How a single tree is addressing extreme heat in Hillsborough County
A scattering of second graders, all dressed in T-shirts splotched in ocean blues and earthy greens, formed a line of sorts behind the freshly planted winged elm.
Each of the Frost Elementary School students stepped up to the young tree, planted Monday morning in the school’s front yard. Though in its infancy, the elm was still about three times the height of one child. One after another, the kids grabbed a shovel with their gloved hands, each adorned with a cartoon bumble bee.
Some students were more bold than others.
Some dug with the intrepidness only a child getting to play in the dirt could. Others, more bashful, scooped up dainty piles. But each student added to the mound of soil that will nourish the tree for years to come.
It’s a small tree. Helped along by even smaller hands. But it’s a step, officials say, to addressing extreme heat.
Frost Elementary School is just outside of East Tampa in an unincorporated area of Hillsborough County.
A pilot study found the area is particularly vulnerable to dangerous temperatures. The study found an abundance of asphalt and concrete, coupled with a lack of greenery, was leading to an urban heat island effect, which traps heat and can ratchet up temperatures more than 10 degrees.
“By planting trees, we provide our students with a hands-on learning experience about the vital role of trees in mitigating urban heat events and creating a more resilient community,” said Frost Elementary School Principal Temeka Grayson on Monday.
Grayson, along with U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor and Hillsborough County Commissioner Gwen Myers, spoke to second graders on Monday, which was Earth Day, about the warming planet and ways to adapt to it. The tree also was planted the same week as Arbor Day, which is Friday.
When Myers asked the students how planting trees can help them, the kids raised their hands.
“They help us breathe.”
“Grow fruit for us.”
“Help us stay alive.”
Trees act as a neighborhood’s lifeblood on a blistering day. A tree’s canopy offers shade for people walking to bus stops or for kids playing outside. They can also cool homes and lower energy costs.
Areas shaded by canopy are about 6 degrees cooler than areas without trees, according to a tree canopy study completed by the city of Tampa last year.
The cooling shade is vital as temperatures rise from human-caused climate change.
The assessment stated that should global emissions remain high, by the end of the century Hillsborough County’s daily maximum temperature will be 90.6 degrees, a more than 7-degree increase from today.
Dewberry Engineers Inc., the planning consulting company that authored the report, said the county focused on the Palm River and Progress Village areas of Hillsborough because they have a high number of low-income residents.
Low-income residents are often more vulnerable to higher temperatures because they live in aging homes shaded by few trees. They also tend to have medical conditions that warm temperatures can exacerbate, like heart disease or diabetes.
The assessment lays out several projects to address extreme heat in the area, one of which is a tree planting education day. The projects are in various stages of funding, but the assessment anticipates projects that receive funding will be completed by 2026
The projects include a splash pad for the Emanuel P. Johnson Recreation Center, shading for bus stops and improvements to Palm River Park, including a cooling center
While the assessment focused on extreme heat, it also provides plans to address water quality issues, said Molly Johnson, a spokesperson for Dewberry, in an email to the Tampa Bay Times. Prolonged days of high temperatures can cause algal blooms and breed bacteria, Johnson said.
“There is a concern with how these heat waves affect water quality in the future,” Johnson said.
The Earth Day event at Frost Elementary is a first in the county’s plan to focus on heat education.
Michelle Estrada-Prezas, a special education teacher, said the school chose second graders for the tree planting so they could watch the tree grow as they continue at the school.
“Throughout the next couple of years, they can help it grow, and water it and keep track of it every year,” she said.
Estrada-Prezas’ daughter, Madison, was one of the second graders participating in the planting Monday morning. She’s asking to have her own tree planted.
She’s hoping for an orange tree.
Spotlight Tampa Bay
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch and scientists are among those taking The Palladium stage in May to discuss how climate change will affect the Tampa Bay area at the Spotlight Tampa Bay forum. Tickets are $20, or $10 for students with IDs. A limited number of $50 VIP tickets are available. Proceeds will support the Tampa Bay Times Journalism Fund. For more information, click here.
