In a meeting held on Wednesday, March 2, 2022, Colonial Village residents shared their concern about the tree canopy loss in the neighborhood. This community in northern Durham, North Carolina, has been gentrifying at a very fast pace. Developers and speculators are purchasing homes and tearing down some of them. In the process, they are clear-cutting many of the tall trees with large canopies that characterize the Colonial Village neighborhood; provide shade in the hot summer months; and also shelter and food to local wildlife.
An additional concern is erosion that affects nearby properties. Once all the trees are removed, there is water runoff and erosion.
The North Carolina State Climate Office recently published a study about urban heat islands in the cities of Durham and Raleigh. The data indicates the hottest/coolest parts of the cities and the extent of the temperature differences between them. The goal of the study is to understand where the most extreme temperatures occur. This will help ongoing heat mitigation efforts by nonprofits, urban planners, public health officials, and urban foresters.
The loss of tree the canopy in Colonial Village is making the community vulnerable to the effects of extreme heat.