Don’t Hug a Tree, Hug a Tree Tender!
October was a great month for me. Not only did the Phillies secure the title of World Series Champions and I was there to see it, but on the same evening, I completed the Tree Tenders course given at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS). With both in the classroom and on site training, we learned about the challenges of urban trees, how to plant and care for them, which species are most appropriate for city living conditions and our climate, and most importantly how to be a community organizer and create local volunteer groups to plant trees throughout the community.
The program was instituted by Treevitalize, launched in 2004 in Southeastern, PA in response to the loss of trees throughout Philadelphia due to age, disease, and resident removal (see my last blog). Their goal was to plant 20,000 trees in the city, which they have already achieved. With the help of many local Tree Tender groups, there was 1,000 trees planted in the last 2 weekend alone!
With grant money from the state, the trees are free as is the process of cutting cement to create the tree pit. The only other pieces to the puzzle are the volunteers who help on planting days. So, whether you want a tree in front of your house or are willing to give up a few hours once or twice a year (there are organized plantings in the spring and fall) you should sign up to take the Tree Tenders class- It’s Free! The next session offered is:
WINTER 2009
Philadelphia County
PHS, 100 North 20th St., 5th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Saturday, January 10 & 17
8:30 am to 1:30 pm
Save the Libraries!
I have been feeling and overhearing a lot of negativity around our great city of Philadelphia since Mayor Michael Nutter announced his budget cuts last week. I know we cannot blame him, alone, for these choices, but he not just the spokeman, so for the first time I am writing a disapproving blog post about my favorite local politician.
Why the libraries, Mayor Nutter? The community pool, we can deal with. The street cleaning? Easy fix- let’s just have a few more citywide resident clean-up days planned! The first one was a huge hit, brought neighbors together, and helped recycled thousands of pounds of bottles and cans that were probably headed for the sewers! The libraries, though. Just awful. Could you not find any private schools or corporations to sponsor the libraries? As a colleague of mine said at dinner the other night, “Who cares if it’s the Comcast Library of West Philadelphia?” At least kids would have a place to go on the internet and read for free!
All I can hope is that his time spent in Washington may result in some federal assistance, so we can keep this city on the right track. In the mean time, there has got to be a better place to cut funding!
The Problem with Trees….
I started writing about trees, and I felt my blog was getting a little long, so below is the first in a series of blogs I will be writing about the issue of street trees in Philadelphia. Thanks for reading!
The bad news is, Philadelphia has the smallest percentage of tree canopy coverage of any other major city in on the east coast. Worse than that, we continue to lose more trees every year than we plant. Some of it is out of our control- trees die of old and disease, and it’s necessary to remove then. Then there are people, many of them live in my neighborhood, who think trees are a nuisance and cut down the healthy ones right in front of their house? A nuisance, you might ask, but that is preposterous! These residents, who I have tried to reason with, believe trees are more trouble than they are worth, that they attract animal excretions and trash, they bust up the cement, and drop all these leaves that are annoying to sweep up.
If these residents would take a minute to listen, I could explain a few benefits that far outweigh their perceptions of the disadvantages- some might even be news to tree lovers!
1. Trees help lower your energy bills- in the summertime the cast shade onto your home so your air conditioner or fans don’t have to work so hard. In the winter, they absorb cold wind gusts heading toward your house to reduce the work of your heater.
2. Trees can help your basement flood less! Besides the trash in the sewers, one of the reasons we have bad surface water control and our basements in Philadelphia flood is because there is no where else for the water to go. More planted trees mean less concrete (that water just sits on top of) and more dirt that absorbs the water so less of it is flowing on the pavement and into the cracks allowing it into your home!
3. Homes on tree lined streets are proven to sell for up to 20% more than identical homes on barren streets.
4. Less crime is committed on tree lined streets.
5. People who live and work in spaces where trees are visible through the windows are found to be happier, less stressed, and more productive than people who live and work in spaces with no greenery in sight.
6. More oxygen. Living in a city is not good for your lungs, but most of us city folk know that living anywhere else but a major metropolitan is just plain boring. Trees naturally clean the air for us so we live longer and healthier!
And the list goes on and on and on
So now what do you do if I have convinced you to plant a tree in front of your house? It’s expensive, right? NO! It’s free. Stay tuned for my next blog about Philly Tree Tenders and how to apply to get a free tree by next fall!