Klausing Group is dedicated to cultivating verdant and sustainable communities in the places we work. This commitment is exemplified by our 10% for the Community initiative, wherein ten percent of our profits are directed towards projects and organizations that align with our mission. Since 2001, Klausing Group has donated landscape services valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars, embodying our belief that shared prosperity leads to collective well-being.
2023 Impact Highlights:
This year, our initiative focused on strategic partnerships with Trees Louisville, Trees Lexington!, and Lexington Friends Meeting. Together, we planted 102 trees in Louisville’s historic Smoketown neighborhood and across Lexington’s Northside, William Wells Brown, and Masterson Station neighborhoods. Urban tree canopy assessments that rank neighborhoods based on their percentage of tree canopy informed our efforts and helped us determine where new trees could make the most impact.
Why It Matters:
Environmental challenges, such as the urban heat island effect, air quality degradation, and water quality issues with our waterways necessitate urgent action. Studies reveal that Louisville is experiencing accelerated temperature rises, particularly in lower-income urban neighborhoods like Smoketown. Similarly, Lexington faces the imperative to enhance its urban tree canopy to help combat known water quality issues.
Tree Planting Benefits:
The urban heat island effect, caused by concentrated infrastructure, which can raise urban temperatures up to seven degrees, underscores the importance of intentional urban tree canopy building. Our tree planting efforts contribute to:
- Environmental Benefits: Mitigating stormwater runoff, providing wildlife habitats, reducing temperatures, filtering air pollutants, sequestering carbon, and decreasing fossil fuel consumption.
- Social Benefits: Enhancing walkability, calming traffic, reducing crime, improving mental health, and enhancing aesthetics.
- Health Benefits: Reducing stress, improving healing time in hospitals, lowering surface temperatures, improving physical fitness, and reducing respiratory issues.
- Economic Benefits: Increasing property values, encouraging foot traffic at local businesses, and reducing energy bills.
Quantifying Benefits:
Utilizing the National Tree Benefit Calculator we quantified the benefits of our tree planting efforts. Over the next twenty years, with proper care and maintenance, the 102 trees planted this season could offset nearly a quarter million miles worth of CO2 emitted from the average gas-powered passenger vehicle , absorb enough stormwater to fill over 32,000 bathtubs, and remove an amount of pollution from the air – in gaseous and particulate form – equivalent in weight to over 1,800 smartphones!
Just one of the 2-inch caliper red oaks planted in the Northside Neighborhood is projected to intercept 8,873 gallons of rainfall, and avoid 552 gallons of stormwater runoff. The same tree will sequester 552 pounds of carbon, reduce electricity consumption by 731 kilowatts, and increase property values.
Klausing Group's impact extends beyond landscape services; it resonates in the communities we serve. Our commitment to sustainability, environmental stewardship, and community well-being reflects in our ethos. By planting trees and fostering sustainable practices, we envision a future where our cities are more livable, healthy, safe, and equitable for generations to come.
Join us on our journey towards a more sustainable and vibrant Kentucky.
