We don’t usually get good news about the environment in Greenpoint. Usually, the news is, uh, pretty terrible.
But there’s a tiny sliver of hope worth celebrating! A recently published study by researchers at Barnard College looked into the tree growth rate in New York City, and Greenpoint was among the areas who came out on top, according to THE CITY.
The study measured tree growth in neighborhoods around New York City over a decade. Greenpoint, Flatbush, and several Bronx and Staten Island areas contained some of the quickest-growing trees.
The news is especially welcomed during this ongoing heat wave, as the presence of trees can help mitigate its intensity. “Trees offer shade and carry water from the soil into the air, resulting in a cooling effect,” THE CITY reports. “This is particularly important in cities, which tend to be much hotter than rural or suburban areas because of tall buildings that limit air circulation, abundant asphalt and pavement, and heat-generating activities in close proximity to one another.”
THE CITY also notes that many of the trees were found in historically vulnerable neighborhoods, often beset with the effects of environmental racism.
Inspired to keep this good thing going? North Brooklyn Parks Alliance, alongside the office of City Council Member Lincoln Restler, recently launched a District 33 Street Tree Fund to help shore up tree planting work done by the City’s Parks Department. Over the past few months, Restler’s office has hosted tree maintenance events around the district. The weather might have dampened current plans, but hopefully, the events will return once things start to cool down (thanks in part to those trees!).
We haven’t heard anything from the Greenpoint Tree Menace lately, so if you’re out there: paws off!