Programs

INVITATION TO APPLY for ARBOR DAY 2010 COMMUNITY TREE PLANTINGS

Would you like more street trees in your neighborhood in 2010?

The Newton Tree Conservancy is looking for residents who are looking for more trees on their street.

Following an initial planting of five tree lilacs on Watertown Street in May 2009, we have received a grant from Newton Pride's Leo L. Levi Tree Endowment Fund which will enable us to plant approximately 40 bare-root trees in spring of 2010. Ideally, we would like to plant in batches of 5-8 trees, in several locations around the city.

Whether you are a formal neighborhood organization or a group of neighbors on a street or block who would like more trees, you are invited to apply for a Community Tree Planting. Applications should be submitted by October 26, 2009.

Requirements Homeowners should have suitable empty spots on their berms (the grass strip between the sidewalk and the street) and be willing to commit to watering their newly-planted tree for the first two years of its life. We must ensure that any trees we plant will have sufficient watering; otherwise they will not survive and our efforts and money will have been wasted. Each tree we plant will have a "TreeGator" bag to facilitate watering. The bag would need to be filled with 20 gallons of water approximately once a week from spring to fall (while leaves are on the tree). A representative of the group should submit the attached application (PDF file, 104 kb, opens in new window), including your name, contact information, and a list of addresses (in reasonably close proximity) of residents who have agreed to accept and water trees. Species will be selected in consultation with Newton's Director of Urban Forestry, Marc Welch, taking into consideration the presence of utility wires, available space on the berm, and desired diversity of species. Applications should be submitted by Monday, October 26, 2009, to allow time for review of locations, species selection, and order lead time. Shown at right: Peter Gerritsen, Watertown Street homeowner.

You can get more information at the Newton TAB Blog thread, at: http://blogs.wickedlocal.com/newton/2009/09/25/want-a-new-street-tree-all-you-gotta-do-is-ask-and-water-it/ (opens a new window).

The Newton Tree Conservancy, a non-profit organization formed in 2008 to help provide funding to plant and preserve Newton's public trees, and promote community involvement and volunteer opportunities for citizens to participate in tree maintenance and planting.

For further information of questions regarding your application, please contact Julia Malakie at 617-332-2940, Katherine Howard at 617-527-1796, or email info@newtontreeconservancy.org .

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GIS work/Tree Inventory

An inventory of street trees is the single biggest key in determining the condition and management needs of Newton's street trees. Without the knowledge that an inventory provides, Newton cannot accurately address these needs or plan for the associated costs. There are several methods for conducting a street tree inventory, ranging from precisely focused to broad and fully encompassing.

Inventories are only useful when they are managed and updated on a regular basis. Information that was collected as few as five years ago may not provide an accurate picture of existing conditions. Newton's inventory has not been substantially updated in over ten years. To effectively manage the City of Newton's tree inventory, the data must be updated.

A two-pronged approach is recommended for gaining information on Newton's urban forest. The first aspect is to conduct a random sample survey of the trees in Newton. This relatively inexpensive and rapid method will allow the mangers of the urban forest to understand the current overall status of Newton's trees. This information will be used to better allocate existing resources and make more responsible fiscal decisions. Over the long term the City's ultimate goal is to inventory each tree in the urban forest. This process can be costly and time consuming. The benefits will be an extremely accurate picture of the needs of the urban forest and the necessary resources that will be needed to properly care for the trees as outlined in this manual.

Any inventory in the City of Newton is to be recorded in a computer management system specifically designed for trees. This system will include a component linked directly to a Geographic Information System (GIS). Once collected, this information will be used to develop certain conclusions. Firm action plans will be developed for the maintenance of Newton's tree population. Comparisons will be made against the data that was collected in 1991 to determine the effectiveness the Newton's urban forestry program. It will illustrate trends and areas requiring the most attention.

 

Community Involvement

A key way to encourage the people of Newton to take ownership of Newton's trees is to encourage their direct participation in the care of the trees. There are different levels and ways that the citizens can get involved.

Tree stewards program. This program will be used to educate participants in proper tree care practices. They will learn about Newton's trees, proper pruning and maintenance practices, as well as planting techniques. Upon completion of the program participants will receive a certificate of completion. The ultimate goal of this program is to augment the City's tree care program with volunteer help.

Program volunteers may be utilized to perform basic tree maintenance tasks, such as:

• Weeding and mulching
• Pruning and training of young trees
• Monitoring and reporting on tree issues and notifying the Division of any problems
• Scout out and suggest possible planting locations
• Plant community trees
• Act as a liaison in their community for tree issues
• Potential watering teams during dry spells
• Help develop and administer programs such as tree sales
• Staff tree-related booths at city-wide events

 

Adopt-A-Tree

Programs for care-taking and monitoring of the City's tree population will involve private participants as well as schools and schoolchildren. Details of these programs will be announced as they are developed.