Rooting Tacoma in Anti Racist and Equitable Urban Forestry | September 16, 2025

Описание: In cities across the country, trees are inequitably distributed, usually concentrated in the neighborhoods with the highest socioeconomic opportunities. Tacoma is no exception. Here, lack of access to trees and green spaces is the result of racist redlining policies and decades of disinvestment in low income neighborhoods. It is also the result, though, of everyday actions that unknowingly disregard our neighbors' difficult experiences with trees and urban forestry programs, actions that keep us from organizing around a shared vision of an environmentally equitable future. Changing these dynamics requires all of us working together: arborists, city residents, governments, community-based organizations, and volunteers.

But what does this work look like? And where do we even begin?

The Tacoma Tree Foundation is excited to host Dr. Christine Carmichael, author of the nationally acclaimed book, Racist Roots. In an interactive webinar led by Dr. Carmichael, we will learn about the racist history of urban forestry in the U.S.A., understand how these dynamics are under renewed pressure due to climate change, and consider actions we can take at the individual and organizational levels today to reduce barriers to trees and grow an urban forest that serves us all.

Live webinar participants will have the opportunity to work in groups (alternative activities will be available for those who prefer to work on their own).

This event is funded by Tacoma Creates and is free and open to the public.

Speaker Bio:
Dr. Christine Carmichael holds a Ph.D. in Forestry with a Specialization in Gender, Justice, and Environmental Change and a Graduate Certificate in Community Engagement from Michigan State University. Dr. Carmichael has published high-impact research and consulted with numerous non-profit environmental groups and government agencies on ways to enhance multicultural partnerships, particularly in urban forestry, parks, and greenspace management. Dr. Carmichael is also a skilled facilitator with expertise in strategic planning and ensuring productive dialogue among diverse groups who have a stake in environmental programs.
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We are the Tacoma Tree Foundation, a nonprofit focused on educating, empowering, and supporting community greening efforts in the Greater Tacoma area, Pierce County, and the watersheds of the Puget Sound.
Go to our website to find more educational content and learn how to get involved whether it be through an educational program or a planting one!

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