City Trees

May/June 2014

City Trees is a premier publication focused on urban + community forestry. In each issue, you’ll learn how to best manage the trees in your community and more!

Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/306909

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ÌÞÊ/Àiià 4HIS MAY BE THE LARGEST VOLUNTEER PROJECT EVER ORGA NIZED BY A MUNICIPALITY TO CARE FOR STREET TREES 4HE .ATURAL !REAS 6OLUNTEERS .!6 0ROGRAM WHICH IS PART OF THE &ORESTRY (ORTICULTURE AND .ATURAL 2ESOURCES DIVISION OF .EW 9ORK #ITY $EPARTMENT OF 0ARKS AND 2ECREATION HOSTED STUDENT VOLUNTEERS TO HELP CARE FOR STREET TREES IN %AST .EW 9ORK "ROOKLYN .EW 9ORK ON !UGUST &OR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW .EW 9ORK 5NIVERSITYS .95 #OLLEGE OF !RTS AND 3CIENCE CONTACTED .!6 TO HOST A SERVICE PROJECT DURING .95S WEEKLONG FRESHMAN ORIENTATION )N SEARCH ING FOR PROJECTS .!6 LOOKED TO THEIR INVENTORY OF STREET TREES IN NEED OF CARE %AST .EW 9ORK "ROOKLYN IS ONE OF SIX 4REES FOR 0UBLIC (EALTH .EIGHBORHOODS IDENTIFIED BY THE 0ARKS $EPARTMENT FOR HAV ING LOW TREE CANOPY COVER AND HIGH HOSPITALIZATION RATES FOR CHILDHOOD ASTHMA 3INCE STREET TREES HAVE BEEN PLANTED IN %AST .EW 9ORK %VEN WITH A TWOYEAR GUARANTEE FROM THE CONTRACTORS WHO PLANTED THEM THESE YOUNG TREES ARE STILL VULNERABLE TO SOME OF THE MOST EXTREME URBAN CONDITIONS SUCH AS DROUGHT DUMPING AND COMPACTED SOILS 4HE PROJECT GOALS WERE TO CLEAR TREE BEDS OF ALL LITTER AND WEEDS AERATE THE SOIL AND ADD A FRESH INCH MM LAYER OF DOUBLEGROUND MULCH .!6 CONDUCTED A COMPREHENSIVE TRAINING AND ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING THE WEEK BEFORE THE PROJECT ALL PARTICIPATING STAFF APPROXIMATELY EACH DAY AND STUDENT LEADERS FROM .95 ATTENDED 4HE TRAINING COVERED THE PROJECT OVERVIEW RUN OF SHOW STAFF PLAN AND RESPONSIBILITIES SAFETY PLAN TIPS FOR WORKING WITH VOLUNTEERS TOOL OVERVIEW DISTRIBUTION OF PROJECT MAPS AND STAFF CONTACT LIST AND STREET TREE CARE FUNDAMEN TALS AS WELL AS ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR VOLUNTEERS TO STAY INVOLVED WITH .ATURAL !REAS 6OLUNTEERS AND THE -ILLION4REES .9# PROGRAMS !S PART OF THEIR SAFETY TRAINING .!6 ASKED ALL STUDENT VOLUN TEERS TO WEAR THEIR UNIFYING .95 #LASS OF SHIRTS AND CLOSEDTOED SHOES AND TO BRING A WATER BOTTLE HAT SUNSCREEN AND SUNGLASSES 4HEY ENCOURAGED THE VOLUNTEERS TO BE AWARE OF THEIR SURROUNDINGS AS THEY WORKED AND TO WORK FROM THE SIDE WALK INSTEAD OF FROM THE STREET 4HEY REVIEWED PROJECT MAPS FOR ZONE ASSIGNMENTS AND LOCATIONS OF HYDRATION STATIONS AND RESTROOMS &INALLY ALL STAFF MEMBERS WERE PROVIDED THE SAME COLOR HAT TO MAKE THEM MORE EASILY IDENTIFIABLE )T WAS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THIS PROJECT TO INCLUDE THE COM MUNITY IN THE PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION .!6 REACHED OUT TO LOCAL COMMUNITY GROUPS HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATIONS BLOCK ASSOCIATIONS CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS COMMUNITY CENTERS RECREATION CENTERS GREENING ORGANIZATIONS LIBRARIES FAITHBASED ORGANIZA TIONS HOSPITALS POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT STATIONS AND LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS TO INVITE THEM TO PARTICIPATE !DDITIONALLY .!6 PERSONALLY INVITED PREVIOUSLY TRAINED AND COMMITTED VOLUNTEERS FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO HELP MANAGE THE PROJECT VOLUNTEERS .!6 ALSO DEPENDED ON THE KINDNESS OF A NUMBER OF LOCAL COM MUNITY BUSINESSES AND INSTITUTIONS TO PROVIDE RESTROOM FACILI TIES FOR PROJECT PARTICIPANTS 4HE WORK WAS ACCOMPLISHED OVER TWO DAYS !UGUST /N EACH DAY THE AREA WAS SPLIT INTO APPROXIMATELY Lâ}ÊÛiÀÊ£]äääÊ-ÌÕ`iÌÊ6ÕÌiiÀÃÊ ©UP$BSFGPS:PVOH4USFFU5SFFTJO&BTU/FX:PSL#SPPLMZO/FX:PSL CZ#SJBO"VDPJO%JSFDUPSPG&OWJSPONFOUBM4FSWJDFBOE5SBJOJOH1SPHSBNT/:$%FQBSUNFOUPG1BSLTBOE3FDSFBUJPO >ÃÌÊ iÜÊ9ÀÊÃÌÀiiÌÊÌÀiiÊLivÀiÊÌiÊÛÕÌiiÀýÊ>ÀÀÛ>ÊUÊ*ÌÊ Ài`Ì\Ê 9 Ê*>ÀÃÊ>>V>Ê >ÞÊ,V>Ü>ÞÊ*>ÀÃÊ,iÃÌÀ>ÌÊ À«Ã WORK ZONES CONSISTING OF APPROXIMATELY FOUR CITY BLOCKS SEE MAP %ACH ZONE HAD SEVEN STAFF ONE ZONE CAPTAIN THREE TECH NICAL LEADERS AND THREE HUB LEADERS 4HERE WAS ALSO ONE PROJ ECT LEADER WHO FLOATED BETWEEN ALL ZONES WAS IN COMMUNICA TION WITH KEY STAFF AND SERVED AS A CENTRALIZED TROUBLESHOOTER ! KEY ELEMENT TO THE SMOOTHRUNNING DAYS WAS HAVING EXPERI ENCED STAFF MATCHED WELL WITH THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES &ORESTERS AND OTHER PERMANENT 0ARKS STAFF SERVED AS ZONE CAPTAINS AND TECHNICAL LEADERS AND WERE ASSISTED BY THE SEASONAL *AMAICA "AY AND 2OCKAWAY 0ARKS 2ESTORATION #ORPS FOR WHOM THIS DAY WAS A CULMINATING EXPERIENCE %ACH ZONE HAD AT LEAST CUBIC YARDS CUBIC METERS OF MULCH DROPPED THE MORNING OF THE PROJECT !DDITIONALLY FIVE VEHICLES WERE DEPLOYED TO DROP NEEDED SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS AT EACH ZONE IN ADVANCE OF THE VOLUNTEERS %ACH ZONE RECEIVED BLUE )+%! BAGS AND TEN GALLON LITER BUCKETS FOR MOVING MULCH AS WELL AS CULTIVATORS WEEDERS ONE BOX OF TRASH BAGS TWO BROOMS THREE HAND TROWELS NINE SHOVELS AND TWO HARD RAKES %VERY OTHER ZONE WAS SUPPLIED WITH EITHER A GAL LON LITER WATER COOLER OR .9# $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL 0ROTECTIONS h7ATER ON THE 'Ov STATIONS WHICH ARE PORTABLE WATER FOUNTAINS THAT ARE SUPPLIED BY TAPPING INTO FIRE HYDRANTS

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