Grace Charles Trees Count NYC Trees Count 2015

Grace Charles

Trees. Count NYC “Trees. Count! 2015 is NYC Parks’ initiative to map and assess every street tree on every block in New York City. ”(1) • Million. Trees. NYC- launched by the Parks Department and New York • • • Restoration Project—is a collaboration of many partners, including: (2) * Community-based and non-profit groups * City, state, and federal agencies * Corporations and small businesses * Developers, architects, and landscape architects * Private-property owners, and * All New Yorkers

Trees. Count NYC • Million. Trees. NYC is one of the 127 Pla. NYC initiatives • Goal: Increase its urban forest in NYC by 20% (streets/parks/commercial properties) • It is a citywide, public-private program with a goal to plant and care for one million new trees across the City's five boroughs over the next decade. • NYC will plant 70% of trees in parks and other public spaces. The other 30% will come from private organizations, homeowners, and community organizations. (2)

Million. Trees Goal (Through help of organizations such as Trees. Count NYC) (4)

Why Trees. Count NYC? • Relevance to Australia getting rid of Carbon Tax • Wanted to volunteer with and organization that focused on reducing air pollution • This organization promotes finding a way to preserve clean air in a community based way • Natural way to reduce negative effects of Fossil Fuels – Green House Gases • I wanted to participate in the goal of having 1 million trees planted within the decade

Recount Experience - Use measuring tool to calculate how far tree is along block - Type of tree (identified by leaf) - Is the tree being cared for? - How to identify dead tree – (foliage / stump size / bark) - Measure diameter and circumference of tree - State condition

Recount Experience - State obstructions to growth (posters stapled/incorrect fencing/root damage) - Info is set to Trees. Count HQ - Then sent to Recreational Department of Central Park - Information is gathered – decisions made about planting more trees / where to plant them

Achieving Goals • SOCIAL REALM: • - Well known in environmental community - Website / Facebook Page - Open to all ages – volunteer based - Tree counting can be done in own personal time - Free! • AWARDS: - Tree City USA Award - 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 - Tree City USA Growth Award - 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 - 2010 Best of Parks Administration Award (3)

Questions – Before and After Experience • BEFORE: • What is purpose of counting trees? • How were we going to count each one? • AFTER: • What is the next part to play within reaching the goal? • How many trees have we planted so far?

Data observed on field Many trees looked healthy but were in fact dying. • Many things that were on or around the tree that were intended to help were in fact obstructing the growth. • Some streets didn’t have any trees at all. • Conclusion / Lesson Learnt • Trees within NYC, and how strategically they were planted. • Certain trees in certain areas (on the street versus in a park) • There is a lot of work that goes through the getting the results I record to the Department of Recreation

BIBLIOGRAPHY • https: //treescount. nycgovparks. org/faq/ (1) • https: //www. facebook. com/Million. Trees. NYC/info/? tab=page_info (2) • https: //www. facebook. com/Million. Trees. NYC/info/? tab=page_info (3) • http: //www. milliontreesnyc. org/html/about. shtml (4)