Protecting Shade: UC Davis Study Reveals Tree Loss at Schools

A recent analysis by researchers at Urban Science Lab at UC Davis reveals a troubling trend: between 2018 and 2022, roughly 85% of urban public elementary schools in California lost some portion of their tree canopy. While the average decrease statewide was modest — under 2% — some districts, particularly in the Central Valley, saw losses as steep as 25%.

These losses matter. On average, tree canopy covers only about 4–6% of a typical California school campus, meaning a substantial share of outdoor space where children play, learn, and socialize is unshaded. UC Davis researchers measured schoolyards across the state this past summer and found that playgrounds, blacktops, and fields in many of these low‑shade schools reached heat‑index levels of up to 120 °F.

In a state already facing rising temperatures and more frequent heat extremes, the findings raise urgent questions about student safety, equity and access to safe outdoor environments. The study highlights the need for targeted efforts — in low‑shade, high‑heat districts in particular — to protect existing tree cover and invest in new shade, so that schoolyards remain a livable, healthy space for California’s millions of K‑12 students.

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