Small payback for all it does for you
Photo credit: The Big Reuse and District 33 Tree Guard Program
Trees are currently reaching peak canopy. In May, it seems in just a couple of weeks they went from bare to there and now are able to provide shade just as the summer heat is on its way.
But shade is just one of the benefits our tall and staunch rooted friends give us. They also are windbreakers as they decrease wind velocity, and they cool the air around them via transpiration.
They improve air quality. NYC Parks calculates, “one tree can remove 26 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere annually, the equivalent of 11,000 miles of car emissions.” Trees also remove dust and other pollutants.
Trees assist the sewer system – by capturing storm water and lessening run off. NYC street trees capture 890.6 million gallons annually according to NYC Parks.
They also upgrade a street aesthetically. This increases property values, deters vandalism, and inspires artists and poets.
This is only a part of what trees do for us.
The question is what do we do for them?
A mature street tree needs eight to ten gallons of water per week. NYC rain doesn’t come close to making this quota. But New Yorkers can help the thirsty trees around them. You don’t need to have a hose. Fill up a jug with water and pour it in a tree bed every now and then.
For those who like to get their hands dirty, mixing up the soil helps to aerate the roots. You only need to lift up two inches of the soil — roots need oxygen and when the soil is hard as a rock the roots can’t breathe. Other ways to help are: weeding, picking up trash, and planting tree friendly companion plants (google: NYC Tree bed plants for a list — you want drought-tolerant, herbaceous plants with small root systems. Avoid woody plants, shrubs, and vines — as these compete with the tree and can do harm).
If you live around Grand Street between Union and Bushwick Avenues, Grand Street BID put the call out in May for their volunteer-based, tree stewardship program. Just fill out this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdEGnZ89XmIaz5YzFnAzTYg4jeI9nnKmG9EVn0QqtJLTNCKkA/viewform .
If you aren’t around Grand Street— there are plenty of trees that need care, and it’s pretty easy to spot them. You can also check out the NYC Street Tree map: https://tree-map.nycgovparks.org/
Photo credit: The Big Reuse and District 33 Tree Guard Program
As street trees need some protection, Big Reuse and NYC Council Member Lincoln Restler have started a tree guard program. Tree guards help trees a great deal. They prevent people lumbering through the beds – compacting the soil which strangles the roots. Tree guards can deter dogs from using the bed as a toilet — which (surprisingly to some dog owners) is not good for the tree. Animal waste that is fertilizer comes from herbivores — waste from carnivores, as dogs are, puts hazardous things in the soil.
The Big Reuse and District 33 Tree Guard Program has created lower priced tree guards that are easily assembled. Tools to install are provided for free for three days. In addition, the program assists with the process of applying for a permit for a guard. This pilot program is also extending to other NYC Council districts; NYC Council Member Jennifer Gutiérrez’s District 34 is one.
NYC street trees are technically miniature parks under the aegis of NYC Parks, and due to budget restraints they depend on volunteers to help with the trees. There are rules about tree guards, for basic safety, construction, and the health of the tree. For instance, a tree guard doesn’t surround a tree — it should be open at curbside. Also the guard can’t be built of a solid material from the ground up — there needs to be at least three inches of space from the ground to the bottom rail of the guard so water can flow in and out.
Big Reuse and Restler are hosting tree guard training events in Greenpoint on Saturday, May 31 from 2 p.m.–5 p.m. in Greenpoint at the corner of Oak and West streets and Saturday, June 21 from 10 a.m.–1 p.m. in Brooklyn Heights at the corner of Clinton Street and Cadman Plaza West. Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdzobluugsbk5SEwAYSsXs7wjYfeLFyLVPGIJd1tDmbw7oCrQ/viewform. If you have any questions email: treeguards@bigreuse.org .
The Greenline 