Some much welcome news for these hot summer days—in the past couple of weeks, the NYC Department of Parks planted 200 new trees in Greenpoint.
City Council Member Lincoln Restler shared the news in a recent newsletter to constituents, thanking Parks “for partnering with us to make our streets greener, our neighborhoods cooler, and our air cleaner.”
It’s part of Restler’s wider initiative to plant trees in District 33 (of which Greenpoint and Williamsburg are included) with 1,000 more on the way across the district.
And while the trees are great for admiring, you can also do your part to make sure they thrive. Become a tree steward, which entails removing litter and weeds, composting, and watering. Restler’s office partnered with Big Reuse to provide neighbors with affordable tools to help care for the trees.
Wanna know which trees need help, or just what kind of trees you have on your block? Check out this handy Tree Map. Not ready to commit to stewardship? You can also donate to the District 33 Street Tree Fund, which “will prioritize areas that are not covered by existing NYC Parks Department planting plans.”
Trees provide immense benefits to urban areas. Aside from beautifying our neighborhoods, they provide necessary shade and a cooling effect in areas that trap heat.
If that’s not enough to convince you, a recent study found that Greenpoint was home to some of the city’s fastest-growing trees, so you’ll soon start reaping the benefits from your hard work!
When I checked the map of newly planted trees it semed mostly in the least populated or industrial areas of the neighborhood – where they will benefit the fewest Greenpointers, and where there will likely be no one to adequately care for them in our increasingly erratic climate.. We especially need the cooling, calming and beautifying effects of trees where the most people are, where they live, where they shop. There are still plenty of empty tree street beds in the area just waiting to be filled without extra digging or disruption. I understand that stretches of Manhattan Ave. are not suitable for planting because of the G train tunnels just under the surface, but we could do far better in choosing where to plant trees.