So, You Want To Plant Some Trees
(Source: Unsplash/Jan Huber.)
So you want to plant some trees. That’s music to my ears! I’m a firm believer that there’s almost no better money a town or city can spend than on trees—they’re a gift that keeps on giving. In fact, they’re the only municipal asset that increases in value and capacity over time. Whatever your values (financial sustainability, health, climate, walkability, etc.) trees can play a key role.
Despite all that, most towns and cities don’t seem to be in a big rush to get trees in the ground (or care for the ones they have). That usually comes down—for the most part—to budget priorities being out of whack. But as a strong citizen, you don’t need to let that stop you. Several years ago, I teamed up with some neighbors to work on a re-planting street trees, and the experience was incredibly rewarding in so many ways, not the least of which was finally seeing trees in the ground where for years there had only been stumps.
Since that time, I’ve met folks from right across the city who are working on similar projects in their own neighborhoods, addressing street tree shortages, reforesting parks and increasing plantings in naturalized and riverbank areas.
To many people’s great frustration, planting street trees isn’t as simple as buying a tree and putting in the ground—at least not if it’s going to be planted on public property. (If you’re able to work with neighbors to plant street trees on private property, then take a moment to celebrate: that’s one less hurdle to overcome!)
In my case, we were re-planting boulevard trees that had mostly been lost to Dutch Elm Disease. In this sense, we were filling in gaps, not starting a brand new street tree program. Your situation and mileage may vary. When we started our project, we didn’t really know anything except that we needed trees. By the time our trees were in the ground, we had learned a lot, and I want to share some of that here. So, this isn’t a guide for how to plant street trees, per se, but rather, a checklist of things to start thinking about.
Identify the Tree Need in Your Neighborhood
Where would you like to see more trees?
If there have historically been street trees, where are trees missing? Are there vacant spots that are ready to go? Stumps that need to be ground down?
If there haven’t traditionally been street trees (or it’s been a long time since they’ve been gone), it may feel like starting from scratch.
In our project, we did a spreadsheet based inventory and found more than 100 sites that we thought could use a tree. A fellow tree-lover across town created his inventory with a map and color-coded dots. Do what works for you!
Not all potential sites are created equal and some of the places on that wish list may be harder than others to get trees into. In our case, we really wanted trees on our main street (a stroad), but were told that at this point, the city’s not planting any in that sort of location because new trees are unlikely to become established under such harsh conditions (i.e., big piles of snow, de-icing salt, compacted soil, etc.). It doesn’t mean those sites will always be a no-go; planting trees in challenging environments is possible with the right approach, resources, and techniques. Don’t let that hold you back. Start small, with what you CAN do, and that will make a big difference.
Figure Out What Permissions Are Needed
If your town or city has an urban forestry department, I would strongly suggest reaching out to them and starting a conversation about community tree planting. In our experience, the urban forestry folks were more than happy to help groups plan tree planting projects—they know they’re under-resourced and are thrilled to get more hands on deck! Regardless, find out who in your municipality is in charge of street trees, and get a conversation going.
In most places, to plant on public property, you’ll need permission from your municipality. There are also guidelines to follow related to species, height, placement, etc. We were able to get a checklist from the city that listed things to watch for (like fire hydrants, sewer infrastructure, overhead lines, etc.) that helped shape our list of potential sites.
In my city, plantings on public property must be done by a city-approved professional arborist (this may or may not be the case in your place). You can look at this two ways. On one hand, this requirement adds a lot of cost and generally makes planting projects less accessible. On the other, working with professionals saves time and gives you access to a lot of expertise, equipment, etc.
Find Your Funding
Maybe you already have money through fundraising or other private donations, but if not, there are lots of potential sources. Grants may be available through:
Your own town or city.
Tree organizations.
Community foundations.
Credit unions or banks.
In putting together a proposal for the funding, you’ll find lots of persuasive research and stats online via tree advocacy and walkability websites and (and of course, right here on Strong Towns). Adding local context is great, too. A growing number of towns and cities maintain an open dataset of their tree inventory; if your place has one, use it!
Decide Who’s Doing the Planting…
As I mentioned earlier, in our case, it was moot; we were required to hire an arborist to do the planting. If you do have the option to do the planting yourself, that’s great because your money will go a lot further. Keep in mind that you’ll need to go with smaller caliper trees that can be planted without heavy machinery to lift or dig. Find out what you need to do the planting safely and correctly.
…And Who Will Do Maintenance
Trees need care once they’re in the ground: watering, pruning, removing the protective cage and stakes after a couple years, etc. In our case, we purchased a contract to have the arborist water and manage the trees for the first two years. Afterwards, the pruning responsibility fell to the city (tricky because while they’re decades behind on the pruning of public trees, residents aren’t technically allowed to trim them). Folks have been known to do a little guerilla pruning of smaller trees, rather than wait for the city.
Watering becomes a job no one in particular is responsible for, so we try to educate neighbors on the importance of this task, and hope that people are generous with their time and resources.
There you have it: a few things to think about when it comes to planting street trees. Whether you succeed in planting one new street tree, 10, or 100, you are doing something incredible for your neighborhood. Make sure you take a moment to appreciate your new trees, and share your newfound knowledge with others!
Emma Durand-Wood likes walkable cities, front porches, street trees, bumping into neighbors, riding her bike, downtowns, and any excuse to check out a new coffee shop, bakery, or shop. A Winnipegger by choice, she lives in Elmwood with her husband and three children. You can connect with her on Twitter @emmaewood.