COMMUNITIES
Since our founding in 2016, SOUL has planted 10,871 large, native, water-loving trees, the equivalent of 53 acres of tree canopy.
However, New Orleans’ canopy covers just 18.7% of the city, far less than similar cities like Charleston (63%) and Savannah (44%). A robust tree canopy is critical to our ability to mitigate the effects of climate change, advance livability and walkability, and improve community health.
WHO + WHERE + WHY
SOUL partners with local communities who have the lowest percentage of tree canopy. These areas are the most vulnerable to flooding, extreme heat, and poor air quality.
At scale, trees act as living infrastructure—absorbing millions of gallons of stormwater, cooling neighborhoods by up to 15 degrees, lowering energy bills, cleaning the air, and improving health and quality of life.
Pilot communities indicated in the New Orleans Reforestation Plan are given priority. Learn more about how we select and work with partner communities.
HOW
Our opt-out model plants entire neighborhoods. This is achieved over at least several years, depending on the community’s size, and it involves offering a tree(s) to every property. Tenants and property owners may opt out. SOUL then waters the trees weekly for one year to optimize the trees’ survival.
All trees that are planted on public property are permitted through the New Orleans Department of Parks and Parkways per their design standards.
WHEN
Our tree-planting season spans October through March, when trees establish their root systems. The rest of the year we focus on outreach, planning, permitting, watering, maintenance, and fundraising.