Is Tree Planting Equitable?

Shannon Lea Watkins spends a lot of time thinking about environmental justice. She’s a post-doctoral fellow at San Francisco State University, where she studies the relationship between people and trees. Her recent research paper, published in “Environment and Behavior,” asks an uncomfortable but important question: is tree planting equitable? Do subsidized trees distributed by non-profits get planted evenly across the city, regardless of income or race? Environmental justice is about access to natural resources and unequal exposure to environmental harms, but it’s also about access to the decision-making process. Shannon is finding that there is more to the story than just “trees are good.” This podcast is a production of DeepRoot Green Infrastructure, LLC (www.deeproot.com). For more information about Shannon and her work: The Bloomington Urban Forestry Group: https://www.indiana.edu/~cipec/research/bufrg_about.php https://www.indiana.edu/~cipec/research/bufrgproj_nucfac.php https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Shannon_Watkins Music: “Broke for Free,” “Summer Spliffs” (Broke for Free) “Sneaker Chase” (Podington Bear)