Trees for Cities
by Bonnie Alter, London on 12.25.07
Changing the world and people's attitudes is a group effort; the more people working together for a common cause, the more effective it will be. At this joyous time of the year, Treehugger would like to recognise and salute the dedication and hard work carried out by volunteers and charitable organisations in the name of saving the planet.
Trees For Cities is a UK based charity, formed to work with local communities on tree planting projects. Their aim is "to tackle global warming, create social cohesion and beautify our cities through tree planting, community, education and training initiatives in urban areas of greatest need."
Trees are an important link in the fight against global warming. They clean the air, reduce temperatures, counteract pollution and absorb carbon dioxide. Trees for Cities has worked out a formula of 2.67 trees planted for every tonne of C02 generated. Tree canopies save energy by cooling buildings and reducing the impact of rain storms. And of course they create habitats for birds and wildlife and add beauty to our surroundings.
But too many are lost due to property development, "health and safety" and disease and maturity.This year, in London alone, 9,593 trees were lost, a third of them street trees. Many that have been felled were at least 30 years old and would have formed an important part of London’s landscape. The good news is that Trees for Cities planted a healthy 211 street trees, and 5,733 others in various locations across the capital including in schools, estates, parks and woodlands in 2007 alone.
The planting and planning is done in association with local community groups who help to identify tree planting sites and taking part in the greening work. Local people have been offered opportunities to improve their “green” skills through vocational training in horticulture and arboriculture. Multiply this by projects across the country and you have a green revolution.
Their "Million Trees Campaign" has a target of planting one million more trees by 2012, in time for the London Olympic Games. So far they are almost half way there. :: Trees for Cities
A healthy and happy holiday season to one and all.
while planting lots of trees in the urban spaces is a great idea, there may be some problems. In addition to the basic problems of creating a healthy environment for tree growth, I would be concerned about destruction of urban infrastructure. Tree roots will destroy streets, sidewalks, in ground and aboveground wires (telephone, cable, power) as well as water and sewer lines. One will need to plan for that destruction over the 40 to 50 year lifetime of each tree.
Another significant concern would be damage caused by falling trees. If the trees are on city property, then the city is responsible for the damage caused by those trees and that can be a significant cost both in terms of dollars and injury to people. Personally, I would never have a tree anywhere near my house. This summer, a single gentle tree falling on the roof of my house cost me $6,000+. If the tree falling on my house fell with the usual violence, the repairs could have cost upwards of $20,000 not including physical injury to my partner who was sleeping directly under the spot where the tree hit the roof. I consider her extremely fortunate that no glass broke where it could have fallen on her in her sleep.
I am fortunate because I only have one or two more trees within range of my house. One is a potential threat and will be taken down. But consider the number of trees next to your house, their type, and how much they threaten your house. The older tree, the bigger the threat because hidden rot like what was found in my tree, can make your tree so weak it falls in your house with the faintest breeze while hiding all hints of damage. Personally, I would not let a pine tree grow anywhere near my house. I have felt the ground shake many times when a shallow rooted hundred-year-old pine falls over in a thunderstorm. Oak trees, especially those with hollows or woodpecker holes are great candidates for hidden rot. Maple trees tend to split especially when a late snow clings to early leaves. Other trees have their weak points. If you have trees and you don't truly understand the growth and lifecycle of that tree, you are putting yourself and your family at significant risk.
Whatever you choose (trees, no trees) know your risks and choose according to what you can afford to lose. I'm choosing sunshine, insulation, and task related air-conditioning. As a side benefit of our tree choices, I get a reasonable arise in for astronomy. Now if I could only get my neighbors to stop wasting light with their unshielded, overly bright outdoor lighting, I would be happy.
TreeFolks in Austin, Texas, has had a similar goal (and more success) than the organization you mentioned above. Check out their great programs at www.treefolks.org.
Many of the problems mentioned in the article and above comments (deaths of street trees, falling branches during severe weather, power line damage, etc.) can be prevented by effectively planning and managing the urban forest. This includes making sure that all street trees have a large enough planting area (those small planters most communities seem to love squeezing trees into will cut a tree's lifespan by an order of magnitude and force the roots to tunnel through sidewalks and underground utilities), properly managing the application of salt to sidewalks and roads in the winter, and tree maintenance to promptly remove dead and dying trees before they fall (most branch/trunk collapses occur when a tree is diseased or dying, and a tree can be distressed without any readily apparent signs). Species selection and diversity (to resist pest epidemics) are also critical.
Basically, actually planting the tree represents 10% of the work. Doing it right, and ensuring that the tree will be around for a long time, is the other 90%.
Though Tree planting comes with a number of challenges, it should be backed up with participatory awareness and capacity building!
Here in Uganda, local people where my organisation I am working with want to plant trees, not for a mere sake of it but to promote sustainable livelihoods through fighting poverty, malnutrition, hunger and environmental degradation.
Sustainable Livelihoods International Uganda is involved in initiatives that promote this including the Wakiso Fruit Tree growing and community forestry project, Primary Schools Environmental Education Project and the Sustainable Livelihoods and Adaptation to Climate Change Project in Kiboga. The projects have components of tree planting particularly fruit tree growing and its advantages!
SLINT-Uganda is an independent sustainable development organisation founded in 2005 as part of an emerging international network of non-governmental organizations that share a common vision of fostering sustainable communities whereby all people enjoy a high quality of life and live in harmony with nature. Our mission is to empower people to secure sustainable incomes, food security and a high quality of life while at the same time maintaining the diversity, health and long-term productivity of the supporting environment, thus safeguarding its potential to meet the needs of present and future generations. SLINT's activities are implemented under four core programmes namely: poverty alleviation; market-oriented agricultural development and food security; environmental sustainability; and capacity development and policy advocacy. We are to operate mainly in four districts located in Central and mid-Western Uganda, i.e. Kampala, Wakiso, Kiboga and Kibaale districts.
We invite you to support our efforts through funding and donations.
A prosperous 2008!
Marsha Denis
www.slint.org