Interested in helping to fight climate change, assist wildlife, and enhance the look of the neighborhood? Planting trees accomplishes all three. The U.S. Forest Service estimates neighborhoods with well-shaded streets can be 6 to 10 degrees cooler than neighborhoods without street trees; moreover, urban trees beautify our neighborhoods as well as provide habitat for birds and other wildlife.
A recent tree inventory of the Beaumont-Wilshire (B-W) neighborhood identified over 1,000 available spaces for trees in parking strips, 255 of which are six feet or wider without overhead electrical wires. These strips can accommodate larger tree species, which in turn provide the community with greater environmental and health benefits. But if the preference is for a tree-free parking strip, consider yard tree plantings as an alternative.
On April 4, 2020, Friends of Trees will be hosting a community tree-planting event in the B-W neighborhood, with the goal of filling at least 100 of those empty spaces with new trees. By planting with Friends of Trees, residents are offered a wide selection of city-approved trees, sourced from local wholesale nurseries. With assistance from neighborhood volunteers, a 6- to 15-foot-tall tree is delivered, a hole dug, and subsequent maintenance checks and tree care tips provided. The trees cost $35 each, a fraction of what most nurseries charge. However, if affordability is a barrier, Friends of Trees also has a donation-funded tree scholarship fund to assist.
A Friends of Trees neighborhood event is more than just a way to increase the tree canopy; it’s also an opportunity to bring neighbors together to meet each other, learn more about the urban forest, and help improve the community. Beaumont-Wilshire residents are encouraged to sign up now on the Friends of Trees website (www.friendsoftrees.org). For answers to questions about Friends of Trees or the process of getting a tree, contact Michelle Yasutake (Friends of Trees Neighborhood Tree Specialist) at 503-467-2520. For general questions about B-W neighborhood tree planting and ways to involve schools, youth groups, or other community groups, contact Janet Baker at 503-288-3441.