Trees shape the rhythm of our days in quiet ways. They frame our neighborhoods, soften our summers, and hold the memories of the people who pass beneath their branches. In a recent conversation with Dr. Becky Zarger, a cultural and environmental anthropologist at the University of South Florida, we explored how the stories people share about trees help us better understand Tampa’s urban forest and the many roles it plays in community life.
Seeing Trees Through a Human Lens
Anthropology looks closely at how people experience the world around them. For Dr. Zarger, that perspective naturally extends to the trees that fill our streets, yards, and parks. Her work uses ethnography, an approach centered on listening and observing, to understand how residents actually live with the trees in their environment.
This involves far more than surveys. It means sitting with people on their porches, walking beside them in their neighborhoods, and hearing about the trees that mark their life events. Through this approach, trees become part of larger personal and cultural stories. A tree might be a gathering place, a source of pride, or a reminder of someone who planted it long ago. It might also be a source of concern as storms intensify or as aging trees begin to decline. These emotional connections help reveal how people truly think about and value the canopy that surrounds them.
The Cultural Threads Rooted in Tampa’s Canopy
In places like Ybor City, residents often recall the fruit trees that once lined their streets. Citrus, mangoes, and guava were part of everyday life, planted by families who had newly arrived from other parts of the world and who carried pieces of home with them. These stories echo a global experience in which people moving to a new place often bring seeds or familiar species to plant in their yards.
These trees become reminders of heritage and identity. They offer a kind of familiarity and comfort that stretches across generations. Yet these connections can also bring a sense of responsibility. When a tree declines or fails, especially one tied to family memory, the disappointment can be deeply felt. The human connection to trees is layered, emotional, and often more complex than it appears at first glance.
A Changing City and a Changing Canopy
As Tampa has grown and redeveloped, its tree canopy has shifted alongside it. Many of the neighborhoods built from the 1940s through the 1960s were designed with generous plantings of laurel and live oaks. These trees created shaded streets that became beloved hallmarks of those communities. Over time, however, many of those trees have aged out, and newer homes built with larger footprints leave far less room for trees of similar size.
Analyses completed through the Trees for Tampa initiative show that canopy cover varies widely across the city and that these differences reflect decades of development decisions, tree loss from storms, and shifts in available planting space. The city has responded through a range of planting programs designed to replenish the canopy. These include the Tree‑mendous Tampa program, which offers free street trees planted in public rights of way for residents who agree to water young plantings, and the Plant Your Heart Out program supported by Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful.
Long term plans under Trees for Tampa also set a goal of planting thirty thousand new trees by 2030, supported by decades of canopy studies and updated heat mapping used to identify areas where new plantings will have the greatest effect.
Shade as an Everyday Need
Residents consistently described how shade influences their daily routines. Many preferred walking along streets where large trees arch overhead, shaping cooler paths beneath their branches. In areas where trees have been lost, people notice immediately how the summer heat feels sharper and more intense.
Interviews from the tree canopy study revealed how deeply shade affects comfort, mobility, and a sense of place. These reflections have helped guide decisions about where new trees can best support daily life, including along walking routes, near bus stops, and in spaces that serve as natural gathering points throughout the day.
What We Plant Reflects Who We Are
Through local planting programs, researchers also noticed strong patterns in the species residents choose. One example is the crepe myrtle, which remains the most requested species in private property planting efforts. Residents often choose it because it is tidy, colorful, and relatively easy to care for.
However, crepe myrtles offer limited shade, and as older canopy trees decline, it becomes increasingly important to guide residents toward species that can restore the cooling benefits of larger crowns. This creates an opportunity for community based programs, such as emerging Tree Steward initiatives, to help residents learn more about tree selection, planting, and long term care.
Planning for the Forest of Tomorrow
Natural forests regenerate through seeds and saplings, but in an urban setting, nothing replaces a tree unless someone intentionally plants a new one. As mature canopy trees come down, either through age or storm damage, the forest quietly shrinks unless replanting occurs.
Dr. Zarger shared her own experience of losing two grand oaks during the 2024 hurricanes. Removing them was emotional and far more difficult than she expected. Eventually she and her family planted a young live oak in a more suitable location. As she described it, the tree was planted not only for their own household but also for those who will live there long after.
Stories like this help show why succession planning is so important in an urban forest. Replanting is not simply a task. It is a gift offered to the future.
Listening to Trees by Listening to People
Urban forestry is strongest when shaped by the lived experiences of the community. Ethnography reminds us that trees are woven into ordinary life in ways that are rich, textured, and deeply human. These stories help illuminate not just which trees should be planted, but how people move through their neighborhoods, what they cherish, and how they envision the places they call home.
Trees offer shade, beauty, habitat, and resilience, but they also offer connection. When we listen to the people who live alongside them, we come to understand the true significance of the canopy that surrounds us.
Listen to the Episode Here
Learn More About Tampa’s Urban Forestry Initiatives
This article was prepared with assistance from generative AI tools and based on podcast interview transcripts. All content has been reviewed and edited by UF/IFAS Extension faculty to ensure accuracy and alignment with UF/IFAS standards.
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