Tending the Urban Forest

Trees add beauty to any landscape, but they are especially beneficial in the city. They reduce heat, help control run-off, act as noise buffers, filter pollution, provide shade, and soften the urban landscape. Mature trees can cut summer cooling costs by 40%, and can increase property values by 5% to 15%. Some studies even indicate that the mere presence of trees creates stronger neighborhood ties and even reduces violence.

During the early 1990s, city budget constraints in Philadelphia meant that regular tree maintenance—removal of dead or dying trees, pruning, and replacements—was deferred. The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) launched the Tree Tenders project in 1993 to help address the concerns of residents about our urban forest.

Tree Tenders teaches organized community groups basic tree care skills. Each group completes 12 hours of training, which includes tree biology and identification, planting, and pruning. They also learn how to recruit volunteers, build a strong organization, and raise funds for their own projects. "The goal is to make each group as self-sufficient as possible," notes PHS project manager Mindy Maslin.

Today, there are 1,400 Tree Tenders representing nearly 100 groups. All told, they've planted around 6,000 trees, pruned 10,000, and raised $250,000 on their own for plantings and maintenance. Tree Tenders have played a key role in large-scale tree inventories, including a 50-block area in University City, where they recorded the conditions and types of street trees in the neighborhood.

PHS is also involved in other tree efforts, which include training the field staff of city agencies on tree care, as well as new plantings in parks and on landscaped vacant lots throughout the city.

From the beginning, the Tree Tenders project was conceived as a partnership with the Fairmount Park Commission (FPC), the city agency with jurisdiction over street trees. And since 1997, the city has made more funds available for planting and maintenance, in part due to the impact of the project. FPC arborist Gus Jardel was at first skeptical of what the volunteers could actually accomplish, but these days, he praises, "I'm grateful for their help and confident in their abilities."

Aside from advocating for the environmental benefits of trees—and helping to make the city an overall healthier place—this project also sparks a new sense of community. "The act of caring for trees has helped bring our community together," says volunteer Susan Petrone of the South Philadelphia Tree Tenders group. "What I've learned most of all through volunteering is that showing you care—and the trust it engenders—builds the relationships that sustain and nourish a neighborhood."