Urban Tree Benefits
This weekend I planted my third tree, but the first in the boulevard (space between the street and the sidewalk). I had been waiting to get this done, with busy schedules and a summer heat wave delaying the project. As a city planner I was well aware of boulevard or street tree programs which provided incentives for homeowners to purchase, plant, and care for a tree in front of their house. These types of programs are extremely beneficial and cost effective.
Cost Savings for Cities
The City of Lincoln provides a street tree voucher to property owners to plant a tree or two based on their property frontage lacking a tree. I discovered there had been a tree in front of my house several years ago, but must not have been properly cared for and was gone before we moved in. I received my $250 tree voucher in the mail along with the approved species list. Campbells Nursery took care of the voucher process and bundled up a tall hackberry tree for me. The only reason I walked away with a bill was my love of mums which were in season and only $10 a piece. Hard to pass up if you ask me. After the call before you dig process was complete my husband and I dug the hole and planted our tree in the pre-marked location. The city saved on staff time to pick up and deliver a tree to the site and the labor to plant the tree while benefiting from getting a boulevard tree along a stretch of street severely lacking them.
Environmental Benefits
The reason I wanted to take advantage of the street tree program was the environmental benefits trees provide. I walk our neighborhood quite frequently with my dogs and always hate getting to the streets that have lost their trees. These areas are quite a bit warmer and offer no protection from the sun. Tree’s are great for lowering the air temperature and when placed properly can have between a 2 and 8 degree Celsius impact. Not that my particular tree will help my home, but when adjacent to buildings they can reduce air conditioning needs by 30% and save on heating costs between 20 and 50%. Perhaps the best improvement the new tree in front of my house will make is capturing CO2 at a rate of up to 150 kg per year and filtering urban pollutants and fine particulates.
Habitat
Another reason to support tree programs in your community is the habitat they provide for animals and insects, increasing urban biodiversity. I chose a hackberry tree which produces fruits similar in taste to a date. The fruit of the hackberry is popular with winter birds, especially the cedar waxwing, mockingbird and robin. The tree also attracts many butterfly species including American snout, hackberry, mourning cloak, and tawny emperor. I am also hoping the berry harvest is enough for me to make some jam as well.
Personal Benefits
www.theplanninglady.com/blog/boulevard-trees Studies have shown that spending time near trees improves health, both physical and mental. It’s hard to refute that spending time in a park or forest boosts your mood. There’s also a benefit to your property values which are said to increase by 20% with landscaping, especially trees. Last, you will get a really good workout digging a hole to plant the tree. I can attest to that after waking up with muscles I didn’t realize existed screaming at me the next morning. If that’s not for you though, you can always pay the nursery to plant it for you.
