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Volunteers join Urban Roots to plant trees in St. Paul

By
Published  September 28, 2024 7:27pm CDT
Environment
FOX 9

Expanding St. Paul's urban canopy

Dozens of volunteers were in St. Paul on National Public Lands Day planting trees to expand the city's urban canopy.

The Brief

    • Volunteers flood St. Paul to plant trees to work to increase the city's urban canopy.
    • Increasing the canopy will help reduce overheating and the environment.
    • Urban Roots organizers hope to make the tree planting an annual event.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - On National Public Lands Day, dozens of volunteers got their hands dirty in St. Paul, where the nonprofit Urban Roots was planting free trees.

"[We’re] trying to better our environment and to be a part of that positive change," volunteer Rebekah Montgomery said.

"It is going to start making a difference right away," Sam Mockert of Urban Roots added.

The group says trees will provide essential canopy cover to reduce overheating in urban areas, where asphalt has become more common than trees.

The trees are also intended to remove air pollution from an ecosystem that volunteers feel is being stressed by humanity. 

"We’re going [to] have to do this for a number of years," Mockert said. "This is going to become an annual thing, hopefully."