Despite all the buzz around planting for pollinators and other eco-gardening drives, perhaps the best and easiest ways to positively impact the environment is to simply plant trees.

 

Last week, I was pleased to participate in Let’s Grow Local, an event which planted 200 trees in the low-canopy neighborhood of Avondale in Cincinnati. The planting was organized and sponsored by MadTree Brewing in partnership with Cincinnati Parks, Groundwork ORV, Duke Energy, Habitat for Humanity, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Cincinnati Tool Bank, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, and several other organizations. 

Let’s Grow Local was organized by Rhiannon Hoeweller of Madtree Brewing (on the right). Crystal Courtney, Division Manager of Natural Resources, City of Cincinnati, is on the left.

Tyler Stevenson of the U.S. Forestry Service (speaking), along with Rhiannon and Jason Barron, Director of Cincinnati Parks.

Over the past 20 years, I’ve been fortunate to have presided over two different tree planting nonprofits and have participated in many tree planting events. This was one of the best. It was well organized, included the right players, featured the right balance between battle hardened experts and enthusiastic volunteers, wisely favored a reasonable number of well-chosen, good quality, sizeable trees over the temptation of “more impressive on paper” greater numbers of whips, and, importantly, includes a plan to keep the trees watered until they are established.

Cincinnati Urban Forestry Arborist Marianne Prue gives expert planting instructions to volunteers (above). Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden Horticulturist and Master Arborist Jack Schaefer demonstrates some finer points as a tree nears backfill (below).

Although discouraged, some mansplaining occurred. (Joke!) CZBG employees Brian Raaker, Milan King, and Lulu Vandekleft.

CZBG Horticulturist Carlos VanLeeuwen encounters typical urban soil rich in bricks, gravel, cobbles, and almost anything else. This exemplifies the need for smart tree choices and the best planting technique.

In short, the event had the “feel good” vibe all tree planting events have with the the even better feeling that the trees will survive and fulfill their potential of many years of ever increasing environmental, aesthetic, and community building benefits.  It should serve as a blueprint for all such business-community partnerships.

Lesser numbers of sizeable trees with a decent chance of survival were chosen over bucket loads of smaller trees that seldom survive.

Image from another tree planting event. While massive plantings of whips may be appropriate for some tree planting initiatives, they are a bad idea for urban environments.