Fall 2024 RNeighborWoods Community Tree Planting

Planting trees along streets maximizes the benefits of the city-wide tree canopy.

Since 2004, we have achieved remarkable milestones as a community. Through the collective efforts of RNeighborWoods and 7,697 dedicated volunteers, we have planted 8,459 boulevard trees. This was possible through ninety-one events, including community tree plantings, citizen forester trainings, and neighborhood grant plantings.

These trees provide multiple ecological and other public benefits, including reducing Rochester’s carbon footprint. Rochester’s urban forest includes 41,177 public trees on neighborhood boulevards and parks. In one year, 33,100 lbs of pollutants were removed from the air, and $719.284 in stormwater benefits were achieved thanks to these trees. Here is an infographic with more fun figures.

We aim to fill every appropriate vacant boulevard space in Rochester with trees, and we can’t do it without you. We need your help in the Joyce Park SE neighborhood to plant 200 street trees. 

Saturday, October 12, 2024

Start: 8:30 am (usually finished by 11 am)

NEW Meeting Place: Parkside Park, 2250 Park Lane SE

Parking: On any adjacent neighborhood street 

At the staging area, you’ll see our volunteers at the check-in table where you can register. You’ll be given a team color, told the next steps, including a tree-planting demo, and directed for a group photo. Then we’ll be off to plant some trees. Each planting group will have at least one Citizen Forester who has taken the course and can guide volunteers to ensure each tree is planted correctly.

• No experience necessary
• All ages welcome
• No cost
• There is no pre-registration needed
• If you have one, bring a shovel (labeled with your name)

Print or email this PLANTING POSTER for your friends!

Here is a map overview of the planting.

Here is a video taken of our spring 2022 community tree planting.

To diversify our urban forest, we will plant:

• Small Stature (for under power lines)
  Serviceberry, Hawthorn, Alder
• Medium/Large Stature
  Catalpa, Hickory, American Beech, Ginkgo, Tulip tree, Ironwood, Hornbeam, Yellowood, Blackgum

See the photos from all of our tree planting events on our Facebook page. For more about RNeighborWoods including partners and events, check our website.

Did you know that trees make a difference in many aspects of a neighborhood? The below information is from the Alliance for Community Trees and additional facts and figures can be found on the Arbor Day website.

• Lower crime. The presence of trees in urban neighborhoods has been linked to reduced crime.
• Cleaner air Trees provide the oxygen we breathe. One acre of trees produces enough oxygen for 18 people to breathe each day and eliminates as much carbon dioxide from the air as is produced from driving a car 26,000 miles.
• Energy savings. Trees lower the temperature through shade. The cooling effects of trees can save millions of energy dollars.
• More public revenue. Studies have shown that trees enhance community economic stability by attracting businesses and tourists.
• Higher property values. Property values of homes with trees in the landscape are 5 – 20% higher than equivalent properties without trees.
• More efficient stormwater management. One tree reduces 4000 gallons of storm water runoff annually. 400 trees will capture 140,000 gallons of rainwater annually. That is, 4 million trees would save $14 million in annual storm water runoff costs.

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