This We Mean Green Fund project, co-led by the UNT student organization UNTrees and the UNT Grounds team, contributed to the beautification of campus by adding 12 irrigated trees to the previously empty islands of parking lot 36 during the spring of 2021. Along with adding a green aesthetic to campus, these trees also play a variety of other essential roles. Trees in parking lots reduce the urban heat island effect; urban heat islands occur in areas with high concentrations of pavement that absorb and retain heat from the sun. In addition to cooling the streets and the campus, trees provide 20+ other benefits to people's health and the environment. How many can you name? 
 
Each tree planted through this project is native or adapted to the Texas ecosystem. When you visit lot 36, you will find the following trees casting shade: Live Oak (Quercus virginiana), Red Oak (Quercus buckleyi), Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum), Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa), and Cedar Elm (Ulmus crassifolia). We are excited to see these trees continue to grow for years to come, broadening the campus tree canopy!