Why do a Street Tree
Inventory?
The trees of our
neighborhoods provide beauty, contribute to
our sense of well-being, and enhance health
by improving air and water quality. A street
tree inventory is a record of our
neighborhood's street trees by location,
name and condition. With an inventory we can
zero in on the most needed maintenance and
target dead tree and stump removals. We can
locate potential new tree sites. An
inventory helps pin down an action plan and
provides figures for a budget for continuing
care. It gives our neighborhood and the
Fairmount Park Commission the facts needed
to search for additional funding sources for
improved tree care and for new trees.
How does the
Inventory work?
For "Tree Check 2000,"
the Fairmount Park Commission setup the
reporting model and requirements, generated
the required block maps, checked for
accuracy and received the information that
would ultimately be stalled in a GIS mapping
system for the city to be maintained by FPC.
PHS's Tree Tenders
provided the instructional materials and
conducted the training sessions for
neighborhood volunteers, recruited from
among UC Tree Tender Groups and others with
the help of UC Green.
Trained teams of UC
volunteers hit the streets in July, 2000 to
survey the initial project zone (see map)
from 39th to 52nd Street, Spruce Street to
Kingsessing Avenue. By December, 2000, over
forty community volunteers had contributed
to the survey and had been joined by a
sizeable contingent of ecology student
volunteers from Philadelphia University
under the direction of their instructor,
Anne Todd Bockarie. This special group of
volunteers were responsible for surveying
nineteen of the blocks of the project. The
total area currently surveyed is shown in
blue.
What future plans
for additional surveying exist?
In the Spring of 2001,
the survey will continue in the areas of
University City shown in red. Additional
volunteers for this effort are needed. No
previous experience is required. Training
and materials will be provided free along
with possible "team mates" to work with on a
mutually agreed up schedule.
