Since I was a little kid, I was always told how great trees were and how important it was to protect them, but no one ever explained why. Growing up in New York City, most of my life was spent walking past street trees that seemed ornamental instead of magical. In the past few years, I have done deep dives into how trees have become central in helping mitigate climate research, yet their impact is still overlooked. After additional research on how trees have such a significant impact on urban neighborhoods' quality of life, I wondered how we might create more awareness of the critical importance of trees in people's day-to-day lives. The opportunity to apply for an Ecology fellowship during my freshman year at school was a huge first step. The opportunity to apply for a grant in early 2021 that would give me access to dendrometer technology created by Dr. Kevin Griffin at Columbia was invigorating. I was awarded the grant spring of 2021 and hope to publish a paper on my findings in the fall of 2022. Since then, my interest has only grown as I have become immersed in the literature and news surrounding urban trees and their impacts. For example, reading about the temperature and quality of life disparities between two Philadelphia neighborhoods simply due to the number of trees in each neighborhood helped me understand that the best way to serve my community was to do something about the urban trees starting with New York City. Teens for Trees provided a way to extend my passion for creating change among teens in communities far and wide

​

By Clara Rohatyn