The Town of Zionsville has partnered with Indiana University’s Environmental Resilience Institute to conduct a communitywide tree canopy assessment throughout the year as part of IU’s 2022 Resilience Cohort program.
The assessment will be used to determine the town’s vulnerabilities to extreme climate impacts and develop a strategy to maximize benefits of urban trees and other green resources and utilize natural systems to combat the rise in extreme weather throughout the state, including heat waves and flooding.
“The Town of Zionsville is committed to strengthening the quality of life for our residents,” Mayor Emily Styron stated in a press release. “This assessment will help provide a roadmap for the future to better address climate impacts and achieve a resilient future. We are grateful to partner with ERI to aid us in reaching our sustainability goals.”
Launched in 2017, ERI works with local governments, businesses, farmers, citizen scientists, and others in the state to help them prepare for environmental challenges.
As part of the Resilience Cohort program, the town will be welcoming a Mckinney Climate Fellow, who will help facilitate the planning process and coordinate efforts throughout Zionsville. McKinney Climate Fellows are IU students who work with local governments, nonprofits and private businesses across Indiana to help them achieve their environmental and sustainability goals.
Each participant will receive technical guidance and connect with professional arboriculturists, or forestry specialists, to accumulate data that will be added to the Indiana Green City Mapper statewide spatial inventory. The data gathered will be used to help make resilience planning decisions for each community.
“Ensuring equitable access to the benefits of trees and green infrastructure is central to an inclusive, resilient future,” ERI Implementation Manager Matt Flaherty said. “We commend Zionsville for recognizing the ecosystem services trees can provide and for investing in the long-term resilience of the community.”
Other cities participating in the cohort are Terre Haute, Fishers, Ft. Wayne, Lafayette, Huntington and Merrillville.
