2015 Spring Neighborhood Tree Grant Planting

2015 Spring Neighborhood Tree Grant Planting

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What a crew! This NW neighborhood now has 25 new trees lining their streets thanks to the RNeighbors Spring Tree Grant and all of these volun-trees.

NeighborWoodsTreeGrant_0 At RNeighbors, we know that trees make good neighbors.

That is why we partner with the City of Rochester, the Park and Rec Department, MN Conservation Corps and Rochester Public Utilities to offer the RNeighborWoods Tree grant for a winning neighborhood to receive free boulevard trees in the spring and fall. Check out all of the sponsors who help us make this effort possible.

Thanks to over 45 volunteers, 25 trees have found homes in this NW neighborhoods boulevards. Tree types included Pin Oak, Bur Oak, Princeton American Elm, Ginko and Hackberry.

The NW Neighbors applied for the Neighborhood Tree Grant stating “We are anticipating a large loss of our urban forest. A conservative estimate of 200 trees will be destroyed and replaced with concrete buildings and parking lots on the 8.5 acres scheduled to be rezoned in our neighborhood from R1 to B1/B4. Combine this with the anticipated loss of many ash trees due to EAB and the natural loss of other trees, there will be a significant loss in the number of trees in our community.”

“I was impressed with the attention to detail of the planting process even to the point of making sure all trees were immediately watered. I feel this is a much better community because of these newly planted trees but more importantly it has brought our community together in so many ways and I feel proud to have had a small part in bring that about. I am now more confident that we can move on to more and even bigger projects in the future,” said James Nordly from the neighborhood.

Neighborhood Tree Grant winners had to ensure:

  • At least 30 neighbors and one Citizen Forester will be available to help with the planting. RNeighborWoods will oversee the planting.
  • There must be a core planning group of four neighbors who commit to taking an active role in the planting planning.
  • Planting date must take place on Saturday, April 18.
  • Neighbors will commit to watering the trees for three full years.
  • Boulevard tree recipients must understand that there are times when trees do not survive. There will not be replacement trees for trees that die.

The neighborhood received 25 trees paid for by Rochester Public Utilities.

The purpose of the RNeighborWoods Tree grant is to encourage the planting of trees on neighborhood boulevards. RNeighborWoods recognizes the importance and value of trees in Rochester neighborhoods. Trees provide numerous environmental benefits such as lower crime, cleaner air, energy savings, more public revenue, higher property values, and more efficient stormwater management.

The Neighborhood Tree Grant is offered in the spring and the fall. Be on the lookout (about August) for another tree grant opportunity. For lots of fun photos of this planting see our Facebook page.

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