Trees For Goshen Spring 2019 Planting

We are raising funds to plant 30+ trees at locations throughout northeast Goshen. These are areas of the city that will benefit greatly from additional tree planting because they have less existing tree canopy than other areas, and therefore have more to gain from tree planting. Volunteers from Trees for Goshen have been working with residents to find locations to plant trees. Many of the trees will be planted on private property although a few are street trees to be located in the public right-of-way.  

This is our third year of planting trees in Goshen and for two neighborhoods, East Lincoln and Chamberlain, our third consecutive year in each.  

These trees will be planted in areas that were identified as high priority through a series of neighborhood association meetings held by Trees for Goshen (TFG) in late 2016 and subsequent analysis by TFG over the years.  The goal of the meetings was to identify potential projects as well as neighborhood residents who would be willing to collaborate with TFG on developing the project and help coordinate fundraising, planting, and long term maintenance of the trees. 

These areas were selected as high priority through an analysis that rated the need of different areas of the city based on existing tree canopy, existing impervious surfaces (buildings, roads, parking lots), and economic indicators. The city forester and a volunteer arborist worked on site selection, gaining permission from property owners, and selecting plant species. 

Once the funds have been raised, the trees will be purchased from local nurseries and a community planting day on April 20th with a rain date April 27th. Volunteers will be asked to assist in planting the trees on that day. Some equipment will be provided by the city, but volunteers may bring shovels to assist in the effort. Refreshments will be served.

After planting, neighborhood residents will be responsible for watering the trees on a weekly basis for a period of at least two years during the growing season. If you would like to assist with watering please contact TFG or ask at the planting event.

Trees provide immense and often overlooked benefits to neighborhoods that go beyond aesthetics. They have a positive benefit on human health and property values, they clean the air and capture rainwater, and help cool streets and buildings during hot weather. In fact, Goshen’s public trees create $1.35 million annually in ecological benefits (https://goshenin.mytreekeeper.com/). These trees will provide those benefits and many more to residents, adding value to their neighborhoods, for decades to come. 

Trees for Goshen is a nonprofit dedicated to promoting urban forestry through tree planting, maintenance, preservation, and education.