In a city known for its steel roots, something green is growing.  

Jake Milofsky and the team at Tree Pittsburgh are leading a transformative effort to replace thousands of acres of tree canopy – that’s the “ceiling” created by the uppermost parts of trees, especially when multiple trees intertwine with each other, shading the ground, protecting wildlife, purifying the air, and intercepting rainfall. The region experienced a massive decline in canopy from 2010-2015 due largely to invasive pests like the Emerald Ash Borer and the development boom in parts of Allegheny County.  

Jake, a Steel City native, has been working at Tree Pittsburgh for 13 years, and his passion for both trees and his hometown comes down to his own roots.  

“I’m from Pittsburgh, and my grandparents lived here. Planting trees is a way for me to connect with the city’s history and contribute to its future,” he said. 

And that future looks bright. Together, Vistra’s Trees for Growth program and Tree Pittsburgh recently marked a milestone—planting 1,000 trees in just four years. 

These trees not only beautify the concrete jungle, but they will also play a crucial role in mitigating the “urban heat island effect.” This is a phenomenon where, due to the way buildings, sidewalks, and roads absorb and retain the sun’s heat, urban areas can feel 1-7 degrees hotter than more natural landscapes.  

“Having more trees helps cool down air temperatures and provides shade, making urban areas more livable,” Jake explained. 

Tree Pittsburgh’s partnership with Vistra Trees for Growth started in 2020 and kicked off with the first trees planted at Schenley Park. New oaks replaced a grove of mature trees in a popular section of the park infected by oak wilt disease, forcing their removal.  

“We’ve been able to spread these plantings across many locations and events,” Jake said. “Another significant project with Vistra was replanting trees along a popular bicycle and pedestrian trail that had lost its shade due to highway expansion.”  

Since 2002, Vistra’s Trees for Growth program has donated nearly 300,000 trees to communities, parks, and schools across the U.S. In Pennsylvania, 1,000 new trees – with even more to come – are safe in the hands (and green thumbs) of Tree Pittsburgh and Jake Milofsky.  

“Trees are visual reminders of a long legacy,” he said. “They tie us to the city’s past while shaping its future.”