The City of Seattle is going to be throwing a lot more shade around pretty soon. We're talking about trees, of course.

Seattle will soon receive $12.9 million from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to bolster its urban tree canopy. The funds are part of a $1 billion project from the USDA to address climate change and extreme heat by literally creating more shade.

In a study conducted by the city, neighborhoods that had fewer trees also had significantly higher average temperatures during the summer.

Seattle will use the $12.9 million to do a few things:

Plant new trees in areas that need them most and maintain existing canopy throughout the city
Help connect youth with future environment-related employment
Spruce up the Delridge Native Forest Garden

In the meantime, you can read up on the City's new tree protection ordinance.