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A local volunteer group’s commitment to trees is doing much more than just planting neighborhood pride.
Imagine, for a moment, that you live in a city lush with green. Trees line the sidewalks, showering scarlet leaves in the fall. In pocket parks, giant oaks and sycamores shade even the most urban communities from summer heat, and residents breathe easier as the canopy scrubs the air, flushing it with fresh oxygen. In the mornings, the city rings out with birdsong.
If that sounds a bit like paradise, take note: a Roanoke volunteer group is working to make it a reality, right now.
“I love to preach the gospel according to trees,” says David Edwards, president of the Roanoke Tree Stewards and a board member for Trees Roanoke, a nonprofit sister group that purchases public trees. “They do so much for us, but they don’t ask for much in return,” he says.
That’s why, quietly and without fanfare, the Tree Stewards meet several times a month to plant, prune and sometimes water Roanoke’s urban forest – in parks, on greenways and along neighborhood streets.
“People come out and ask what we’re doing, thank us for improving the neighborhood,” says Harry Van Guilder, a member of the Roanoke Tree Stewards’ inaugural training class with his wife, Melanie Van Guilder. “It’s very rewarding.”
But take note: those rewards aren’t just about good vibes and gratitude. Trees offer real, measurable benefits, too … sometimes with dollar signs attached.
Does Money Grow on Trees?
Once upon a time, urban planners and citizens didn’t pay much attention to public trees. At best they were seen as decorative objects, like public fountains or public art. At worst, they were sometimes viewed as an expensive nuisance, in the way of new development and in need of constant upkeep.
But public perception of city trees is changing.
A mounting body of research suggests that urban trees do critical work in curbing summer swelter, lowering energy costs, preventing expensive stormwater runoff problems, promoting student learning, enhancing the lure of tourist destinations, boosting property values, and, in some cases, even reducing crime.
Across the nation, trees are increasingly seen as a valuable part of a city’s infrastructure, just like the electric grid, roadways or a water treatment facility.
Planting Neighborhood Pride
But perhaps some of the most important work of trees – and of the Tree Stewards – is in planting neighborhood pride … especially in communities that have historically been less leafy.
“It just makes the neighborhood cozier to have that lining of trees. It’s like having curtains in your home,” says Sunni Purviance, president of the Southeast Action Forum and creator of the I Heart SE Campaign.
Last year, I Heart SE partnered with the Tree Stewards and Fitness for Good to plant dozens of trees in Southeast Roanoke, inviting neighbors to come out and participate.
“I think it gives us ownership in the neighborhood … helps us claim it as ours – as something that we want to make better,” Sunni says
The story above is from our September/October 2020 issue. For the full story subscribe today or view our FREE digital edition. Thank you for supporting local journalism!
