Tempe tree stewards bring shade, skills to vulnerable neighborhoods

Tempe has launched a community tree stewards program focused on neighborhoods that have fewer trees and less shade.

Residents who apply for the program must commit to attending eight weekly workshops where they learn proper care, maintenance and planting techniques. Program coordinator Kaci Fankhauser said participants also conduct tree audits and interact with neighbors.

“They are working with them to select what tree they want to plant, talking to them about the benefits both for the community, you know, having shaded walkways, and also potentially the energy benefits. If you plant your tree in the right place, it can significantly help with your energy bills,” she said.

Stewards receive a $60 weekly stipend for three hours of participation. Fankhauser said they can also access scholarships for professional training and certification.   

“They're learning about careers in landscape, in urban forestry, you know, federal jobs, private sector jobs, state jobs, city jobs. There's really a lot of career options,” she said.

Tempe’s first tree stewards cohort has finished eight weeks of training and will plant a dozen trees in January. 

City of Tempe

“When you’re surrounded by natural things, not just built environment and concrete, I think it has a very strong effect on people’s psychology, their state of being, their stress level,” said Manuel Valencia, a tree steward. “I think a city with a lot of green makes the people less stressed and makes them nicer to each other.” 

“I think it’s amazing that the city is coming to us and teaching us these practices of caring for our trees,” said Caitlin Covarrubias, a tree steward. “I think that just builds a closer community with people.”

A cohort is scheduled for the spring for the Baseline-Hardy neighborhood and the Town of Guadalupe. A cohort is scheduled for the fall for residents in the Alegre, Escalante, University Heights, Victory Acres and Apache-Price neighborhoods. More information is at the  Community Tree Stewards Program page on tempe.gov.

Tempe has an online tree benefits map for trees on city maintained property, which Fanhauser said accounts for 26% of the city’s land base.

“Let’s  say somebody is walking down Mill Avenue and they see a tree in our right of way. And they're like, oh, that's a really cool tree. I wonder what it is. They can actually go on our website and there's a data point for each of the trees on city maintained property. And not only can they see the type of tree and its size and its estimated age, but they can also look at things like the carbon benefits and the energy benefits, which is really cool,” she said.

Fankhauser said Tempe recently launched a community tree map where people can add information about trees on private properties.

Other tree programs provided by Tempe:

• TreeBate (single family): Up to $75 toward the purchase of desert-adapted plants, including trees.
• Cost Match Tree Program (single family, schools, non-profits): Up to 50% of the cost of a 15-gallon or 24” boxed-sized tree. Up to two trees per single family residence, and up to five trees for schools and non-profit organizations.
• Landscape Conversion Rebate (single family): $0.25 per square foot of grass replaced with a low-water-use Xeriscape, up to $2,000 per home.
• TreeBate (non-residential): 50% of the cost of a desert-adapted tree, up to $100.
• Landscape Conversion Rebate (commercial, HOAs, multi-family): 50% of the landscape conversion cost, up to $20,000, when converting live turf to desert landscaping.
• Neighborhood Grant Program (neighborhood associations, HOAs, apartment communities): Eligible projects include capital and physical improvements such as landscaping.
• Living Tree Donation Program: Through the Living Tree Donation Program, a 24” box tree will be planted in one of the City of Tempe’s 48 neighborhood parks. A brass leaf, commemorating the donation, will be installed on the donor recognition tree located on the second floor of the Tempe Public Library, just outside of the Parks & Recreation Office.