Los Angeles Times | "Most of California’s public K-12 students go to school on campuses with virtually no shade"

UCLA Fielding's Dr. Kirsten Schwarz, associate professor in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences, was interviewed by the Los Angeles Times about her research into shade at California public schools.

“Extreme heat is becoming a major public health concern in California and across the country, and trees can play a really big role in helping us cool down those schools and also build climate resilience,” said Kirsten Schwarz, the research lead at UCLA.

The researchers said their main motivation in initiating the study was to help communities get the most from $150 million in Cal Fire grants approved by the state Legislature that schools can apply for to plant grass and trees on their campuses and reduce the harm of heat-radiating surfaces such as asphalt.

“That’s a really key part of this conversation about schoolyard greening, because de-paving is that critical first step,” Schwarz said. “The overarching goal is, how can we maximize these investments that we’re making in school greening?”

Read the Los Angeles Times report.