Gov. Maura Healey announced a new program, called Cooling Corridors, which will expand tree planting in communities across Massachusetts.
Healey spoke about the new program while celebrating Arbor Day Friday by planting a tree with first graders at Stefanik Elementary School in Chicopee.
The Cooling Corridors program is an expansion of Greening The Gateway Cities, which has invested thirty million dollars in planting trees in key communities across the state, including Chicopee.
“Trees are very important, they help us breathe, they clear all the pollutants out of the air, but most importantly they cool our community,” said Healey. “It’s really part of our climate agenda and what we need to do to help us decarbonize, to help us cool our neighborhoods and communities.”
The tree planted at Stefanik on Friday marks forty thousand trees planted under the initiative - which has focused on bringing trees to areas with lower tree canopy, older housing and generally larger renter populations.
Healey was joined by Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper, Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) Commissioner Brian Arrigo, and Chicopee Mayor John L. Vieau. Other DCR employees were also at the event to help the tree planting go as smoothly as possible.
The first graders gathered in front of the school, and presented Healey with artwork they made in honor of Earth Week, before gathering with Healey and other officials to plant the tree.
Under the new cooling corridors program, the state will support efforts to plant trees in high heat areas to help reduce the effects of rising temperatures.
At the event, Healey also commented on the protest at the inauguration of UMass Chancellor Javier Reyes which she spoke at and also took place on Friday.
“We’re seeing that at colleges and universities here and across the country right now, I respect people’s right to demonstrate, to protest,” said Healey. “I also want to make sure students feel safe on campus, there's no place for antisemitism, for islamophobia, for hate on our college campuses or anywhere else.”
Healey explained that she is in touch with administrators in colleges across the state on how she can provide support in this process.
