Sanjna will be joining us for the summer as we launch Phase 2 of our Equitable Engagement component of the project. She will be working closely with Dr. Jones to pioneer a qualitative research methodology designed to provide deep-level insight into healthcare providers’ needs, challenges, and goals for the streetscape & park transformation, particularly at the intersections of urban heat, mobility, and health. Sanjna is currently wrapping up her 1^st year as a medical student at UTSW and brings great passion and experience in environmental health to the project. She is a recent recipient of the President’s Award for Global Learning Research where she distinguished herself through a community-based research project focused on human-environment interactions. Sanjna is the current President of the Agape Multidisciplinary Student-led clinic in Dallas where she works with her peers to improve patient experiences and satisfaction. She is fluent in three languages, including Spanish and has solid research experience ranging from administering surveys to recruiting research participants, and conducting interviews. Please join us in welcoming Sanjna onboard!

According to the American Psychiatry Association, heat has direct effects on human health, including heat exhaustion and heat stroke, medical complications like strokes and heart attacks, and even higher risk of suicide. Extreme heat has even been associated with increases in aggressive behavior and domestic violence. Cooling provided by urban forests and tree canopy can increase resilience to worsening heat waves. Research has linked exposure to trees to both physical and mental restoration. For example, a number of studies have found that exposure to urban forests generally reduces mental and physical stress, anxiety, and depression, and that they improve moods. Read the referenced article here.

Prescribe yourself some nature today with the NatureDose app, a groundbreaking personalized nature prescription mobile application that measures your time outside and your exposure to natural elements.

TTF Study Confirms: Tree and Shrub Leaves Filter Particulate Matter Harmful to Human Health  

Heat islands raise demand for air conditioning in homes and in cars, increasing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. This is especially significant along busy highway right-of-ways which often exist within an urban heat island. Furthermore, particulate matter found in air pollution is associated with higher levels of ADHD in children, along with many other health risks.

TTF recently released a report detailing a study commissioned by the foundation at Charles Rice Learning Center. Research found that across seasons, Vitex, Eastern Redcedar, and Live Oaks accumulated the most particulate matter. Texas sage, a shrub species collected four times that amount. Findings will help determine the best types of tree and shrub species to install and serve as vegetative barriers for schools, parks, and businesses that reside in dense urban areas and along heavy traffic corridors.

Dallas is predicted to be the fifth hottest city in the country, according to a report recently created through a partnership between the City of Phoenix and Arizona State University. Temperatures have steadily increased in Phoenix and other Southwest cities over the past 100 years due to urbanization and global warming.

Read the report here.

El Niño is almost here, and it's going to get hot

A warning was issued from the World Meteorological Organization that global temperatures are expected to push into uncharted territory within the next 5 years with temperatures so high, they have never been recorded, and it’s critical that we prepare for this.

Image Credit: Hugo Herrera / The Verge

Meet 7 Chief Officers making their Cities Resilient

Seven cities around the world recently appointed Chief Heat Officers (CHOs), with Miami being the first in June of 2021. All are women—an intentional strategy for representation, since women are disproportionately impacted: 80% of people displaced by climate change are women. According to Krista Milne, the newest CHO and co-officer for Melbourne, Australia, said that heat has caused more fatalities than all other natural hazards put together in her country —but it often goes under the radar because it lacks the same arresting visual cues as a flood or a hurricane. 

Extreme Heat: Current Conditions and Future Outlooks

Interact with current and future heat tools to understand where dangerous heat conditions may exist in the future with Heat.gov!

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 2.3 million people in the U.S. are currently under active National Weather Service extreme heat advisories, watches, and warnings.