neighborwoodstm month 1actrees.org/files/publications/nnwm_2011_report.pdfcommunities. in 2011, tens...

2011

Engaging Volunteers ToGreen Our Communities

Tree by TreeStreet by Street

A Program of Alliance for Community Trees

National NeighborWoodsTM Month

Contents

Welcome Letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1The Vision of NeighborWoodsTM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2NeighborWoodsTM by the Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3Greener Communities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4Local Stories and Partner Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-11NeighborWoodsTM Impact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12Local Support from ACTrees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13-14Expanding the Vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15Participating Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16-172011 National NeighborWoodsTM Month Sponsors . . . . .18Tree Fact Footnotes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 About ACTrees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Inside Back Cover

Cover: Indianapolis, IN, courtesy of Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Inc. Winner, 2011 National NeighborWoodsTM Month Photo Contest

ACTreesAlliance for Community TreesTree by Tree Street by Street

4603 Calvert Road, College Park, Maryland 20740 USA

Dear Friends and Supporters,

National NeighborWoods™ Month is the nationwide campaign to green America's cities. Each October wecelebrate volunteerism and community revitalization as we invest in the overall health and success of ourcommunities.

During National NeighborWoods™ Month we share the message that trees and greenery add value to ourcommunities. In 2011, tens of thousands of Americans raised their voices for greener cities, while also liftingshovels to take very real action to improve their hometowns.

That action—the simple act of planting a tree—not only transforms a neighborhood and sets it on a green path tosustainability, but also signals a deeper meaning: we care. We care about the places we live, about the health ofour children, about the beauty of our homes. We care about the environment around us, about the integrity of ourcommunities, and about smart solutions to the challenges our cities face.

The urban forest—the trees in a city, town, or village—enhances the beauty, livability, and long-term sustainabilityof a neighborhood for its residents. Trees clean our air, increase property values, lower energy use, reducepolluted stormwater runoff, and maximize city infrastructure efficiency. At the same time, trees beautify ourstreets, shade parks and play areas, reduce asthma, and improve our physical and mental health.

For the seventh straight year, National NeighborWoodsTM Month brought the benefits of trees to communitiesnationwide. Sustaining remarkable growth year over year, National NeighborWoodsTM Month is a truly nationalcampaign, with volunteers planting over 40,000 trees in cities and towns from coast to coast in October 2011.

Your participation in National NeighborWoodsTM Month not only enhances your community's health and livability,but also furthers our collective efforts to ensure that everyone gets to live in neighborhoods with trees and accessto nature.

Thank you for your support and participation in the 2011 national campaign. In the following pages, you’ll see theimmense impact of National NeighborWoodsTM Month in local communities. We encourage you to get involvedagain in your town during October and throughout the year. Roll up your sleeves and plant some trees. Togetherwe can maintain momentum and grow this national movement for greener, cleaner, healthier communities.

Sincerely,

Ray Tretheway Carrie GallagherPresident, Board of Directors Executive DirectorAlliance for Community Trees Alliance for Community Trees

National NeighborWoodsTM Month 2011 Report 2

The Vision of NeighborWoodsTM

Over the last few decades, a vision for a greenerfuture has come into focus in communities acrossthe country—in cities as diverse as Sacramento,CA; Austin, TX; Oklahoma City, OK; Atlanta, GA; andOlympia, WA. NeighborWoodsTM envisions a futurewhere all people live in communities with tree-linedstreets, shaded parks and public spaces, and full-canopied neighborhoods.

Every neighborhood deserves the benefits of trees:cleaner air, safer streets, and healthier residents,among so many more. By caring for existing treesand planting new ones, we can measurably improvethe environment, economy, health, and beauty of ourcommunities.

Alliance for Community Trees launched theNeighborWoods™ program in 2005 as a nationalinitiative to support local tree-planting organizationsand their efforts to make neighborhoods cleaner,greener, and healthier. With leading sponsorshipfrom The Home Depot Foundation,NeighborWoods™ has since delivered over $1.2million to local nonprofits to plant trees to improvethe health and livability of residentialneighborhoods.

National NeighborWoods™ Month celebrates thevalue of trees in communities and engagesvolunteers to take action to green theirneighborhoods. Each October, NationalNeighborWoods™ Month unites local communitygroups nationwide to draw attention to the immensevalue of urban forests for building vibrantneighborhoods. When National NeighborWoods™Month began in 2005, just 28 local ACTrees memberorganizations participated. Now organizations inhundreds of cities are joining together each Octoberto promote our common message: trees are criticalfor successful communities.

During National NeighborWoods™ Month,thousands of volunteers in towns and cities aroundthe country plant trees, green up community parks,restore natural areas, and educate neighbors aboutthe environment and sustainability. Americans areeager to roll up their sleeves and enhance theplaces where they live, work, and play. National

NeighborWoods™ Month harnesses this localenergy to raise visibility for community greening ona national level.

The coast-to-coast reach of NationalNeighborWoods™ Month elevates the nationaldiscourse about what it means to have a healthy,sustainable city. Tree canopy protection and growthis not just a local concern. It’s a trans-continentaleffort, and people are digging in everywhere toadvance a shared vision of greener, strongercommunities. This is the vision of NeighborWoods™.

In October 2011, excited residents and communitygroups carried this vision to over 200 communitiesduring National NeighborWoods™ Month. Thisreport describes their impact on the local andnational level. It provides a snapshot of howgrassroots organizations are growing greener citiesall across the country. This is whatNeighborWoods™ looks like.

209cities


National NeighborWoodsTM Month 2011

BY THE NUMBERS

40,500 trees planted

12,800additional trees cared for

166organizations

39states

27,000 volunteers

812events


Greener CommunitiesVolunteers raised the NeighborWoodsTM banner at 812 events in 39 states. Here’s a look athow they changed their communities during National NeighborWoodsTM Month 2011.


Indianapolis, IN National NeighborWoods™ Month 2011 got an earlystart, kicking off on September 24 with a transformativeproject in Indianapolis, IN. Energetic volunteers from allcorners of Indianapolis and even from some neighboringstates came together to revitalize a vacant brownfieldsite. Thanks to their hard work, this former gas station inthe Highland Vicinity neighborhood is now a beautifulnew park for community residents. 70 volunteersincluding residents, high school and college students,community service participants, and volunteers fromKeep Indianapolis Beautiful and Boise Inc. rolled uptheir sleeves to plant over 100 trees and plants, turninggray to green and laying the landscape for a vibrantcommunity space.

At the September 24 planting, a proclamation fromMayor Greg Ballard and letter from U.S. Rep. AndreCarson heralded the importance of green space andinnovative solutions for city health and prosperity.Creative projects like Project UP park revitalizations areleading the way to a greener future. In recognizing thevalue of sustainability, Boise ASPEN not only foundedProject UP, but also served as a National Sponsor ofNational NeighborWoods™ Month 2011, helpingACTrees spread the benefits of trees and green space tocommunities nationwide.

PARTNER PROFILE

Fall 2011 was the national launch of ProjectUP, an initiative by Boise ASPEN totransform under-utilized urban spaces intobeneficial community resources. Much asBoise ASPEN recycles so-called “waste”paper into useful recycled office paper,Project UP aims to unlock the potential ofvacant or neglected city lots by revitalizingthem as green public parks.

Working with ACTrees and its memberorganizations across the country, Project UPbrings the benefits of trees and green spaceto communities while highlighting the valuesof sustainability. In Indianapolis, forexample, the new Highland Vicinity park willfeature benches made from a specialrecycled paper composite. A shadestructure made by local designers willincorporate a unique vinyl dome materialleft over from the City’s demolished footballstadium. These new additions, along withtrees and plants, will create a morebeautiful and livable community.

Fredericksburg, VAOver the course of six different events on Saturdays inOctober, local nonprofit Tree Fredericksburg engagedover 200 volunteers to plant 247 trees at sites across thecity. Thanks to a mini-grant from ACTrees, organizerswere able to distribute dozens of NationalNeighborWoods™ Month t-shirts to their diverse groupof partners and volunteers—including some friends inhigh places! The Mayor, City Manager, and all the Citystaff participated in a large 49 tree planting event, whilethe Fredericksburg Police Department volunteered theirtime to plant 32 trees around their headquarters. Otherprojects greened up an affordable housing area with 42new trees and engaged local partners including studentsfrom the University of Mary Washington ecology club.Together, Fredericksburg area volunteers donated 614hours of their weekend time to help make their city agreener, healthier place to live, work, study, and play.

Goleta, CAEnvironmental education is a central component ofNational NeighborWoods™ Month, and no one showedthat better this year than Goleta Valley Beautiful. Octoberwas a busy month for this small community nonprofit.With an Advisory Council meeting, three elementaryschool Science Nights, and twelve tree planting andcare events, Goleta Valley Beautiful engaged 269volunteers for over 1000 hours of service and plantedover 80 trees. In addition to distributing NationalNeighborWoods™ Month t-shirts to volunteers, GoletaValley Beautiful also ordered hundreds of Kids ActivityCards from ACTrees for their school Science Nights. Thecards feature a set of activities that get kids exploringand interacting with trees, introducing them to the urbanforest all around them. Goleta Valley Beautiful taughtover 500 school children about trees during October,preparing the next generation of community tree plantersand urban forest stewards.

Miami, FL“Citizen Foresters” are the secret behind the success oflocal nonprofit Citizens for a Better South Florida. CitizenForesters are dedicated neighborhood leaders whocommit their time, energy, and leadership to organizecommunity tree plantings, turn out volunteers, andensure long-term stewardship. Using mini-grant supportfrom ACTrees, Citizens for a Better South Floridapresented four awards to its outstanding CitizenForesters during their October 22 NeighborWoods™event in a residential area of the Northsideneighborhood. Local resident Grace Scott coordinatedthe planting of 25 trees in her neighborhood that day,and her two daughters were on hand to witness theamazing impact of their mom’s work in beautifying andimproving their hometown. “What a great example sherepresents to her family and the community!” localorganizers noted.


TREE

FA

CT 1

Urban forests in the United States provide essential services to more than 220 million people, and have an estimated structural asset value of$2.4 trillion

LOCAL STORIES


In October 2011 TD Bank partnered withAlliance for Community Trees and its localmember organizations to launch the TD TreeDays program in the U.S. Already a successfulinitiative in Canada, TD Tree Days provides TDemployees, their families and friends, and localpartners the opportunity to volunteer in thecommunities where they live and work and todemonstrate their commitment to foreststewardship. During National NeighborWoods™Month 2011, of which TD Bank was a nationalsponsor, hundreds of TD volunteers helpedenhance the environment of three U.S. citiesthrough TD Tree Days planting events.

Boston, MAThe East Boston Greenway received a revitalizing jolt of green on October 12, when TD Bank employees joinedforces with Boston Natural Areas Network and Alliancefor Community Trees to rejuvenate the greenway with 50new trees. This large-scale tree planting had animmediate impact on the highly-trafficked Greenwaycorridor, in a neighborhood with some of the lowest treecover in the City. Boston’s Parks Commissioner, CityCouncilor Salvatore LaMattina, and TD Bank executivesaddressed the 50 volunteers, who took delight in gettingto know their co-workers from different TD departments.Neighborhood residents were thrilled when they saw theproject, and thanked participants for taking action tohelp improve their community.

TREE

FACT

2 The average net benefit of a mature large tree in a residential yard

over a 40-year period is $4,320

PARTNER PROFILE

❝We are passionate about helping the environment,

and we are proud that so many volunteers

from TD and local communities are coming together to re-introduce trees

to these neighborhoods. They will enhance the local environment and

provide important benefits,including increased shade and improved air quality.❞- Gerry Guidice, SVP, Head of U.S. Real Estate and

Chairman of TD Bank’s Green Council


Jacksonville, FLEmployees from TD Bank, TD Auto Finance, and TDInsurance teamed up with community youth to planttrees and enhance the recreational facilities atWoodland Acres Boys and Girls Club on October 27.Former Jacksonville Jaguar and hometown celebrityDonovin Darius joined the volunteers and shared anuplifting message connecting people to trees. Over 140volunteers including TD employees, community partnerslike local nonprofit Greenscape of Jacksonville, andmentors and mentees from the Boys and Girls Club got towork planting 75 trees and installing vegetable gardensto create a healthy, green, educational playspace for thehundreds of neighborhood youth who visit this importantcommunity center every week.

Philadelphia, PAOn the bright morning of October 25th, over 130 volunteers including TD employees, neighborhoodresidents, and community members dug in to revitalize asection of West Philadelphia. Volunteers from TD Bank,TD Insurance, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, UCGreen, and City Year planted 52 street trees to green upMastery Charter School and the adjoining ConestogaPlayground. School Principal Sharif El-Mekki joined TDBank speakers in opening the festivities, whichcontinued the TD Tree Days tradition of enhancing theenvironment with cleaner air and greener streets--not to mention healthier learning and play areas for kids--thanks to new trees.

TREE

FA

CT 3 A mature tree can store up to

100 gallons of rainwater during largestorms; urban forests save citiesbillions of dollars annually in

stormwater costs

LOCAL STORIES


Rochester, MN55th Street NW wasn’t the only thing that got greenerwhen 150 Rochester neighbors turned out to plant over100 boulevard trees there on October 1. The volunteersmade the gorgeous fall day even brighter with theirgreen tie-dyed “Tree-mendous” t-shirts, featuring theACTrees and other partner logos and made possible inpart through an ACTrees mini-grant. These volunteersembodied the spirit of NeighborWoods™ even beforethe tree planting, by going door-to-door at over 150homes in the neighborhood inviting residents toparticipate (and leaving National NeighborWoods™Month door hangers provided by ACTrees!) This was allthanks to the amazing work of local nonprofitRNeighbors (Rochester Neighborhood Resource Center)and their RNeighborWoods community tree plantingprogram. The celebration continued on a subsequentweekend when 65 neighbors planted 40 trees in theSlatterly and Crimson Ridge neighborhoods. Rochestersure knows how to celebrate NationalNeighborWoods™ Month—by joining together anddigging in to enhance communities, all while having fun!

Ringgold, GAOn April 27, 2011, a devastating tornado ripped throughRinggold, destroying not only hundreds of trees, but alsomany homes, businesses, and lives. Six months later, onOctober 27, a group of volunteers coordinated a town-wide show of strength and brave commitment torebuilding, repairing, and revitalizing Ringgold. Withhelp from hundreds of volunteers, Trees4Ringgoldplanted nearly 400 trees around residential andbusiness areas hit hardest by the storm. This plantingcampaign was financed entirely by concerned citizensand local businesses who recognized that trees are vitalto the community’s sense of place and being. Aceremonial planting of a large tree at the CatoosaCounty courthouse, attended by over 100 residents,provided a moment of remembrance and hope forrenewal. This October, planting trees carried manymeanings for the people of Ringgold: service, strength,unity, and the celebration of new life.

Southlake, TXLocal Boy Scouts wore a different uniform when theybanded together to celebrate Arbor Day on October 8.The Bob Jones Nature Center took advantage of anACTrees mini-grant to purchase customized NationalNeighborWoods™ Month t-shirts for 60 Cub Scouts,Webelos, and their parents who participated in theevent. This energetic volunteer crew planted threenative species of trees and also spread mulch, weededbeds, and cleaned up brush. The City of SouthlakeMayor pro-tem and a representative from the TexasForest Service joined the volunteers to present aspecial proclamation for the day.

TREE

FA

CT 4 Trees filter airborne pollutants and

improve air conditions. Childrenliving in areas with more trees havelower prevalence of asthma

LOCAL STORIES

San Jose, CAThe City of San Jose and its local partners made asignificant stride towards achieving the City’s “GreenVision” on the unseasonably warm morning of October20. Together with City employees, Lions Club volunteers,Santa Clara University students, community residents,and the AmeriCorps members of local nonprofit Our CityForest, nearly 20 Siemens employees helped plant thefirst wave of 80 trees to enhance Lake Cunningham Park.Participants enjoyed their hard work improving a highlyused, hilly running path with trees, and praised the OurCity Forest crew members—called “Tree Amigos”—fortheir excellent teaching and communication with newvolunteers. City Council Member Rose Herrera spoke atthe tree planting, which celebrated the City’s 2011Siemens Sustainable Community Award, presented bySiemens and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Raleigh, NCAnother winner of the 2011 Siemens SustainableCommunity Award—for which the prize is a tree plantingorganized through Alliance for Community Trees—theCity of Raleigh engaged nearly 100 volunteers to plant100 trees at Chavis Park and in the surroundingneighborhood. Raleigh Mayor Pro Tem Nancy McFarlandand Councilman Eugene Weeks joined dozens ofSiemens volunteers, partners from Raleigh Parks andRecreation, Raleigh Office of Sustainability, and localnonprofit Trees Across Raleigh to plant trees in the parkand along neighborhood streets. This projectcomplemented Raleigh’s local NeighborWoods program,which fosters partnership between the City and itscitizens by providing trees and teaching residents toplant and care for them along streets in residentialneighborhoods. By linking government with residents,NeighborWoods is growing the city’s canopy andenhancing the health of Raleigh communities.


Baltimore, MDAs part of a transformative makeover of Margaret BrentElementary and Middle School in the Charles Villageneighborhood, community volunteers and CSXemployees and their families planted 14 new trees onthe streets leading up to the school. By planting trees,installing a community garden, creating an outdoorclassroom, and painting two bright exterior murals, 109volunteers enhanced both the school and thecommunity. The trees planted on October 8 counttowards the Trees for Tracks initiative, a partnershipbetween CSX, Alliance for Community Trees and CityYear to plant 21,000 trees—one for every mile of track inthe CSX railway network.

™

TREE

FA

CT 5 Trees improve traffic safety,

slowing speeds and reducingdriving accidents by up to

20% or more

LOCAL STORIES


Named after California’s iconic trees,Redwood Creek Winery teamed up withACTrees in 2011 to help improve localcommunities and spread the word that treesmake good neighbors. Redwood Creeksupported National NeighborWoods™Month during October, when soils are attheir peak readiness for planting, and ralliedtogether to encourage caring citizens toplant trees in their own neighborhoods.Redwood Creek also directly fundedACTrees member organizations in severalcities, and installed in-store informationaldisplays at local distributors promotingACTrees members and NationalNeighborWoods™ Month.

Seattle, WAIn a region where the health of the Puget Sound is acommon concern even for the average citizen, the localnonprofit Forterra channels this interest in environmentalprotection by engaging volunteers to take action aroundtheir communities. In October, Forterra organized workparties in forested parks and wetlands around Seattle,restoring nearly 5,000 sq. ft. of these important naturalareas. A grant from ACTrees made possible by NationalNeighborWoods™ Month national sponsor RedwoodCreek Winery enabled Forterra to enhance their projectsby improving the volunteer action experience for theirenvironmental stewards. Volunteers benefited fromwater coolers, refreshments, and work gloves—important elements for a safe, satisfying, and effectiveworkday. Not only did this support from Redwood Creekgrow Forterra’s volunteer management capacity, it alsoinspired the volunteers to host more work parties!Forterra staff reported that after learning from ACTrees“about leveraging the NeighborWoods™ campaign […]we’re looking forward to doing even more next year.”

TREE

FA

CT 6 Trees and landscaping can improve

residential property values up to 30% or more

PARTNER PROFILE

$

This display appeared in local stores, bearing localACTrees member organization logos.


NeighborWoodsTM Impact

Neighbors work side by side to improve their communities during National NeighborWoodsTM Month. Beyondsweat, dirt, and trees, what does their hard work mean for their neighborhoods? The benefits of trees and treeplanting are real and quantifiable, and the cumulative impact is impressive. Here’s how the vision ofNeighborWoodsTM delivered real results from National NeighborWoodsTM Month 2011:

• Neighbors donated 81,000 hours of their time as volunteers, at an estimated value of over $1,730,000contributed to their neighborhoods. That amount of volunteer time is equivalent to over 3,000 days spentimproving local communities.* Based on national value of volunteer time at $21.36 per hour, Independent Sector

• As they grow, the trees planted during National NeighborWoods™ Month will capture over 18.6 milliongallons of stormwater runoff every year, for annual savings of $186,500 to local communities.* Based on 350 gallons/tree, Center for Urban Forest Research, Pacific Southwest Research Station, USDA Forest Service

• These trees will also dispose of 533 tons of air pollutants each year, saving local governments over $265,000annually in pollution cleanup costs.* Based on 20 pounds/two-inch tree, Center for Urban Forest Research, Pacific Southwest Research Station, USDA Forest

Service

• Trees need people. When neighbors care for trees and help them thrive, they can live to provide benefits totheir communities for decades or even centuries. If all the trees planted during National NeighborWoods™Month live for 40 years, they will save local governments over $18 million in water and air pollution costsover the course of their lifetimes.

Trees planted during National NeighborWoods™ Month also reduce energy use, mitigate the urban heat islandeffect, increase property values, encourage commerce in downtown areas, promote outdoor activity andhealthy lifestyles, and forge stronger community bonds by bringing neighbors together.

We may not yet be able to put dollar values to all these benefits, but we can certainly feel their impact. We feelthe cool air on our skin in the shade of a tree; we see the warm smiles as neighbors chat in their yards; we hearchildren playing in the park; we sense the vibrancy of active, busy main streets. These are healthy, green,strong communities. This is the vision of NeighborWoods™ fulfilled.

TREE

FA

CT 7 Each year an acre of trees

absorbs the amount ofcarbon produced bydriving a car for 26,000 miles


National NeighborWoods™ Month delivers on theACTrees mission to support local grassrootsnonprofits in a very tangible way. Through grants,gear, and outreach, ACTrees helps its localmember organizations and partner groupsincrease the visibility, quality, and scope of theircommunity greening work.

In 2011 ACTrees provided NationalNeighborWoods™ Month Mini-Grants to 28organizations. This support enabled ourgrassroots member organizations to promote andenhance their 2011 National NeighborWoodsTM

Month tree planting and education events in newand exciting ways. ACTrees members leveragedthis funding locally nearly 9:1, through cash andin-kind support from within their communities.

Mini-Grants are specially targeted to help localgroups increase their visibility and reach. Thisyear they helped ACTrees member organizationsbuy and customize T-shirts for their volunteers,

present awards to community leaders, advertisetheir events in print and radio, commissionoriginal artwork for publicity materials, hireprofessional photographers and videographers,create NeighborWoods™ hats, bags, banners,posters, and water bottles, and much more!

In addition, ACTrees redesigned, produced anddistributed an array of collateral materials insupport of National NeighborWoods TM Month tohelp local organizations celebrate trees duringOctober. These included t-shirts, kids activitycards, posters, banners, and online templates formedia and government outreach. ACTreesdelivered these materials to over 100participating partners, including 1,700 t-shirts,2,500 kids card sets, 900 posters, and 50 banners.

Local Support from ACTrees

TREE

FA

CT 8 Trees reduce the city heat island effect by

10°-20° through shade & evapotranspiration; tree-shaded surfaces may be up to 45° cooler than unshaded surroundings


Here’s what some community organizations had to say about ACTrees support forlocal groups during National NeighborWoods™ Month:

❝You do a great job every year. Thanks for allowing us to contribute to a national program.❞Lisa Ortega, Nevada Shade Tree Council

❝You have been a wonderful support, as always!❞Jen Bruhler, Delaware Center for Horticulture

❝ACTrees does a good job helping us promote National NeighborWoods™ Month!❞Suzannah DesRoches, Baton Rouge Green

❝We were incredibly pleased with the amount of support NeighborWoods™ provided thisyear! Thank you for the mini-grant, which was used to buy beautiful metal water bottles forvolunteers, and for the t-shirts and banner. We even loved the posters, which we used to

promote our events in Camden and Newark communities.❞Jessica Franzini, New Jersey Tree Foundation

❝I think you all do a wonderful job and I thank you.❞Colleen Mills, Carolina Forest Civic Association

❝You guys are the best. Period.❞Sue Pringle, UC Green

TREE

FA

CT 9 Just three strategically

placed trees can decrease utility bills

by 50%


To supplement local support and elevate the national dialogue, ACTrees educates our leadersabout the need for greener communities. National NeighborWoods™ Month raised visibility forurban forestry among important government officials on the local, state, and federal levels.Public leaders and national-level NGO partners received communications, posters, t-shirts, andeducational materials about the value of green infrastructure and volunteerism.

EXPANDING THE VISIONMedia Coverage

ACTrees broadens awareness of urban and community forestry through NationalNeighborWoods™ Month—both in the public consciousness and in the minds of communityleaders and government officials. Here’s how we get the word out about NationalNeighborWoods™ Month:

• USDA Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell made a video PSAencouraging all viewers “to get involved, both personally andprofessionally” in National NeighborWoodsTM Month. Posted onYouTube and promoted through social media and newsletters,this video from the Chief joins prior National NeighborWoods™Month videos from several Members of Congress.

• In 2011, online expansion led to high activity on Facebook andTwitter, with the use of the #NeighborWoods hashtag, and aTwitter “landscape chat” in partnership with Georgia ForestryCommission, Valley Crest, and Corona Tools that reached 35,400followers. Follow us in 2012 at @NeighborWoods.


Amigos de los RiosAnacostia Watershed SocietyArizona Community Tree CouncilArkansas Urban Forestry CouncilArthur R. Marshall FoundationAsheville GreenworksBaton Rouge GreenBlue Water BaltimoreBob Jones Nature CenterBoston Natural Areas NetworkCalifornia Urban Forests CouncilCamp Bayou Outdoor Learning CenterCanopyCarolina Forest Civic Association – Families in the ForestCasey TreesCentral Indiana Land TrustChesapeake ArboretumChesapeake Bay FoundationCitizens for a Better South FloridaCity FruitCity of Ann Arbor Natural Area PreservationCity of HolladayCity of Kent Parks and RecreationCity of La Grande, OregonCity of Liberty, MissouriCity of PortlandCity of Raleigh NeighborWoods ProgramCityTreesClark Public Utilities Stream TeamCoastal Bryan Tree FoundationColumbia SpringsCommunity GroundworksConservation MontgomeryCornell Cooperative Extension of Onandaga CountyCromwell Valley ParkDawes ArboretumDelaware Center for HorticultureDistrict of Columbia Building Industry AssociationDixon Tree Planters & California ReLeafDorchester Environmental Health CoalitionEarthCorpsEcosloElisha Mitchell Audobon SocietyEugene Tree FoundationFairchild Tropical Botanic GardenFairfax ReLeafForterraFriends of the WissahickonFriends of Grand Rapids ParksFriends of Ruffin Canyon

Friends of the Urban ForestFriends of TreesFriends of Trees, Eugene ChapterFriends of Tryon CreekFriends of Van Cortlandt ParkGeorgia Urban Forestry CouncilGolden Gate Audobon SocietyGoleta Valley BeautifulGreat River GreeningGreen Seattle PartnershipGreenbelt AllianceGreenbelt ConservancyGreenscape of Jacksonville, Inc.Heartland Tree AllianceHendersonville Tree BoardHoward CountyHuntington Beach Tree Society, Inc.Illinois Arborist AssociationIndiana Urban Forest CouncilJAYCEE Education & Library FoundationKansas Forest ServiceKeep Denton BeautifulKeep Georgetown BeautifulKeep Indianapolis BeautifulKeep It Moving, Inc.Keep Truckee Meadows BeautifulKids Ecology CorpsKitsap Trees & Shoreline AssociationLake County Forest PreservesLandsdowne Tree LadyLos Angeles County ArboretumMarshall Area Conservation CommitteeMassachusetts Department of ConservationMen’s Garden Club of Youngstown OhioMichigan Arbor Day AllianceMid-Atlantic Chapter ISAMillionTreesNYCMontgomery Tree CommitteeNature ConsortiumNebraska Statewide ArboretumNevada Shade Tree CouncilNew England Chapter ISANew Jersey Shade Tree FederationNew Jersey Tree FoundationNew Tree SchoolNew York City Department of Parks and RecreationNew York Restoration ProjectNine Mile Run Watershed AssociationNorth Carolina Urban Forest CouncilOnondaga Community College

National NeighborWoodsTM Month 2011Participating Organizations


OpenlandsOur City ForestPA Chapter of the American Chestnut FoundationPalouse-Clearwater Environmental InstituteParks & People FoundationParkway PartnersPennsylvania Horticultural SocietyPhiladelphia Orchard ProjectPhilly Tree PeoplePlant AmnestyPNW-ISAPortland Fruit Tree ProjectProvidence TownshipPuget Creek Restoration SocietyReston AssociationReTree NebraskaRNeighbors, Rochester Neighborhood Resource CenterRock Creek ConservancySacramento Tree FoundationSan Diego River Park FoundationSavannah Tree FoundationSave The BaySilver Lake Nature CenterSOLVSpokane Urban ForestrySpringfield TownshipStrawberry HillTennessee Environmental CouncilTexas Trees FoundationThe Friends of Interlaken ParkThe Greening of DetroitThe Mile High MillionThe Morton ArboretumThe Park PeopleTitusville Men’s Garden ClubTree DavisTree Foundation of KernTree FredericksburgTree MusketeersTree PittsburghTREEmendous MiamiTreePeopleTrees AtlantaTrees For HoustonTrees For RinggoldTrees For TucsonTrees ForeverTrees IndianaTrees New YorkTrees SC

TreesGreenvilleTreeUtahUC Green, Inc.UMass LowellUniversity of Arkansas Division of AgricultureUp With TreesUrban Ecology InstituteUrban Paradise GuildUrban Resources InitiativeUtah Lions District 28UValley Proud Environmental CouncilVillage of LeonardWest Texas Urban Forestry CouncilWestern Pennsylvania ConservancyWoodland Tree Foundation

National NeighborWoodsTM Month 2011Participating Organizations


U.S. Forest ServiceUrban and Community Forestry(UCF) is a cooperative programof the U.S. Forest Service thatfocuses on the stewardship ofurban natural resources. UCFresponds to the needs of urbanareas by maintaining, restoring,

and improving urban forest ecosystems on morethan 70 million acres. Through these efforts theprogram encourages and promotes the creation ofhealthier, more livable urban environments acrossthe nation. UCF provides technical, financial,research, and educational services to localgovernment, non profit organizations, communitygroups, educational institutions, and tribalgovernments. The program is delivered through itslegislative partners, the state forestry agencies in 59states and U.S. territories, providing assistance toover 7,100 communities and reaching a total of 194million people.

Boise ASPEN Project UPBoise Inc. founded ProjectUP™ in 2011 as an extensionof the Boise® ASPEN®brand of recycled papers and

the company’s ongoing commitment toenvironmental, social, and economic sustainability.Boise ASPEN created Project UP to help create amore responsible, livable future and transformdistressed urban spaces into revived areas forcommunity relaxation, reflection, and rejuvenation.Just as Boise ASPEN creates something new anduseful out of discarded paper, Project UP unlocksthe potential of vacant lots or neglected areas bytransforming them into valuable resources ascommunity parks.

TD BankTD Bank, America'sMost ConvenientBank®, is one of the10 largest banks in

the U.S., providing more than 7.4 million customerswith a full range of retail, small business andcommercial banking products and services. TD TreeDays provides TD employees, their families andfriends, and partners the opportunity to volunteer inthe communities where they live and work and todemonstrate their commitment to foreststewardship. TD Tree Days launched in the UnitedStates in 2011 and is part of a TD-wide tree plantinginitiative with events also taking place acrossCanada and in the United Kingdom.

Redwood Creek WineryRedwood Creek Winerycrafts rich, flavorfulwines made with grapes

from some of California’s most renownedwinegrowing regions. With a nod to the state’semblematic tree, Redwood Creek wines are rootedin the California way of life. Redwood Creekbelieves that trees make good neighbors. Theirnamesake tree, California’s towering Redwood, isan enduring symbol of nature’s positive impact onour neighborhoods and communities.

2011 National NeighborWoodsTM Month Sponsors TR

EE F

ACT

10 The net cooling effect of a healthy tree is

equivalent to 10 room-size air conditionersoperating 20 hours a day

x 10=

National NeighborWoodsTM Month is made possible by the generous support of our national sponsors.

For more information about becoming a national sponsor, please contact

Alliance for Community Trees at (301) 277-0040 or [email protected].


Tree Fact Footnotes

1 Nowak, David, Susan Stein, Paula Randler, Eric Greenfield, Sara Comas, Mary Carr, and Ralph Alig. "Sustaining America's Urban Trees and Forests." U.S DepartmentAgriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station (2010). Web. <http://www.fs.fed.us/nrs/pubs/gtr/gtr_nrs62.pdf>.

Nowak, D.J.; Crane, D.E.; Dwyer, J.F. 2002. “Compensatory value of urban trees in the United States.” Journal of Arboriculture. 28(4): 194-199.

2 McPherson, Gregory, James Simpson, Paula Peper, Shelley Gardner, Kelaine Vargas, Scott Maco, and Qingfu Xiao. “Coastal Plain Community Tree Guide: Benefits,Costs, and Strategic Planting”. USDA, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station. (2006). Web.<http://www.fs.fed.us/psw/programs/uesd/uep/products/2/cufr_679_gtr201_coastal_tree_guide. pdf>.

3 Fazio, Dr. James R. "How Trees Can Retain Stormwater Runoff." Tree City USA Bulletin 55. Arbor Day Foundation. Web.<http://www.fs.fed.us/psw/programs/uesd/uep/products/11/800TreeCityUSABulletin_55.pdf>.

4 Lovasi, G. S., J. W. Quinn, K. M. Neckerman, M. S. Perzanowski, and A. Rundle. "A Rundle. Children Living in Areas with More Street Trees Have Lower Prevalence ofAsthma." Journal of Epidemiol Community Health 62 (2008): 647-49. Web. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18450765>.

American Lung Association (ALA). 1997. Childhood Asthma: A Matter of Control. Pamphlet.

5 Wolf, Kathleen, and Nicholas Bratton. "Urban Tees and Traffic Safely: considering U.S. Roadside Policy and Crash Data." Arboriculture & Urban Forestry 32.4 (2006).Web. <http://www.naturewithin.info/Roadside/TransSafety_ArbUF.pdf>.

6 Foster, Josh, Ashley Lowe, and Steve Winkelman. The Value of Green Infrastructure for Urban Climate Adaptation. Rep. Center for Clean Air Policy, 2011. Web.<http://www.ccap.org/docs/resources/989/Green_Infrastructure_FINAL.pdf>.

7 Nowak, David J., “Benefits of Community Trees”, (Brooklyn Trees, USDA Forest Service General Technical Report, in review).

8 “Trees and Vegetation | Heat Island Effect | US EPA." US Environmental Protection Agency. Web. <http://www.epa.gov/heatisland/mitigation/trees.htm>.

Hilltop Arboretum. “Nature the Changing Climate and You: Act Locally!” 5.4 (2007). Web.<http://hilltop.lsu.edu/hilltop/hilltop.nsf/$Content/Newsletters/$file/07winter.pdf>.

9 Parker, John H. "Landscaping to Reduce the Energy Used in Cooling Buildings." Journal of Forestry 81.2 (1983): 82-105. Society of American Foresters. Web.<http://www.sfrc.ufl.edu/urbanforestry/Resources/PDF%20downloads/Parker_Miami%20landsc ape%20energy%20use_1983.pdf>.

10 University of Washington, College of Forest Resources. Urban Forest Values: Economic Benefits of Trees in Cities. Rep. Center for Human Horticulture, 1998. Web.<http://www.cfr.washington.edu/research/factSheets/29-UrbEconBen.pdf>.

11 Kuo, Frances, and William Sullivan. “Environment and Crime in the Inner City: Does Vegetation Reduce Crime?” Environment and Behavior 33.3 (2001). Web.<http://www.outdoorfoundation.org/pdf/EnvironmentAndCrime.pdf> .

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Trees reduce crime: apartment buildingswith high levels of trees and greenerycan have over 50% fewer crimes

Credits

Content: Leland Milstein, Program Director, Alliance for Community TreesDesign: Hillary WeinrothNeighborWoodsTM Event Map: Geoffrey HatchardPhotos: Courtesy of ACTrees Member Organizations

❝National NeighborWoodsTM Month is the annual celebration of trees in our communities... I encourage you to get involved both personally and

professionally. National NeighborWoodsTM Month is an opportunity to forge lasting partnerships for the health and resilience

of our urban forest for the benefit of generations to come.❞

-Tom Tidwell, Chief, U.S. Forest Service

Alliance for Community TreesNational NeighborWoodsTM Month is a program of Alliance for Community Trees.

Alliance for Community Trees (ACTrees) is a national nonprofit organization dedicated toimproving the health and livability of cities by planting and caring for trees. With over 200grassroots member organizations in 44 states and Canada, ACTrees engages volunteersto take action to improve the environment where 93% of people live and work: in cities,towns, and metropolitan areas. Together ACTrees member organizations have plantedand cared for over 15 million trees in cities with help from over 5 million volunteers. Formore information, please visit www.ACTrees.org, like us on Facebook, and follow us onTwitter @alliance4trees.

4603 Calvert RoadCollege Park, MD 20740

301-277-0040301-277-0042 (fax)[email protected]

facebook.com/AllianceforCommunityTrees@alliance4trees@NeighborWoods

ACTreesAlliance for Community TreesTree by Tree • Street by Street

ACTreesAlliance for Community TreesTree by Tree • Street by Street

4603 Calvert RoadCollege Park, MD 20740

National NeighborWoodsTM MonthPrinted on 50% PCW

neighborwoodstm month 1actrees.org/files/publications/nnwm_2011_report.pdfcommunities. in 2011, tens...

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