By Jennies Tran
Fall has arrived, and the time has come to begin our tree planting season! We are thrilled to continue the Cal Fire 2.0 program, which funds urban tree planting efforts to reduce greenhouse gases and provide numerous other health and environmental benefits in urban spaces. We plan to continue our efforts of planting more trees in Richmond neighborhoods. While we made significant accomplishments by planting 109 trees last year, we are optimistic we can double that figure this upcoming year with the help of the Richmond community!
This fall will be my second year coordinating the tree planting program, and I plan to use what I have learned to deliver and implement a strong plan to green Richmond neighborhoods. I grew up in Richmond, and have begun to understand the environmental and social inequities that the people of my community live through. Implementing this tree planting program has given me a gateway to connect with my community while doing work that benefits the environment. Through bringing volunteers together for tree planting events, we all benefit from the strong sense of community engagement.
The Beldingwoods neighborhood is one area of Richmond I’m especially excited to mobilize our efforts in. This neighborhood boasts large planting strips that allow room for trees and enthusiastic residents who appreciate the beauty and benefits of trees. Last year, TWP and neighbors planted nine trees on Rheem Avenue alone, and we are pleased that many other residents on Rheem want to adopt a tree this year! Working in collaboration with the wonderful folks of Richmond Trees, we aspire to transform the neighborhood by planting and creating a tree corridor. We have already begun to see a substantial difference, and cannot wait to plant new trees in this awesome neighborhood!
Along with the Beldingwoods neighborhood, we are also focusing our plantings in neighborhood parks this season. With the space provided by parks, we are able to plant larger trees that capture more carbon, and in turn, more greenhouse gases. The large trees, such as Coast Redwoods, Coast Live Oaks, and Red Oaks, will grow tall within the next decade, and provide shade for children playing in the park on warm summer days and habitat for native wildlife.
We will be having volunteer tree planting events throughout the next several months. If you’d like to volunteer for a tree planting event, please contact Jennies. Our first planting date will be Monday October 24th, 2016 from 9 am – 5 pm. Come by anytime and plant a tree! Please meet us at the North Richmond Ballpark right off of Fred Jackson Way to join us in the start of the planting season! Free snacks and refreshments will be provided. Please remember to bring a reusable water bottle and wear comfortable clothing. We will provide tools and gloves. If you have your own, feel free to bring them. We are looking forward to yet another successful and fun season of tree planting!
