RNeighborWoods in Rochester improves the appearance, safety, energy efficiency, and value of neighborhoods citywide with boulevard trees.
Since 2004, RNeighborWoods has been working with partners, neighborhood by neighborhood, to plan, plant, and manage trees, in order to catalyze city-wide improvement on Rochester’s urban forest. With enthusiastic support from the City Forester, NeighborWoods has trained 115 residents in the Citizen Forester Program, and planted and maintained over 850 trees throughout the community. These trees have an initial combined value of over $150,000, and a mature planted value of about $1.5 million.
All of the trees located throughout the City of Rochester make up our urban forest, which we must work on strengthening and keeping healthy.
As residents participate in the NeighborWoods program, they come to understand the crucial role trees play in our community. The program recognizes that it is the grassroots participation, advocacy, and care from community members and partners that will allow Rochester’s urban forest to thrive and grow in the future.
In December 2005, the RNeighbors’ Rochester City Tree Trust was established through the Rochester Area Foundation, to build the financial stability for a healthy Rochester urban forest.
It is the role of the RNeighborWoods in Rochester program to share with residents its networks, resources, and knowledge so that we may teach each other and improve and protect our communities forests. In 2006, RNeighbors joined the National Alliance for Community Trees, giving us acess to additional resources and knowledge to move the program forward with.
Planting trees, one boulevard at a time is a team effort, something we could not do without the support of local businesses and organizations.
Rochester Park and Recreation helped with the event coordination including tree delivery, expert staff help and equipment.
MN Conservation Corps was onsite the day of the planting with their troop to help pound posts and stake the new trees.
Rochester- Olmsted County Youth Commission brought lots of youth aged tree-rific volunteers.
RNeighbors served as the coordinating entity for the planting.
Panera provided bagels and HyVee provided cookies for the volunteers.
Our thanks to all for caring about Rochester’s urban forest!