areas is on average 27 percent. However, over 70 percent of Dallas ISD campuses only have canopy coverages of seven percent or less.
“We are delighted to be working with North Texas residents to increase the tree canopy in their neighborhood,” said Norm Daley, the Texas Trees Foundation’s chief operating 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.”
