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These are your communities. SOUL works alongside community members to create the spaces that you want to live in. Trees are often seen as barometers of health and wealth; green spaces and canopy cover are too often only found in affluent, white neighborhoods.

From our inception SOUL has advocated for the equitability of all New Orleans residents. We do not see ourselves as disconnected from the systemic racism that permeates American culture simply because we are an environmental organization. We recognize that Black, Indigenous and People of Color communities are disproportionately affected by a myriad of climate issues, and are on the frontline when it comes to climate change. The Covid-19 pandemic has laid bare how structural racism directly affects the health, lives, and livelihoods, of BIPOC communities and elucidated the dynamic relationship between health and the environment.

SOUL is working to establish a healthy urban forest for all members of our City, and recognizes that there can be no climate justice without racial justice. We also recognize that we can do better, and commit to keep these issues of racial inequality at the forefront of our minds as we move forward with our mission to create a more resilient city for us all. We humbly welcome feedback about how we can better serve our communities and stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.