Today’s post is a guest post from ACTrees, an organization that that promotes the environmental, economic, public health, and social benefits of trees and urban forests. They’re writing about NeighborWoods™, an October celebration of urban trees. Read on for more details!
Every neighborhood deserves the benefits of trees: cleaner air, safer streets, and healthier residents. Launched in 2005, National NeighborWoodsâ„¢ Month celebrates the value of urban trees and engages volunteers to take action in their communities.
Each October during National NeighborWoodsâ„¢ Month, local community groups and thousands of volunteers in cities and towns across the country unite to plant trees, green up local parks, restore natural areas, and educate neighbors about the environment and sustainability.
People care deeply about making their communities greener and healthier–they’re eager to roll up their sleeves and enhance the places where they live, work, and play. National NeighborWoodsâ„¢ Month harnesses this local energy to raise visibility for trees and community greening on a national level.
During National NeighborWoodsâ„¢ Month 2011 over 27,000 volunteers planted 40,500 trees nationwide, donating volunteer time worth over $1.7 million. This included 812 tree plantings, maintenance, training, and education events in over 200 cities, spanning 39 states.
It’s this kind of people-driven action that is revitalizing neglected urban areas and transforming neighborhoods with new greenery and green space, all month long. These kinds of projects rely on strong community ties with diverse partners, including neighborhood leaders, elected officials, city arborists, faith-based organizations, schools, business and corporate partners, and community development organizations.
The trees planted during National NeighborWoodsâ„¢ Month don’t just make neighborhoods prettier. They also have an enormous long-term environmental and economic impact for local communities. Every year, the trees planted during National NeighborWoodsâ„¢ Month 2011 will:
- capture 18 million gallons of storm water runoff,
- dispose of over 500 tons of air pollutants, and
- save cities hundreds of thousands of dollars in energy and pollution costs.
This year the benefits to local communities may be even greater. To help boost participation in National NeighborWoods Month, the U.S. Forest Service has issued video with a public call for Americans to take action to plant and care for trees in their communities, asking us all to get involved both personally and professionally. Watch the video.
There is so much wonderful activity taking place across the country this month. People are improving their community green spaces from coast to coast. For example, In Miami, FL, volunteers from TD Bank partnered with the City of Miami and local nonprofit Citizens for a Better South Florida to create a mini-hammock forest within a popular school park in the Flagami neighborhood. They planted over 80 trees of a wide variety of native species that will attract bird, butterflies, and native Florida wildlife–restoring nature to the area while also teaching the students about trees and Florida’s natural habitat.
In Denton, TX, the Texas Trees Foundation worked with the City of Denton and TD volunteers to plant 75 trees to create a sound and visual barrier between a residential neighborhood and the train line. And in Tampa, CSX Trees for Tracks volunteers planted 50 trees at the Florida Fairgrounds to help Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful build an amazing new educational People’s Garden. What was a parking lot is now home to a green house, fruit trees, and more. The fruit trees will provide beauty and food into the future.
Fruit trees are also on tap in Pittsburgh, PA, where Tree Pittsburgh partnered with Grow Pittsburgh and local garden stewards to plant fruit trees at the Larimer Community Farm & Garden with funding from the USDA People’s Garden Initiative and ACTrees. And in Georgia, a newly-opened Eastside Trail on the Atlanta BeltLine will be home to more than 400 large new trees, planted by local non-profit Trees Atlanta, with another 270 trees to come.
This is just a small sample of the many wonderful community events that are improving the health and livability of neighborhoods nationwide this October. Learn more about National NeighborWoodsâ„¢ Month and find out how you can get involved at www.NeighborWoodsMonth.org.
It’s not too late for you to make a difference. Register any tree events you’re holding this month to be part of the celebration, or find events near you where you can participate. Together we’re showing that trees matter in our communities, and people are doing something about it all across the country. In fact, they’re doing a lot—won’t you join in?
