How NBHS Reduces Risk from Extreme Heat

     • Plant woody vegetation to cool the surrounding area and capture carbon
     • Precisely locate trees and shrubs to optimize shading and privacy

Success is monitored through tracking the total number of trees and shrubs planted and by conducting before and after surveys of a client's outdoor comfort.


A Closer Look...
As extreme heat events increase,18 so do the health risks that come along with them. In 2022, for example, a summer heat wave in Europe caused over 60,000 heat-related deaths.19 Though certainly not a cure-all, trees and shrubs reduce summer heat and improve outdoor comfort through evapotranspiration and shading of heat-storing and radiation-reflecting surfaces.20 NBHS experts use spatial analysis along with field-based observations and homeowner input to optimize cooling effects through tree and shrub planting. Woody vegetation also helps mitigate climate change through increased above and below-ground carbon storage. When appropriate planting locations and species are chosen, trees and shrubs also reduce stormwater runoff, enhance privacy, support native biodiversity, and more.

18Great Lakes Integrated Sciences and Assessments, “Climate Hazards and Impacts in the Great Lakes,” October 2023, PDF, accessed April 9, 2026, https://glisa.umich.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Climate-Hazards-Great_Lakes_GLISA_October_2023.pdf

19Joan Ballester et al., “Heat-Related Mortality in Europe during the Summer of 2022,” Nature Medicine 29, no. 7 (2023): 1857–1866, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-023-02419-z

20Haiwei Li, Yongling Zhao, Chenghao Wang, Diana Ürge-Vorsatz, Jan Carmeliet, and Ronita Bardhan, “Cooling efficacy of trees across cities is determined by background climate, urban morphology, and tree trait,” Communications Earth & Environment 5, no. 1 (2024): Article 754, https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01908-4