CANOPY BLOG

Meet Shadira Chester, Canopy’s RAY Tree & Climate Fellow

By Canopy Team on August 19, 2024

Shadira Chester (she/her) joined the Canopy team in August 2024 as the RAY Tree & Climate Fellow. We asked Shadira a few questions to get to know her better.

What were you up to before joining Canopy?

Shadira: I completed my undergraduate degree in Economics this past May from Berea College in Berea, Kentucky. While there I was the Communications Manager for the Campus Writing Center, handling content creation and event organizing.

What are you excited to be working on?

Shadira: Designing and distributing educational materials on the benefits of trees and their impact, as well as communicating these benefits to community members.

Why do you care about trees?

Shadira: Trees are important to me because they provide oxygen, offset carbon emissions, and improve the mental and physical well-being of those nearby. In addition to providing shade, trees also increase focus even with children and adults struggling with ADHD.

What is your favorite tree?

Shadira: Spring: Eastern Redbud, Summer: Southern Magnolia, Fall: Sugar Maple

Favorite Quote?

Shadira: “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.” – Henry David Thoreau