Kentucky State University receives grant from 1890 Universities Foundation

Kentucky State University has received $1.2 million from the 1890 Universities Foundation’s “Rising from Roots” Competitive Grants Program. The grant award will support the university’s endeavors in a project called “Growing Urban Tree Canopy Equity: Enhancing Minority Communities through Strategic Tree Planting and Workforce Development in Kentucky.” The project will support planting trees in urban areas of Louisville, Kentucky.

According to an article on Kentucky State University’s website, Dr. Koffi C. Akakpo, the university’s president, was quoted as saying of the grant award, “We are grateful to the 1890 Universities Foundation for their support of KSU as we seek to address urban tree canopy inequities through this comprehensive project. We will not only make immediate impacts through the planting of shade and fruit trees, but we will also lead for impact within the growing field of urban forestry by developing workforce training programs and a customizable training manual that will expand the benefits of this project beyond our project sites in Louisville.”

The project, which is led by Jody Thompson, who is the Senior Research and Extension Associate for Forestry and Natural Resources, Dr. Suraj Upadhaya, who is an Assistant Professor of Sustainable Systems, and Dr. Kirk Pomper, a Professor of Horticulture, will plant trees in Louisville to address disparities in green coverage, and as such, will also examine the ways green disparities also lead to discrepancies in access to healthy food, job opportunities, and adequate healthcare. 

Louisville is a heat island, which means there are numerous areas of the city that don’t have tree canopy coverage, leading to areas with immense heat stress. These areas also correspond to neighborhoods populated by minority individuals, who are then affected by pollution, asthma triggers, and overall poorer health, due in part to the lack of green space.

As part of the project, the university will introduce an urban forestry program that will plant trees, address food insecurity, and develop the area’s workforce. Shade and fruit trees will be planted and the implementation of the urban forestry training program will help people in the area train to work in the growing urban forestry field. 

Dr. Marcus Bernard, who is the Dean of the College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources and the Director of Land Grant Programs at the university, said, “We are excited to develop a forestry program specially designed to enhance the environmental and nutritional needs for Kentucky residents and communities. This project highlights the core focus of KSU’s mission as a Land Grant university – provide real world solutions for Kentuckians.”

For more information about Kentucky State University, visit the school’s website.