| Explore | We have a basic understanding of plants and trees. We know that we need them and can't live without plants and trees. We know trees produce oxygen for us, and that they come in all shapes and sizes. According to Treepeople.org, trees clean the air by absorbing odors and gases and then filter out air by keeping it on its leaves and bark. Also, trees mark seasons by their leaves and appearance. How do we determine age and health of trees? How do trees mitigate climate change? What role can we play in caring for trees and fighting climate change? |
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| Research Question | In our community, Boyle Heights, what percentage of the limited tree canopy is healthy based on samplings on various neighborhood blocks? |
| Predictions | Based on the tree canopy inequity in our city and being a former red-lined community, we expect most of the trees in our community to be unhealthy based on our observations and content we have studied. |
| Experimental Design | Based on various tree assessment resources, we have created an assessment tool to assess the trees closest to our homes. We will be analyzing the soil, bark, roots, leaves and surroundings of the trees to determine if it they are unhealthy or not. Each student will analyze 12 trees on a given block in the community, we will take photos, assess the trees and then analyze the data sample to determine the percentage of healthy trees in our community. |
| Conclusion | Based on our data, 78.26% of the trees analyzed were healthy. One member of our group reported that many of the trees she assessed were healthy because the city of Los Angeles actively cares for and monitors the health of the trees. The healthy trees were in the more wealthy parts of the neighborhood, and the unhealthy trees were located in a poorer part of the neighborhood. While the number is okay, it is not enough. We need a bigger percentage of healthy trees, and our community needs to focus more on tree care. |
| Investigation Theme | TREE |
| Grade Level | High School Students (Grades 9,10,11,12) |
| Teacher Name | Jordan Gonzalez |
| School Name | Boyle Heights Continuation High School |
| Session | Spring 2021 |