State of the Canopy with Krysten Reilly
TOPIC: State of the Canopy
SPEAKER: Krysten Reilly, Director of Programs, TreesCharlotte
Charlotte is often called a “City of Trees,” with an urban tree canopy covering roughly about half of the city, making it one of the greenest large cities in the U.S. However, rapid growth and development along with an aging canopy and new environmental stresses have caused gradual canopy loss in recent years. TreesCharlotte will take you through a thoughtful presentation to examine where our city’s tree canopy currently stands and what we are doing to help mitigate tree loss through the county. Maintaining Charlotte’s tree canopy is critical for reducing heat, improving air and water quality, managing stormwater, and preserving overall quality of life as the city continues to grow.
BIOGRAPHY
Krysten Reilly is the Director of Programs at TreesCharlotte, the nonprofit dedicated to growing, diversifying, and stewarding Charlotte’s urban tree canopy. In her role, she leads community-facing programs, helps develop and refine new campaigns such as their Treesilience Initiative and TreeSpeaker program. Additionally, Krysten coordinates the scheduling and implementation of planting, stewardship, education, and outreach events that connect residents with tree care and equity-focused urban forestry work. She’s originally from New England and brings a passion for resilient, community-centered environmental programming to her work in Charlotte.
