Street Trees

Street trees can be a touchy subject. Ocassionally businesses and homeowners can encounter problems with having a tree planted by the city in front of shops or homes. However, in addition to the health and environmental benefits they provide, trees have been shown to increase a home's property value, and shoppers spend more time and money on tree-lined retail streets.

A neighbor wrote in about a young tree she saw that has been cut down on Church Avenue between Dahill and McDonald. The trees on this block were planted as part of the city's MillionTreesNYC, a program that aims to plant trees on streets and in parks around the five boroughs. While it's difficult to convince some people of the many benefits trees can provide, there are ways to get involved that might help the process.

The MillionTreesNYC Stewardship Corps is a way for individuals and groups to care for young trees. By signing up to adopt a tree and recording your progress on the site, you can keep personal track of a tree's status. There are also workshops where you can learn about street tree care--a Tree Care Workshop at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden in March can get you started.

The key might be to visibly take care of the trees. When people see others caring for a tree or other green space, it can help connect the tree to the work that someone is putting into it, which can lead to a greater respect for the tree. Getting kids involved is a great way to not only educate the younger generation about the importance of trees, but it gives them ownership of the trees as well.

Just as there will be a million trees, there are a million ways to get involved. For more information on ways you can help, visit the MillionTreesNYC site.