Give us the SHADE!
Arizona Columbine Garden Club used the Common Ground Collaborative grant to help heat-stricken areas in Phoenix, AZ.
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September 10, 2025
By: Meg Nichols
In the Spring of 2025, Arizona Columbine Garden Club (ACGC) received a $10,000 GCA Common Ground Collaborative (CGC) grant to help mitigate life-threatening heat in Phoenix.
The grant funded ACGC’s partnership with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the Urban Heat Leadership Academy (UHLA) to fight the deadly effects of extreme heat in Phoenix by planting shade trees in neighborhoods lacking the cooling effects of tree canopies. The goal is to transform heat-stricken areas in Phoenix into cool, healthy and climate-resilient environments.
UHLA was developed by TNC in 2021 to help communities most affected by heat. UHLA provides knowledge, resources, and skills so that residents and local leaders can mobilize their communities and advocate for greener, cooler, and healthier neighborhoods.
ACGC hopes the trees will make a difference in Phoenix. The city’s average summer temperature ranges between 99 and 106 degrees, and neighborhoods with little or no shade can be 13 degrees hotter than others. (Heat is the leading weather-related cause of death in the US). The hottest neighborhoods have the lowest percentage of tree canopy and the highest percentage of child poverty.
Funded by the GCA's Common Grou0nd Collaborative grant, ACGC members will participate in the tree-planting events, work with TNC and UHLA, and interact with residents in targeted communities. Club members will participate in planting days and revisit the areas at six-month intervals to check on the progress of the trees. Initial tree planting will begin in the Fall of 2025!
The GCA has annually awarded six CGC grants nationally to support GCA member clubs in building long-term relationships with diverse community groups to develop, improve and maintain non-profit programs. Beginning in 2026, the Civic Improvement & Grants Committee will be granting eight Common Ground Collaborative grants.
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