Which trees will still be standing in a hotter city? Michigan State University is planting thousands to find out, while a company announces a blockchain-based tree-risk service, researchers report hope for ash trees, and campuses and small towns put money into planting. This edition covers those stories and the tree-removal fights behind them.
Urban green space, from the I Hug Trees image library
Testing which trees will last
WCMU Public Radio reported that Michigan State researchers are planting thousands of trees to see which can withstand climate change, backed by a $500,000 grant. Portland has already updated its approved street tree lists. Wake Forest University offers a warning from the tropics, where trees are fighting an uphill battle with climate change and, in its words, losing. A Dartmouth study examines urban forests across the United States.
Heat is the pressure behind all of it. The University of Rhode Island explains how canopy shapes the urban heat island, and a Phys.org report found that trees need water and space to cool the most. Our free Land Surface Temperature tool shows how hot your own area runs, and the TIFF to JPEG and PNG converter turns its GeoTIFF into a shareable image.
Tele-Arborist and the risk question
The Sustainable Green Team announced Tele-Arborist, a blockchain-powered service for tree care and restoration. It is a company announcement, so treat the claims as untested until arborists report back. Elsewhere, risk work stays traditional: the owner of SB Tree Service earned the ISA Certified Urban Forestry Professional credential, Purdue's Landscape Report gave tips for storm-damaged trees, and the OB Rag covered a ficus tree condition and failure assessment study.
Roots, soil and a neighbourhood effort
Live Science described a second set of roots deep underground that scientists did not know about. Closer to the surface, compaction restricts roots and disrupts the mycorrhizal fungi that feed them, and the University of South Australia is building an early warning system for street tree roots that block sewer pipes. A University of Richmond story shows the human scale, with researchers improving a neighbourhood one tree at a time.
Hope for ash, and other pest news
Cornell researchers say there may be hope for decimated ash trees, according to the Press & Sun-Bulletin. University of Minnesota scientists found fungi that kill emerald ash borer beetles, and Hawaii reports benefits from biocontrol against invasive species. Michigan State also updated its pesticide management guide for Christmas tree growers.
Planting, training and who pays
Small projects are carrying the load. UNLV planted 18 trees in a North Las Vegas neighbourhood, Elon University co-sponsored planting in Florence, and Ellsworth received an urban forestry grant thanks to EHS students. Huntsville plans an arboretum and a veterans memorial grove in 2026, and Eugene is planting street trees to reach its climate goals.
Training and money follow. The University of Delaware hosts an arborist training in April, and Kentucky State University won $1.2 million for urban forestry. Smart Cities Dive reported that tree-planting programs are adapting to federal funding retraction, Allegheny County lost millions in green infrastructure grants, and Philadelphia is testing a new way to fund urban forestry.
Tree removal and the rules
Removal fights keep coming. The San Mateo Daily Journal covered concern over an old oak removed at a development site, and in Pensacola a developer said it is keeping as many trees as it can. InvestigateWest found the pace of tree cutting surging under Seattle's contested protection ordinance, while Oakland requires permits for project-related removal. Forests and tree canopy are still shrinking in the Chesapeake Bay region.
Portland shows the funding side. The council adopted an updated urban forest plan, Inside Climate News warned its tree plans may face a withering of federal funds, and a councilor proposed stripping Urban Forestry's tree regulation team to redirect savings toward parks.
Mapping and monitoring
Purdue's AI urban tree monitoring initiative and a University of Twente PhD on airborne data and deep learning both turn images into inventory. Geo Week News described how geospatial technology helps planners protect urban forests, and the Twin Cities suburbs use technology to find troubled trees. For satellite greenness reports on whole cities, see Hug Analytics. UAB shows how a campus can protect a nationally recognized urban forest.
Wood, money and fairness
Ann Arbor and Urban Ashes launched what they call the first municipal wood recycling model, Rutgers used Dawn Redwoods to revitalize a boardwalk, and a life cycle analysis examined biochar from waste stumps. On fairness, the USDA stresses greening without displacement, and University of Utah and CUNY researchers describe a green gentrification cycle that can push out long-term residents. The EPA says Rhode Island uses urban forestry to improve public health, a theme close to how time with trees lifts wellbeing.
More from I Hug Trees
- Urban Forestry and Green Living: The Power of Trees in Cities Why trees make cities cooler, cleaner and more resilient.
- The Forest Internet: How Fungi Help Trees Talk, Heal and Survive The underground networks behind healthy roots.
- Tree Planting: Nurturing Hope and Transforming Our Planet Why planting works best with long-term care.
- Land Surface Temperature Tool (Free) Click a map for a temperature and NDVI report.
- Convert TIFF to JPEG and PNG A free GeoTIFF converter that keeps map bounds.
- Hug Analytics Satellite NDVI reports for cities, deserts and wetlands.