Canopy Crew
Empowering Youth in Urban Forestry and Environmental Career Discovery while Growing Our Shared Urban Canopy by Planting Trees across Cambridge.
Canopy Crew is a paid 8-month urban forestry and environmental careers discovery program for Cambridge high school students aged 16-18. Crew members plant trees on private property across Cambridge to help build and grow our urban forest, explore green careers, and learn about environmental science, justice, art, and policy. Canopy Crew aims to cultivate the next generation of civic and environmental justice leaders that will make Cambridge a more sustainable, equitable, and climate resilient city.
Canopy Crew engages both youth and residents to help expand and protect our shared urban canopy. Want to receive a tree from our youth? Sign up today!
Why Canopy Crew?
Every year since 2009, the city of Cambridge loses 16.4 acres of canopy coverage; that’s the equivalent of more than 9 soccer fields!
Trees are critical for our environment and we must work together to protect our community and climate.
“[One of the key findings of this study is that] 89% of the canopy loss over the last decade has taken place on privately-owned property and that the city alone cannot make up the difference to expand the canopy.” —Urban Forest Master Plan Technical Report, p. 23
“Only 26% of plantable area is on public property” —UFMP Technical Report, p. 38
Since its start five years ago, Canopy Crew has planted over 260 trees across 150+ private properties with a focus on low-canopy EJ communities!
In 2019, the city of Cambridge created and published the Urban Forest Master Plan which revealed:
A continuous decline of canopy coverage
The greatest loss of canopy coverage occurs on private property, which makes up 80% of the city
Major tree inequity in environmental justice communities across Cambridge.
Resident engagement and shared responsibility is necessary!
Canopy Crew was born from Cambridge’s Urban Forest Master Plan, for which our organization vigorously advocated, and has since become a key component in the implementation of the plan, filling a critical gap in city governance.
Environmental Justice & Equity: Our focus on planting trees in low canopy EJ communities ensures that the benefits of trees are shared equitably throughout the city. We foster economic empowerment through fair pay to our youth who predominantly live in EJ communities.
Youth: To empower the next generation of climate leaders, Canopy Crew helps our youth build professional, collaborative, leadership, and technical skills, increase self-confidence, and advance their sense of agency and connection to nature.
Our Impact
Community: Planting trees is a direct investment towards improving the physical and mental health of all community members. By working with residents, we provide an opportunity for immediate action in the fight against climate change and help foster their sense of agency over the environment.
Climate Resilience: To build a more climate-resilient Cambridge, each tree our Crew plants combats the urban heat island effect by providing shade and cooling air temperatures by several degrees, improves air and water quality through the trees’ natural filtration systems, sequesters carbon, and reduces flooding.
Biodiversity & Ecosystem Support: Our large variety of trees planted increase biodiversity and provide habitat support for a diverse network of species who call our shared environment home.
Our Strategy
Canopy Crew is a catalyst for breaking down social silos in the city, making a long-term investment in our environment and the future of our youth. Using Cambridge’s Urban Forest Master Plan as a guide, Crew members become ambassadors to the community for the urban forest while taking direct hands-on action to mitigate the generational crisis of canopy loss and climate change.
Canopy Crew has a foundational partnership with Cambridge’s Department of Public Works and support from Cambridge Rindge & Latin School.