We all know trees are vital, especially in Davis. Imagine this city without them, especially when it's 112 degrees* outside. Today we talk with Erin Donley Marineau, whose job as executive director of Tree Davis means she's one of the people responsible for keeping the city well-tree'd.

We talk about the Davis canopy, its power as a natural air-conditioner, the 18,000 trees the city manages, the goal for a thousand more, upping the count in economically poorer areas, conflicts with solar panels, planning for climate change, spotting unhealthy trees, getting a free tree, ideas for revising the city tree ordinance, and the tough, fast-growing tree on Regis that's the progenitor of 200,000 Espresso Kentucky coffee trees worldwide ... and the European hornbeam on Antioch that looks like something out of JRR Tolkien. Those two are on the city's landmark trees list. You'll be able to tour them all by bike this fall, and she talks about that, too. Trees look static, but there's a lot going on.

*The high for Davis so far this summer, says AccuWeather, reached on June 18 and July 10.