Communities in Indiana will receive grants to help grow their urban forests. Funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture builds upon the work that some Indiana cities are already doing.

Cities can benefit a lot from having more trees. Among other things, they help reduce flash flooding, provide shade and block the wind. All of this makes a city more resilient to the effects of climate change — particularly in disadvantaged communities where more residents walk or bike.

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources selected projects for the more than $2 million in federal funding. The money will go to assist cities in planting and maintaining their trees, developing tree inventories, and hiring and educating employees.

READ MORE: Statewide urban forest map aims to help cities close gaps in tree cover

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The communities receiving the grants include the cities of Beech Grove, Clarksville, Elwood, Gary, Hammond, Kendallville, Madison, Mount Vernon, Richmond, Shelbyville, South Bend and Terre Haute — as well as Jasper and Newton counties, the Northwest Landing neighborhood of Indianapolis and the Maumee watershed.

With the help of the Indiana University Environmental Resilience Institute, more than a dozen cities and counties in Indiana have already completed — or are working on — urban forest plans.

Rebecca is our energy and environment reporter. Contact her at rthiele@iu.edu or follow her on Twitter at @beckythiele.