In 37 cities around the country, formerly redlined neighborhoods have about half as many trees on average today as the highest-rated predominantly white neighborhoods on those maps.

Our city is the largest hand-planted urban forest in the world, but many of those trees are reaching the end of their life. Fortunately, Sacramento’s trees are skipping the landfill and getting a second life thanks to the nonprofit Urban Wood Rescue.

When we see something often enough, sometimes we assume that must be the best way to get the job done. Unfortunately, these pruning practices are common throughout the Sacramento area, and many people continue using them simply because that's how they've always seen others do it. When pruning your trees or hiring an arborist, make sure to stay away from these harmful practices.