'TreeKeepers' look to plant good ideas
Submitted by Bill Smith on Thursday, November 1, 2012, at 10:40 am
A new group called Evanston TreeKeepers invites residents interested in a healthy and growing urban forest to learn more about the action-oriented group at a meeting Wednesday, Nov. 14.
The session will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Evanston Ecology Center, 2424 McCormick Blvd.
Organizer Wendy Pollock says the group hopes to build on a model pioneered by the Chicago-based Openlands TreeKeepers organization.
That group says that while forest trees typically can live 100 years, most urban trees only survive for about 15 years unless they receive special attention.
With climate change, drought, and invasive pests and diseases, they're under even more pressure. The latest, Emerald Ash Borer, is eating its way through Evanston's urban forest now.
Pollock says the group plans to conduct public education campaigns and work days that would involve planting new trees and watering and mulching existing ones.
She says trees are the ultimate multi-taskers, lifting our spirits, making oxygen and taking up CO2,
cooling and cleaning the air, slowing stormwater runoff, making neighborhoods feel safer -- and that they're even good for business.
For more information, contact Pollack at wendy.pollock@gmail.com or 847-866-6248.
Urban tree survival
This is an interesting group and has a good idea but I would like to know how they reached the conclusion that urban trees only survive about 15 years without special attention. Looking around Evanston this does not appear to be true. Is there a research study to support this conclusion?
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