Photo Many stroll through downtown Vancouver’s Esther Short Park on a daily basis, taking in the busy playground or a game of Frisbee on the lawn. But how many take the time to look up? This summer, the Vancouver Urban Forestry department is hosting pop-up arboretums in various city parks. In July, several trees in Esther Short Park and Downs Neighborhood Park in central Vancouver have donned signs sharing fun facts. For example, the Northern red oak grows more than 10 feet each year. In August, Bagley Community Park in central Vancouver and John Ball Park in west Vancouver will have pop-up arboretums. Ten to 12 trees are chosen to show an array of species at different vantage points at the parks.

“The pop-up arboretums are a passive educational and engagement opportunity,” said Jessica George, Vancouver Urban Forestry Outreach coordinator. The pop-up exhibit started in 2020 as a way to engage the community with local parks and trees during a time when people were socially distancing. But due to positive feedback, the city continued the educational pop-up. George said the urban forestry team is available to help people navigate tree-related questions or brainstorm how to increase Vancouver’s tree canopy. The city is currently at 21 percent tree canopy, however, Vancouver should be at 40 percent, according to the American Forest Service. A robust tree canopy has many benefits, including improved air quality, temperature regulation, wildlife diversity, noise reduction and better mental health for its residents.

“In addition to planting trees and caring for trees, it’s a community effort to grow the tree canopy citywide so we want to continue to work toward that,” George said. When the pop-up arboretums end Sept. 1, George said there are many other ways to stay engaged with the city’s greenery. Urban forestry offers tree walks, planting events and training on how to be a tree steward.