#treephilly

An art exhibit in City Hall honors the hard-working and passionate men and women who care for our city's trees and forests.

The exhibit, titled "The Arborists of Philadelphia Parks & Recreation: Growing and Caring for Our Urban Forest,” can be found on the second floor of City Hall, outside the mayor's office. 

The primary focus of the exhibit is a collection of portraits of Parks & Rec’s Urban Forestry Unit and Ecosystem Management Unit staff. Photographer Sabina Louise Pierce captured the special relationship between Philadelphia Parks & Recreation arborists, the trees they care for, and the tools of their trade.

In addition to the portraits, the exhibit includes:

a display case with information about the team’s work

examples of a custom soil mix from Greenland Nursery

lumber milled from trees felled by our staff in the park system.

The arborists of Philadelphia Parks & Recreation are charged with the growth and care of the city’s urban forest. This includes 10,250 acres of park land and 117,000 trees along the city streets. 

Their work includes:

growing trees at Greenland Nursery in Fairmount Park

planting and caring for our young forest

removing dead and hazardous trees

These men and women are passionate, hardworking, and proud of the work they do to keep Philadelphia’s trees healthy and its citizens safe. Please visit City Hall before May 10th to see the portraits that honor these dedicated civil servants. 

The arborists honored include (click on name to see portrait):

Lori Hayes

Max Blaustein

Joe Toohey

Dave Cupps

Ben Stanko

Erica Smith Fichman

Curtis Helm (retired)

Chris Johnson

Anthony Holiday

Sean Hubbard

Jose Melendez

Jose G. Melendez

All across the city kids have been learning about plants and wildlife through the Junior Farmers program of Parks & Rec’s Farm Philly.

This season kids have:

planted gardens

harvested fruits and vegetables

learned about food and the natural world

The fall is usually time to wrap things up for the year. But at Simpson Rec Center, we've been busy planting a small orchard!

Parks & Rec's TreePhilly provided one peach and two pawpaw trees. Youth from the site's afterschool program had a fantastic planting day.

During the planting, kids learned about the benefits of trees and how to care for them. We also talked about how the pawpaw trees were a part of the natural landscape in Philadelphia hundreds of years ago.  

Above: pawpaw fruit on tree, and cut open.

The pawpaw tree produces the largest edible fruit native to North America. The flavor of pawpaw fruit is often compared to bananas, but with hints of mango, vanilla, and citrus.

On March 15, The Oval and TreePhilly accepted awards on behalf of Philadelphia Parks & Recreation at the Pennsylvania Recreation & Park Society’s 69th Annual State Conference. Both were recognized for “Excellence in Recreation and Parks.”

Situated on 8 acres of land on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, The Oval was designed by Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, in partnership with The Fairmount Park Conservancy, to make Eakins Oval more accessible to the public. The Oval provides a wide array of community programming, activities and amenities suitable for all ages.

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By Joshua Albert. Published on Spiritnews.org May 28 2015.

In an effort to help beautify the neighborhood, East Kensington Neighbors Association and the New Kensington Community Development Corporationhave partnered with TreePhilly to give out two free trees to residents whoregister for them. You can pick up your trees this Saturday at the NKCDC garden center (1801 Frankford Ave) from 10AM to 2PM.

Residents will be given their trees as long as they make the following pledge:

“I will plant my tree in the City of Philadelphia on property I own, or property on which I have permission to plant.

I will plant my tree in the ground (NOT in a container or in the sidewalk).

I will plant my tree within 15 days of pick-up.

I will water my tree (20 gallons a week) from March through December.

I agree to allow TreePhilly to contact me for follow-up information about my tree.”

So if you like trees—and who doesn’t—make sure to stop by and do your part to help beatify your neighborhood.

See link for more info.

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