The health of Wichita’s tree canopy is an everyone issue.

Let’s unite around the revitalization of the heartland’s tree canopy for the health of the whole ecosystem.

OUR TREE CANOPY IS OUR MOST IMPORTANT RESOURCE

By every measure, abundant healthy trees make a city better.

Enhances livability
Provides shade
Cleans the air
Lowers energy bills
Naturally beautifies
Absorbs stormwater
Sustains wildlife
Heals communities
Offsets carbon use
Creates jobs

HOWEVER, THERE’S A PROBLEM

Wichita’s tree canopy is in fast decline.

Our urban forest is both aging out AND decreasing in coverage.

Lack of protective regulation, ecological awareness or appropriated funding, alongside many trees at the end of their natural lifecycle, means that Wichita has some of the worst ecological stats in the country.

It’s a devastating reality, especially because Wichita once had one of the most vibrant ecological treasures in the country. In Wichita’s early days a pristine Arkansas River teemed with wildlife and an enviable array of native plant and tree species.

After decades of local officials, developers and homeowners taking down trees without replacing them, and not prioritizing the preservation of the delicate ecology, tree experts agree Wichita’s tree canopy is now at crisis levels.

If we don’t act immediately, we will keep going on this tragic trajectory. And our kids will lose out on the safety, comfort, beauty and opportunity that a luscious tree canopy provides the people of Wichita.

THE STATE OF OUR TREES

Here are some facts about Wichita’s current tree canopy.

Our canopy has been in decline for over 30 years, and in the last 10 years, we’ve lost 5,000 more trees annually than we’ve replaced.
Wichita has only planted trees on less than half of its plantable area.
Drought, extreme temperatures, ice storms and tree disease have all left their marks on the aging forest without new trees offsetting the losses.
The majority of all new tree planting and some tree care in Wichita has been halted entirely to cut costs.
In a recent assessment, Wichita had some of the weakest protections out of the cities measured. There is virtually no enforcement of existing landscape requirements and tree ordinances.
Low income areas (with a high number of renters) are hit harder by no tree ordinance because the city and homeowners/landlords are not required to replace trees they cut down, regardless of whether it was even necessary to do so.

Learn more in this Wichita Eagle article

RECENT DEVELOPMENT HAS FAILED OUR TREES

There are more unsustainable projects like this - that strip the old growth trees without restoring it - is in the works if we don’t stop it.

There must be a better way.

Before and after at Botanica Gardens. 100 year old oaks were destroyed for a parking lot.

Before and after at Natzger Park. Old forest was torn out for astroturf.

Before and After at WSU Innovation Campus. Trees were not replaced after development.

CanopyICT seeks to revitalize our tree canopy and put an end to Wichita’s ecologically destructive development practices.

AN INITIATIVE EVERYONE CAN GET BEHIND

If we are to restore Wichita’s once-epic ecosystem, we need to change our consciousness about the value of trees. City officials, homeowners and developers must come together and prioritize planting and maintaining tens of thousands of trees every year.

CanopyICT formed to drive holistic solutions to Wichita’s ecology problems.
We are a team of environmentalists, architects, arborists and tree lovers.
Through public-private initiatives, we can revitalize Wichita's ecosystems.
A long-term plan we can unite around is needed. And we need to start NOW.

OUR PLAN

CanopyICT is developing a 5-part strategy to revitalize Wichita’s natural environment, restore our precious tree canopy, educate and engage the community, and more. Here is an overview.

The City of Wichita needs to pass a tree ordinance that follows a transparent and open process involving all stakeholders.
Look to UpWithTrees.org out of Tulsa, OK to learn about the master plan that they developed to revitalize their community’s canopy. Wichita is overdue for a comprehensive and objective survey and development plan. That work needs to start now, and without one we are leaving federal dollars on the table for infrastructure and environmental projects.
Trees are something that everyone can agree on. We need to build bridges of resources between all sorts of local organizations to achieve what needs to be achieved. There is a role for any individual, business, church group, etc that supports this initiative. Please email us if you’re interested.
A successful revitalization effort will take a whole lot of tree friends (our volunteers). There are a lot of trees to plant! If you want to be trained as a volunteer, please complete the form below. We will need all sorts of roles.
One of the city’s challenges is there are not enough qualified professionals to handle all of the tree related care necessary, especially when we catch up on our new tree plantings. We need to develop a workforce development solution, perhaps out of a local university, to train our future arborists.