In 2021, Cleveland Metroparks and The Lubrizol Foundation partnered to make the Park District’s forests more resilient to the impacts of climate change. With funding from The Lubrizol Foundation, Cleveland Metroparks Natural Resources team is calculating the amount of CO
2 captured by its trees, and studying carbon storage and sequestration across the forested areas of the Park District.
Combating Climate Change
Cleveland Metroparks spans more than 24,000 acres, including approximately 18,000 acres of forests. According to a study by the
U.S. Forest Service Landscape Change Research Group, more than a third of tree species across Northeast Ohio will be less able to survive by the end of the century due to the impacts of climate change. As trees are one of the most powerful tools to combat climate change by capturing and storing harmful CO
2 from the air, their protection is essential to the health of the region.
Learn more about the project.
Next Steps
Using the research and information generated by this three-year partnership, Cleveland Metroparks is developing guidelines and information about best forestry and conservation techniques to use to preserve and continue the important work of trees in this area to counter the effects of climate change. This information will be shared with other organizations, municipalities and parks to help them work together to preserve the environment in Northeast Ohio and beyond.