CWP just signed on to a partnership with the City of Philadelphia's TreePhilly program. TreePhilly is working to build the urban forest canopy through the city by providing free yard trees to residents who sign up. They work together with local partners to get the word out to residents and this fall, CWP has become one of those partners.
Our commitment is to get 25 Hunting Park residents signed up for free trees by November 9. Residents will have a broad range of tree species to choose from, including a number of flowering and fruiting trees. A big part of our role will be to help educate people about the many benefits of trees - they provide shade, cool and filter the air, provide beauty, increase property values, provide habitat and food for local species, and improve mental health. For many urban residents, however, there is skepticism about trees because the wrong species have been planted in the past and have torn up sidewalks and broken into sewer pipes. The tree species being offered through TreePhilly are carefully selected to have root systems that are non-aggressive and shallower than the sewer lines as well as growing patterns that are far less likely to upend sidewalks. This first partnership is simple and small. Our hope is to eventually integrate it into our ongoing solar initiative so that as we are talking about the benefits and options with solar, we can also get people connected with free trees.
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