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Community collaboration transforms Cecil Shamley School with trees and gardens.

Photo courtesy of city of Tempe

Tempe’s efforts to cool and beautify several Tempe elementary schools continued on November 4 with a project at Cecil Shamley School in Tempe that brought dozens of volunteers together to plant 13 trees and completely refresh the community garden with new soil and plants.

The project was made possible thanks to a collaboration between public, private, and nonprofit partners, whose joint efforts are helping to expand shade coverage in Tempe. The city of Tempe’s Sustainability and Resilience Office teamed up with ASU HeatReady Schools, Trees Matter, Tempe Elementary School District, and Rio Reimagined to plant the trees with funding from State Farm, UPS, and the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management.

Tempe Mayor Corey Woods, Councilmember Berdetta Hodge, and

Tempe Elementary School District Board Member Jim Lemmon also participated in the greening project.

These types of initiatives are part of a larger effort to increase shade canopy coverage in the city and create more resilience to extreme heat. Nearly 30 additional trees are being planted at three Tempe elementary schools in the coming months. The city has a goal of achieving a 25% tree and shade canopy in the city by 2040.

Trees and community gardens offer many benefits, both within the neighborhood and as part of the larger community ecosystem. In addition to providing shade, trees can help reduce energy costs, clean water, and air, protect soil, and decrease the urban heat island effect. Desert-adapted trees—like those being planted as part of this initiative— are especially well suited to the Valley’s landscape. In addition, community gardens help improve access to fresh foods in a sustainable way while offering the community an opportunity to recreate and come together.

Earlier this year, State Farm awarded a $500,000 Century of Good grant to the city’s Office of Sustainability and Resilience to create a safer, stronger, and more resilient community by mitigating the negative effects of extreme heat.

Thanks in part to those funds, the Sustainability and Resilience Office is investing in green stormwater infrastructure, native tree planting, and renewable energy projects. EnVision Tempe, the city’s one-stop resource center and resilience hub, is scheduled to open soon.

“It’s inspiring to see community members, nonprofit organizations, and the private sector come together to make a difference right here in the Tempe community,” says Tempe’s Sustainability and Resilience Director Eric Iwersen. “Ex- treme heat and climate change impact all of us. By working together through projects like these, we can make the change for future generations and help build a resilient Tempe.”

Tempe is taking action to reduce emissions and cultivate resilience by focusing on the guiding principles of fiscal responsibility, enterprise, equity, engagement, and effectiveness. Learn more about Tempe’s local actions to prevent global climate change at tempe.