In this Arbor Month episode of Good Growing, horticulture educators Chris Enroth, Ken Johnson, and Emily Swihart dig into the concept of tree equity—the idea that all neighborhoods deserve access to tree canopy and the benefits trees provide. From shade and stormwater management to mental health and property values, the hosts explore why trees matter and why their distribution across communities is far from equal.

The conversation traces how historical practices like redlining shaped today’s urban forests, explains why some neighborhoods still have far fewer trees, and introduces practical tools—like the Tree Equity Score and i‑Tree—that can help communities make more informed, equitable tree‑planting decisions.

Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/0SFKXYs8yX4

Skip to what you want to know:
00:30 Hey Ken! 
01:18 Welcome, Emily! 
02:38 First topic of tree month: Tree equity 
04:11 What are the benefits of trees? Ecosystem services 
09:28  Social and Emotional benefits of trees 
14:38 Not everyone has the benefits of trees. Diving into the topic of tree equity.
17:10 The history of tree inequity 
17:57  Redlining and its effect on tree equity 
23:41 What tools can be used to look at the need for tree planting in communities? 
26:45 Tree Equity Score and i-Tree 
44:44 So long and coming up next week! 

Tree Equity Score https://www.treeequityscore.org/
i-Tree https://www.itreetools.org/

Contact us! 
Chris Enroth: [email protected]
Ken Johnson: [email protected] 
Emily Swihart [email protected]

Like what you see? Subscribe for more gardening tips, plant talk, and seasonal inspiration from University of Illinois Extension.
Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing
Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe

Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies.

Barnyard Bash: freesfx.co.uk 

--
Prefer audio? You can find us on most podcast platforms.  
iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-growing/id1446630377     
Tunein - https://tunein.com/podcasts/Gardening/Good-Growing-p1187964/  
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/202u3siWExE1tTqrVgtmCR    
Vurbl - https://vurbl.com/station/good-growing-4pljnNlUtyG/    
Listen notes - https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/good-growing-chris-enroth-cHLPMWpvEOG/    
Ivy - https://ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-167902    
Castbox - https://castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growing-id4302614?country=us