Hello, FilterForGoodians. Cleaning up after a hurricane is something that we New Orleanians have gotten pretty good at. A storm approaches, we evacuate, come home and set the fence back up. However, once-in-a-lifetime, a Katrina comes along, and bouncing back isn’t it easy as it might otherwise be. The past few years have proved that, but one recovery item that takes more time and effort than just about anything else is the process of re-planting and re-growing the city’s trees. Luckily, there’s a group in town investing a lot of time, energy and resources into replacing the urban canopy that was lost to Hurricane Katrina.

That group’s name is Parkway Partners,** and over the past two years they’ve planted over 6,000 trees! First, they started by replacing trees along major corridors. Then, they assisted more than 30 neighborhood organizations in re-planting efforts. Parkway trained more than 75 “tree troopers” to maintain and protect the new planted seedlings.

I love that this story is more than just re-planting trees. Parkway’s actually doing a great deal to educate people about prevention and preparation, instead of just positioning themselves to react to devastation. The first step  in their education process is teaching people how to make wise tree removal decisions.** Here’s an excerpt:

For many homeowners, the visible and physical impact of the destruction of trees and property during storm events is enough to prompt them to engage in “chainsaw backlash,” or the unnecessary removal of perfectly good, sound trees. We have all seen it – a neighbor takes down a beautiful tree because he or she is afraid of what might happen when a storm strikes. And with the tree go all of the benefits that trees provide: cleaner air and water, soil conservation, climate moderation, higher property values, shade and beauty. In regards to trees, people seem to fall in with either tree cutters or tree huggers. The sad fact is that because of this dichotomy, many perfectly good trees are removed because of fear of what might happen while others of us hang on to our trees for dear life (“But it still has green leaves!”), unaware that perhaps some of these older, larger specimens may not be structurally sound. So we end up losing good, sound trees and hanging on to the rotten ones that will fail when the storm strikes. Read more.**

They’re also teaching people about the right types of trees to plant in their neighborhoods. Here’s a bit of their Q&A (source):**

1. What is the width of the area? If the width of the planting strip is less than 5 feet, only a small size tree is allowed.  See the chart below to choose an appropriately sized tree.
2. Are there overhead or underground utility lines? Overhead utility lines limit the size of the tree that can be planted beneath them.  A tree that grows into the wires could cause disruption of utility service to your neighborhood during a storm.  Often, a utility company will have to prune a tree to allow for the unimpeded passage of the wires through the canopy of the tree.  It is best to avoid these problems by selecting and planting the correct tree for your location.
3. Do you prefer and evergreen or deciduous tree? Deciduous trees often have the benefit of autumn color before the leaves drop each fall.  They are also more energy efficient as they provide shade in the summer but do not block the winter sun.  Evergreen trees still drop leaves, either periodically through the year (like the southern magnolia) or as the new leaves are emerging in the spring (like the live oak).  But they are never completely bare.
4. Should you choose a flowering tree, a fruiting tree or a shade tree? After taking into account the space limitations of your planting location, the answer depends a lot on personal preference and your aggravation threshold.  A crape myrtle provides colorful blooms all summer, but some people consider the flowers a nuisance as they drop onto cars and sidewalks.  Berries attract birds, but also bird poop.  The shade provided from a live oak tree can be very welcome in our hot New Orleans summers, but the live oak often demands more room than is available, buckling adjacent sidewalks and encroaching onto roofs of neighboring structures.
5. How do you pick the spot to plant the tree? There are standards for minimum distances between where you plant the tree and existing features along your street.  Plant no closer than 25 feet from a corner intersection or 5 feel from a driveway, so that the tree won’t block visibility and become a traffic hazard.  Allow at least 20 feet between a tree and a light pole.  You do not want the tree to block the light and create dark spots at night.  Stay at least 10 feet away from a fire hydrant.  Keep an area at least 4 feet in width by 7 feet in height clear for pedestrians along the sidewalk.  A tree should never be allowed to impede pedestrian movement.

To learn more about Parkway Partners, click here.**

**You are leaving the FilterForGood Web site. The Brita Products® Company is not responsible for the content or data collection of that independent site.