On October 4, 2022, Green Schoolyards America, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), the California Department of Education (CDE), and Ten Strands hosted an hour-long webinar to launch the California Schoolyard Forest System℠.

This new statewide initiative seeks to increase tree canopy on public school grounds across California to directly shade and protect PreK-12 students from extreme heat and rising temperatures due to climate change.

The webinar was hosted by speakers Sharon Danks and Alejandra Chiesa of Green Schoolyards America. Speakers from our founding partner organizations included Juan Mireles, Director of School Facilities and Transportation Services Division at the California Department of Education; Lesley Taylor, Education Administrator for the Facilities Planning Policy Standards at the California Department of Education; Andra Yeghoian, Chief Innovation Officer from Ten Strands; Walter Passmore, State Urban Forester for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE); and Julia Gowin Urban Forestry Supervisor, Northern Region for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE).

In addition to introducing the California Schoolyard Forest System℠, panelists from CAL FIRE discussed the agency’s Urban and Community Forestry Grant Program which includes a new grant program designed to help schools across California green their school grounds. Draft grant guidelines will be published soon and will be open to public comment. To receive updates about CAL FIRE’s Urban and Community Forestry Grant Program, sign up here.

Green Schoolyards America is currently developing online resource toolkits designed to help schools and districts plan, implement, use, and maintain schoolyard forests. These materials will be posted on our website under the “Forests” tab later this fall. In November, we will also be starting an online Schoolyard Forest Community of Practice to support schools and districts interested in increasing tree canopy on their school grounds.

To sign up for Green Schoolyards America’s newsletter and to receive updates about the California Schoolyard Forest System℠, click here.