DCR Project Shade

To protect the health and well-being of park visitors and staff

Vision Statement

To create a network of resilient and shaded gathering places across Commonwealth parks that provide safe, comfortable, and equitable outdoor spaces for all, especially vulnerable communities, during extreme heat events.

Project Goal

The goal of Project Shade is to enhance the resilience of Massachusetts State Parks to extreme heat by strategically installing shade structures and expanding native tree canopy. We aim to protect the health and well-being of park visitors and staff, particularly vulnerable populations, through data-driven and sustainable solutions that mitigate the impacts of extreme heat. Extreme heat is not only a public health threat, but also an environmental justice issue, and we want to ensure that we deliver the benefits of the project equitably, prioritizing environmental justice communities.

SUBMIT FEEDBACK

DCR Kit of Parts (PDF)

DCR Kit of Parts & Design Guidelines

01 Project Shade Kit of Parts Introduction –Section 2

02 Project Shade Kit of Parts Section 3 Kit of Parts

03 Project Shade Kit of Parts Section 4 Pilot Projects

04 Project Shade Kit of Parts Appendices

Pilot Sites

News and Events

Upcoming Public Outreach Meetings on Zoom

The Project Shade Team has had a busy winter, working with our design consultants to survey, design and permit shade structures at 7 pilot project sites. Now we want hear what you think! During the first two weeks in June we will hold a series of Zoom meetings to present our concepts for pavilions, canopies, bench shelters, tree hammock posts and tree plantings to the public. Check below for the public outreach meeting for your favorite park:

Chicopee Memorial SP Public Meeting, June 4, 2025 5:30 - 6:30pm

Cochituate State Park: Monday, June 9, 2025, 5:30 - 6:30 pm

Constitution Beach State Park Public Meeting, June 2, 2025 5:30 - 6:30pm

Lawrence Riverfront State Park: Wednesday, June 11, 2025, 5:30 - 6:30 pm

Lake Wyola SP Public Meeting, June 4, 2025 7:00 - 8:00pm

Pope John Paul II Park Public Meeting, June 2, 2025 7:00 - 8:00pm

Quinsigamond State Park – Lake Park: Monday, June 9, 2025, 7 - 8 pm
 

October 1 and 3, 2024  
Constitution Beach: Tree Eastie volunteers will be planting 13 trees at Constitution Beach from 9am to noon each day, for a total of 26 new trees! Tree Eastie will also maintain the new plantings for two years. Check out this great non-profit addressing the urban heat island in East Boston: treeeastie.org

September 18, 2024 
Constitution Beach: Tree Eastie and DCR were given a negative determination from Boston Conservation Commission, which means Tree Eastie will be planting 26 native canopy trees at Constitution Beach State Park this fall!

Heat in the Commonwealth

Climate Impact: Extreme Heat

The 2023 ResilientMass Plan shared future climate predictions for our state. By 2050, we could see 23 to 29 days each year with temperatures of 90°F or higher. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), extreme heat is a significant health concern and the top cause of weather-related deaths. It affects vulnerable groups like older adults, people with breathing problems, and environmental justice (EJ) populations. To help protect visitors and staff, DCR has created a "Kit Parts" to facilitate the expansion of shade in parks.

Shade Suitability Assessment

DCR performed a Shade Suitability Assessment to examine parks near EJ communities, areas with high urban heat island (UHI) effects—when neighborhoods experience higher temperatures due to roads, roofs and other surfaces in urban areas absorbing heat—and current park features. This assessment determined the hottest parks that serve the most vulnerable people. From this, DCR made a list of the best spots across Massachusetts for new shade structures. Called Pilot Projects, these sites will enable us to test shade solutions like new tree plantings, pavilions, and canopies at athletic fields, pools, playgrounds, paths, beaches, picnic areas, parks, and greenways near EJ communities. See map above for project locations. Concepts for the 10 Pilot Projects are illustrated in the Kit of Parts (Section 4).

Next Steps

Project Shade will prioritize public outreach and community engagement through public meetings, workshops, and online surveys, ensuring that the voices of those most affected by extreme heat, particularly environmental justice communities, are heard and integrated into the project plans.

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Collaborating with landscape architects and engineers, DCR will develop detailed design plans informed by the concept plans and community input, incorporating sustainable materials and techniques to enhance shade and comfort while preserving the parks' natural beauty.

The first phase of beginning in 2024 will include planting new trees and installing shade structures at the 10 Pilot Projects.  DCR will then work at additional sites that focus on locations that serve vulnerable populations and have high urban heat island effects. We aim to complete installations in various parks, ensuring minimal disruption to park activities and visitor safety.  This assessment will be updated with new data and information. This project is an action item in the 2023 ResilientMass Plan and helps to reduce heat vulnerability and impacts to people from heat-related illnesses.