Our City Forest - Planting Our Future Document

The People Factor: 10 Years Later

Grassroots involvement in urban forestry means residents help plant and care for their street trees. This is considered state-of-the-art strategy because it is the only way to realistically develop a healthy shade canopy in a large city. Yet how does Our City Forest ensure success with this approach? Simple. By first requiring commitments from residents and then by providing extensive technical expertise, tree care education, and ongoing assistance. And for added incentive, we throw in the trees and stakes for free. How do we measure success? It may sound surprising that we don’t measure success by counting the number of trees planted. Anyone can plant bunches of trees. The key is keeping them alive and healthy over the long-term. This is where “people factor” comes in. In the end, this is what makes the difference. Here are some numbers for the last 10 years of greening that spell People & Trees: Mission Success!:

People Factor Outputs
# of people involved: 100,000
# of tree planters recruited: 32,000
# of volunteer hours: 200,000
# of community projects: 4,000
# of outreach events: 500
# of students reached: 10,000
# of Tree Amigos certified: 350
# of trees maintained: 50,000
# of trees planted: 30,000
# of technical inquiries handled: 25,000
% tree survival rate: 90%
# of neighbors introduced: ?!

Tree Factor Outputs
700 acres of shade added
125 tons of air pollutants removed
25 million gallons of stormwater
runoff absorbed
1,250 tons of carbon dioxide stored
700 acres of wildlife habitat
5 acres of concrete removed
reductions in glare, dust and noise
traffic calming benefit

People & Trees Outcomes:
cleaner air to breathe
less respiratory illness
restoration of urban ecosystem
greener, more attractive neighborhoods
increased sense of place
increased property values–$8 mil.
fostering of community pride
increased environmental stewardship
strengthening of neighborhood ties
catalyst for formation of new neighborhood groups
creation of healthier, safer and more beautiful communities

* based on 25,000 trees by USDA Center for Urban Forest Research

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Tree Factor Outputs 700 acres of shade added 125 tons of air pollutants removed 25 million gallons of stormwater runoff absorbed 1,250 tons of carbon dioxide stored 700 acres of wildlife habitat 5 acres of concrete removed reductions in glare, dust and noise traffic calming benefit

Tree Factor Outputs
700 acres of shade added
125 tons of air pollutants removed
25 million gallons of stormwater
runoff absorbed
1,250 tons of carbon dioxide stored
700 acres of wildlife habitat
5 acres of concrete removed
reductions in glare, dust and noise
traffic calming benefit