Healthy Trees for a Healthy Cambridge! ($119,400) - winner!

Sidewalks in East Cambridge, Wellington/Harrington, Area IV/Port, and Cambridgeport

Street trees cool the city, absorb pollution, and make our neighborhoods more livable! Vote to plant 100 new trees & build tree wells in the areas that need them most, along with educational signage so you can learn about your “green neighbors."

Details:

Trees also soak up stormwater, reduce energy use, and increase property values— and they’re beautiful! Let’s boost Cambridge’s green infrastructure by:

  • adding 100 new trees and tree wells to the neighborhoods that need them most
  • watering the new trees for the first 2 years to ensure they grow healthy and strong, and providing a hose so residents, businesses, and schoolchildren can volunteer to water a tree
  • improving the neighborhoods where the highest-need residents live by planting at least 50 of the new trees near public or subsidized housing and low-income neighborhoods
  • including friendly signage with each new tree that lets residents know how to help the trees in their neighborhoods grow to their healthiest and fullest!

 tree1.png  tree4.png

Light areas depict a low level of tree canopy; dark areas depict a high level of tree canopy.  Sample signage to help citizens care for their "green neighbors."

tree2.png

tree3.jpg

 

  • Lisa Purdy
    commented 2015-03-28 22:49:54 -0400
    suggestion for the graphic: include a little tally chart so if the tree is watered (or not) others will know and act appropriately.
  • Julie Croston
    commented 2015-03-22 15:50:06 -0400
    Since not every one reads the comments for that clarification, I would suggest taking down the Norway Maples graphic above to avoid misunderstandings.
  • Julie Croston
    commented 2015-03-22 15:32:44 -0400
    Thank you for clarifying, Veronica—Norway Maples are not the right species and I’m sure the city arborist would not suggest them.
  • Nellie Baxandall
    commented 2015-03-22 10:41:53 -0400
    This idea seems great and I feel this is something all city’s should do!
  • Veronica Barron
    commented 2015-03-20 11:34:36 -0400
    Hi Thelma: We (the citizen delegates who put together the images that go with this proposal) picked a random tree variety for the purposes of making a sample sign—in fact, the Arborist will recommend what varieties to install.

    Cheers,
    Veronica
    Environment, Health, & Safety Delegate
  • Thelma Rittenhouse
    commented 2015-03-20 07:41:10 -0400
    Norway Maple? The City likes to cut those down… witness the mass removal at Fresh Pond Reservation.