Institute for Sustainability 2020

California ReLeaf Project

Partnership

The CSUN Institute for Sustainability was awarded funding from the California ReLeaf 2016 Social Equity Tree Planting Grant Program. The goals of the project are to provide much-needed greenery to a very disadvantaged neighborhood, to beautify the landscape, shade buildings, remove pollutants from the air, sequester carbon dioxide, and provide food and habitat for many insects, birds and animals.

Trees in Our Neighborhoods

The tree planting project will enrich the community of Pacoima through these benefits and provide improvements on a larger scale by reducing climate warming through the removal of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This occurs both through the sequestration of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during photosynthesis and through energy savings from buildings due to shading of buildings by trees. 

Volunteers

The trees will be planted by volunteer children, teachers, staff and parents at the school, and by volunteer students from CSUN. Engagement of volunteers, parents and the community in school activities has been and continues to be vital in building the success of the school. In addition to the tree plantings themselves a major component of the project will be education and outreach, provided through a partnership between CSUN’s School of Education and Vaughn charter school. Education professors at CSUN will work closely with a team of teachers at Vaughn to develop curriculum in environmental science that supports the plantings, growth and maintenance of the trees and engages students in their study. Thus the children will have a stake in nurturing and supporting their growth.