The Past, Present, and Future of Hyde Park’s Tree Canopy

Hyde Park stands true to its nickname as a small town in a big city since it is made up of mostly suburban areas. This helps to explain why it is predominantly a well forested neighborhood with green spaces including the Stony Brook Reservation and Neponset River. However, this does not mean that we do not have room to improve and grow. Due to current events such as the coronavirus pandemic and the BLM movement, environmental injustice has continued to rise as a result of this. Black, low-income, and population-dense communities like Readville and along Hyde Park Avenue are particularly affected by these issues. Without the benefits of a substantial tree canopy, many African-American residents continue to live without shade and filtered air. If this doesn’t seem like the future you imagined, it is all up to Hyde Park’s residents to help maintain and advocate for a greener environment.