In celebration of Earth Day 2019, Let’s Plant Albuquerque (LPA) was launched in an effort to get 100,000 trees, one for every child in Albuquerque, planted over the next 10 years.
Serving as the Public Information & Communications Manager for the City of Albuquerque, my role in this campaign was multi-faceted. In addition to leading bi-weekly meetings for a coalition of government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and private sector businesses, I also created all of the communication materials involved in LPA including the creative direction of the website and social assets. Together, we were able to make the campaign a comprehensive, City-wide initiative that got communities engaged throughout the process.
About the Campaign:
Utilizing a heat-mapping study conducted by the Environmental Health Department, our team was able to prioritize areas in the City, called "heat islands," that would get the most benefit from planting native, non-invasive, water-saving trees. Planting trees in these areas would reduce the effects of extreme heat while saving energy on cooling costs. In addition to energy savings, increasing the urban canopy through tree planting can also save stormwater runoff, increase property value, and capture carbon within the atmosphere.
Understanding the financial burden of purchasing a tree, community members had two options to address this. They could apply for a "treebate" by uploading a copy of their purchase receipt in which they'd receive a rebate on their water utility bill. If the initial cost of purchasing a tree isn't in their budget, community members could apply for assistance through the "ONE Albuquerque Fund."
To track the progress of LPA, the City's forestry division, along with partners from the coalition, completed a tree inventory that identified the species, location, and current health of trees within City parks and other City-owned properties. Treeplotter, an interactive database, allows people to access tree data throughout the City to view the health and economic benefits of the urban canopy in specific areas. People who participated in LPA were encouraged to upload their individual data to see the specific benefits of their newly-planted or already-established trees were providing.
Seedling Innovations