By james art 
Making our community a better place, one tree at a time, is the goal behind the North Las Vegas Free Tree Giveaway, held Saturday morning at Valley View Park near Lake Mead Boulevard and Losee Road.
This is the third time North Las Vegas has done a tree giveaway in partnership with Nevada Nonprofit Plants, and each time the events have been wildly popular, with people lining up for hours to try and get stuck in.
There were 100 trees of all shapes and sizes given out on Saturday and one of the lucky ones to receive one was Belinda Silna, who lives in the neighbourhood.
“Our children, our grandchildren must see trees!” Silna said when asked why he thought it was so important to get a tree for his home. “They should be in the trees, and we’re in the valley, so we need some shade!”
That last part is so important, especially in North Las Vegas.
Research shows that parts of North Las Vegas and the East Valley have the least amount of tree canopy in the Las Vegas metro area and subsequently feel the worst impact of what is known as the urban heat island effect.
They have more concrete and blacktop, which traps heat during the day and releases it much more slowly overnight than other materials, causing these areas to have the highest average rates in the area.
That’s why North Las Vegas Municipal Supervisor Eddie Rodriguez says adding more trees is key.
“How important they are to health and well-being and what they do for us as far as not only shade, but they cool the environment,” Rodriguez said. “[Trees are] One of the only things that cools the environment. ”
Seeking the shade of a tree is a quick way to get some relief from the Mojave desert sun, but there’s new science that tells us just how much it’s doing for us in Las Vegas, as previously reported by Channel 13 climate reporter Geneva Zoltak in November.
Researchers from the US Geological Survey (USGS) studied our valley’s trees for three years and found that our city’s urban canopy receives an eight-degree cooling benefit compared to urban heat islands. There is even more cooling, it is hotter.
“For every 12 percent increase in tree canopy, heat wave intensity drops by one and a half degrees,” USGS Research ecologist Peter Ibsen told Channel 13 in November. “It’s this great power of trees to cool the air, but there’s this caveat that it comes at the cost of water.”
It may sound strange, but the study revealed that because Las Vegas is so hot and at the same time extremely dry, we get more cooling benefits from trees than any other city in America.
While water needs remain top of mind for many of us here in Las Vegas, at the same time we are learning relief from the extreme heat is also in high demand.
If you missed out on Saturday’s free tree giveaway, North Las Vegas officials say they plan to hold another one in April, though details have yet to be finalized.
To read more about the tree cooling study, read Geneva’s full story by clicking here.