At a time when climate change is making heat waves more frequent and more severe, trees are stationary superheroes: They can lower urban temperatures 10 lifesaving degrees, scientists say. “There’s no way these trees are coming down,” Shane McQuillan, who manages the city’ of Des Moines trees, recalled thinking. “The default position for us is, you don’t take out big trees to put in small trees.” Why, you ask? “Trees are, quite simply, the most effective strategy, technology, we have to guard against heat in cities,” said Brian Stone Jr., a professor of environmental planning at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Great reasons to support the efforts of Merchantville's Shade tree Commission in our parks and public spaces. In fact, Des Moines has increased its $200,000 tree planting budget to $300,000 next year and $450,000 the following, with a goal of reaching $1 million. Its forestry department, with a budget of $2 million, employs a team of 13 arborists, up from 11 a couple years ago, who prune the city’s trees, extending their lives.