Watch this video to see us plant trees to transform our South Stockton community
Share a little bit about your professional (or personal, if it relates) background. Tell us about your experience and interest in conservation work.
Brianna Alyssa Higareda Garcia, Environmental Justice Communications Specialists, raised in Pacoima, Ca, by Grandma Carmen. Learned from Grandma Carmen of her responsibility to care for people and plants. As a young child Brianna would wake early on Saturday mornings to help clean up the Pacoima Projects with Grandma Carmen and a few other señoras from the neighborhood. Walking through the projects Grandma Carmen shared with Brianna the joys of plants by picking off tasty fruit and colorful flowers for Brianna to taste and smell. Brianna carried those memories and values to Davis where Brianna worked at the UC Davis Student Farm and graduated in Chicano/Chicana Studies.
Brianna sought out opportunities that strengthened her relationship to both plantitas and people. Whether it was through gardening, developing curriculum, planning events, executing workshops, or farming. It was clear to Brianna that her role in growing spaces is growing people through the connection of the natural world. At Little Manila Rising Brianna continues to connect and grow people to the natural world with trees.
In a few sentences, how would you describe what the Urban Forestry program is? What are its goals, how long has it existed, who is on the team, etc.?
The Urban Forestry Program is a response to redlining and its environmental impacts which include; heat island, unhealthy air, and lack of green beautiful spaces. LMR’s Urban Forestry program is an opportunity to make things right for South Stockton community members and future generations. The way that I see this kind of work is future stewardship and how I define future stewardship is selfless work where in 80 years people in south stockton can enjoy a tree's shade on a hot summer day. We believe we have a right to nature. We believe that environmental justice is social justice, and that the health of our environment is irrevocably tied to the health, happiness, and prosperity of our people. Our community deserves beautiful and healthy neighborhoods to thrive in. Although we have only been around since December 2021 our team of passionate and courageous individuals are all ready and willing to take on the future stewardship of South Stockton. We work with youth and older adults that are looking to gain work experience in and knowledge of trees, soils, and our environment. Most of our participants are older adults gaining valuable work experience and confidence in themselves to do meaningful work and make a living.
What problems, issues, or history does the program work to address?
We work to address the racist housing practices of the 1930’s when the Home Owners' Loan Corporation (HOLC) and the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) determined that the people living on the south side of stockton and who were mostly at the time Filipino, African American, and Mexican were not worthy of investment and redlined those individuals and the environmental impacts of those decision leave LMR’s Urban Forestry program and south stockton community members to address hotter summers, deadly air, and contaminated waters.
What is important to know about the program? What is its significance? What positive impact does it have? What wins has it achieved?
This program is unique because it trains systems impacted individuals to become stewards of their community by planting trees in their neighborhood and working towards the inner and outer healing of ourselves and of our community.
• First green jobs, arboriculture training program in stockton
• First re-entry focused, tree planting program in Stockton
• People from stockton beautifying their own neighborhoods
• Dignified work: cohort feels good doing this work; for some it’s the first experience with work outside of prison or ever.
• We work with older adults; aren’t youth focused
• Greenlining
• Trees bring beauty and shade, help clean our air
Describe what we’ll see in the (Earth Fund) video. What are you wanting us to see? What is it showing us?
With Summer approaching and the weather warming up, our Urban Forestry Technicians transition to maintenance of the trees LMR and the City of Stockton have planted thus far through the Transformative Climate Communities Grant. In the video you will catch a glimpse of two Urban Forestry Technicians watering, weeding, mulching, and sharing the significance of caring for South Stockton’s Urban Canopy.
What are your plans for the program’s future? Say, in the next year? And even aspirationally, further in the future, i.e. what’s your dream for the program and/or for Stockton?
We have exciting and big plans for the program over the next year. We were awarded Round 4 of TCC which gives us the ability to extend our work for the next 5 years, hire more folks to our team, and reach more members of our community. With the boost in confidence, we plan on planting double the trees in Round 4, and double the number of people enrolled into our training program. We are hoping to build our team and partnerships to expand our work and focus our plantings in the areas of South Stockton most in need of shade and protection from pollution sources such as the surrounding highways, truck routes, and industrial centers.
Long term, we hope that our work today will lead to more trust and involvement of residents in the care and beautification of their own communities. Whether as employed professionals or residents stewarding newly planted trees, our program should be a conduit for residents to have a dialogue with the city and make an imprint on their community. Internally, we hope that our program continues to grow and grow well. The reforestation of our city requires a full time staff of trained professionals, from this community, working in the field pruning, mulching, and nurturing young trees as they establish themselves.
What can people do to get involved, either as a participant or supporter?
For folks interested in getting involved we always welcome people to our community tree planting events and to get updates on when those are happening please fill out our volunteer form via tinyurl.com/VolunteerWUs.