The first Saturday of March found a hardy band of volunteer planters ready to install 12 new trees in our HC neighborhood. Within about 90 minutes, these residents and merchants had planted new maples, Shumard oaks, and pin oaks along Kavanaugh and near Markham on Spruce, Palm, Beechwood, Cedar, and Pine streets.
The trees are sponsored by the Residents and the Merchants Associations, and have continued to add to the urban canopy over the past twenty-plus years. Hundreds of native trees have been added to our streets, and even after last year’s extended summer drought most have flourished as beautiful contributions to our city environment.
All residents can help the project by watering the new trees during the summer months. “Adopt” a new tree in your area and provide two or three gallons of water twice each week during the dry periods – it will make all the difference during the first summer after planting.
For next year, residents in the 200 blocks of these and other HC streets may be asked if they can “host” a new tree in the right-of-way near their homes. If you are interested in having a tree planted (or in helping plant trees in the future!), please contact one of the HRA board members about the plans for 2024.