Photo: Trees, gardens, and parks make our densely populated cities liveable, like this tree-lined street of Park Slope, Brooklyn.
During the summer of 2002, I helped Casey Trees with the
initial tree inventory and planning process.
Using a hand-held GIS, I traipsed around Washington DC with volunteers measuring
and assessing the health of individual street trees. As we walked the innumerable city blocks, I entered
on my digital map the tree information and where new planting opportunities
were. After three months, our dedicated
team finished inventorying over 100,000 street trees. The soles of our sneakers had grown thin, our
calves had grown wide, and our bright yellow safety vests had become tattered
and stained. Nevertheless, we were proud
of our accomplishment and excited that DC would soon become greener with our
help.
For nearly the past decade, Casey Trees has worked alongside
the DC government planting and maintaining the urban forest. Over 10,000 trees have been planted and
thousands of people have been educated on the important role that trees play in
making our communities livable. Casey
Trees continues to work diligently towards its goal of creating 40% tree cover in
Washington DC by 2035. (For more
information, visit www.caseytrees.org)Photo: Tree-lined street of Washington DC
Urban reforestation programs are taking the country by
storm. Not to be outdone, in 2007 Mayor
Bloomberg announced a new initiative to create “a greener, greater New York.” As part of his new plan for NYC, an ambitious
goal was created to plant one million new trees across Manhattan, Brooklyn,
Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island by 2017.
Led by the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation and the non-profit New
York Restoration Project, MillionTreesNYC has already planted nearly half a
million trees. 70% of trees will or have
been planted on public land in existing parks and forests and along streets. The remaining trees will or have been planted
on private land on individual properties or institutions.
Photo: Planetree (Platanus x acerifolia) is the most common street tree in NYC, comprising 15% of the trees
Although MillionTreesNYC is a citywide initiative, half a
dozen neighborhoods have been identified as focus planting areas. The neighborhoods of East Harlem, Manhattan;
East New York, Brooklyn; the Rockaways, Queens; Stapleton, Staten Island; Hunts
Point, Bronx; and Morrisania, Bronx are at a critical need for trees, with higher
than average rates of childhood asthma and lower than average number of street
trees. Planting trees, especially in
these areas, will hopefully reduce the pollutants that trigger respiratory
disorders and help create a healthier living environment for all.
If you live in any of the five boroughs, you can request a
free street tree (if you don’t have a tree already) at: www.milliontreesnyc.org/html/involved/request_a_tree.shtml If you don’t feel like waiting, you could
instead plant a street tree on your own by first obtaining a tree planting
permit. Be aware that there are tree height
and species restrictions. Learn how to
care for your new street tree at one of the many free workshops offered by the
MillionTrees Stewardship Corps.
Photo: A greener city - park in Chelsea, Manhattan
Annually, it is estimated that NYC’s 592,000 street trees provide:
·
$52 million in increased property values;
·
$36 million in stormwater runoff abatement;
·
$27 million in energy savings;
·
$5.3 million in improved air quality; and
·
$0.75 million in carbon dioxide reduction.
(STRATUM results based on 2005-06 NYC Street Tree Census)
