West Louisville gets greener with new microforest at Alberta O. Jones Park

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The California neighborhood in west Louisville is getting a little greener.

The Parks Alliance of Louisville is collaborating with Louisville Grows and other community partners to re-forest nearly 20 acres of vacant property at Alberta O. Jones Park.

The new microforest, located along a walking path connecting Dr. W.J. Hodge and South 22nd Streets, will have more than 500 native trees and shrubs.

Benefits of a microforest include cooling the environment, improving air quality, absorbing stormwater, and creating a habitat for local wildlife. It can also enhance physical and mental health.

"Louisville has one of the fastest-growing urban heat islands in the nation—places that are hotter and less healthy due to little tree canopy and pervasive heat-absorbing surfaces like pavement," said Christine Brinkmann, Executive Director of Louisville Grows.

Brinkmann said the California Neighborhood, and much of west Louisville, experiences temperatures up to 10 degrees higher than leafier parts of the city. The higher temperatures cause higher energy use and heat-related illnesses.

It's the first microforest in the west end and the second in the city. The first was the Trager Microforest downtown at Founders Square on West Muhammad Ali Blvd. between 5th Street and Armory Place.

The Trager family pledged $1 million for the project in 2022. A 30-year lease with Louisville Metro Government allows the Christine Lee Brown Envirome Institute at the University of Louisville to use Founders Square as an outdoor lab for research and urban planning.

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