Written by Katie Modic

As part of the Woodland Hills Climate Change Initiative, One Tree Per Child Pittsburgh planted 20 trees and shrubs at Wilkins Primary School on April 15 at 9:00 a.m. Despite the chilly temperatures, fourth-grade students gathered to clear underbrush and dig new resting places for the saplings. In addition, a Tree Adoption Event will take place at Woodland Hills High School Thursday, April 22 (Earth Day) at 3:00 p.m. Pre-registration for the trees is required and is available at treepittsburgh.org/tree-adoptions. The limit is 2 trees per household, and Tree Pittsburgh will provide instructions for planting.

Reforestation is considered by many in the scientific community to be a useful climate mitigation strategy. Trees take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere offsetting some of the greenhouse gases released by the burning of fossil fuels. They can also “clean” the air and provide canopy cover that keeps ground temperatures cooler despite the rising summer temperatures we experience regionally due to climate change.

While the high school Climate Action Team also planned to attend the tree planting on April 15th, a rise Covid cases kept them virtual. Thankfully, more WH tree plantings are planned for the fall of 2021!