#treesatlanta

Over the past few years, the state of Georgia has made headlines for leading the nation in urban tree loss. I decided to take action this week by volunteering with Trees Atlanta, an organization dedicated to protecting the city’s tree canopy, to plant some trees in local neighborhoods. 

After a post-recession recovery, thousands of new residents have flocked to the city of Atlanta. In fact, the city recently saw the third-highest population growth in the nation. For the metro area, this means more new developments and an increase in felled trees, to the tune of 18,000 acres on average annually. This comes at a high price for Atlanta: Among other costs, tree loss means hotter summers, lower water quality, increased ozone production, and a blow to its identity as the “City in the Forest.”

In terms of their physical attributes, trees give back to the planet in many ways. You likely have heard about how trees provide oxygen for us to breathe, filter pollutants out of the air, and are crucial in managing atmospheric CO2 levels. However, trees have several additional valuable qualities that are less commonly known. Trees block wind and provide heat insulation in the winter, and during the warmer months, forested areas are up to 10 degrees cooler than neighboring areas with no tree canopy. Planting trees, therefore, saves energy by reducing the need for electric heating and air conditioning. Trees also reduce noise pollution, prevent soil runoff and water pollution, and encourage biodiversity. 

Did you know that several studies have shown that communities with a greater tree canopy have lower crime rates? Similarly, researchers have found trees to provide numerous health benefits: The presence of trees can aid in mitigating stress and reducing the risk of cardiometabolic diseases. Studies even demonstrate that hospital patients recovering from surgery require less medication and recover quicker when placed in rooms with a view of trees. 

Founded in 1985, Trees Atlanta is a nationally-recognized nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of Atlanta’s tree canopy. Fueled by volunteer work and offering a wide variety of community programs, the nonprofit describes itself as a “citizens’ group that protects and improves Atlanta’s urban forest by planting, conserving, and educating.” I was excited to get involved with this group to help restore my city’s urban forest.

To volunteer, I first registered for a planting shift on the Trees Atlanta website. On the day of my shift, I drove to their Operations Center just three miles southwest of downtown Atlanta, where I was greeted by coordinator Matt Dort. Matt started planting with Trees Atlanta seven years ago as a volunteer and now leads the organization’s neighborhood planting program. I also met Keithan, a fellow first-time planter. Keithan explained that he chose to volunteer with Trees Atlanta out of concern for the environment. 

From the Operations Center, Matt drove us to our first planting site, a nearby neighborhood along the downtown connector. Our first mission: to replace a damaged young Eastern redbud with a healthy sapling of the same species. The damaged tree would later be salvaged and rehabilitated at the Operations Center. Matt explained that redbuds are a common species on the Piedmont Plateau and are particularly well-suited for residential neighborhoods. We grabbed our shovels and took to digging. Pulling up the roots turned out to be more of a challenge than we had anticipated; with three people, this transplant ended up taking close to an hour.  

After laying the mulch on our first tree, we hopped back into the truck and drove to our second site: Waterworks Park. This newly redeveloped greenspace was opened just a year ago in my own neighborhood of West Midtown. I was happy to help expand the tree canopy in my local community. 

Once again, our work was not easy. We found that the park was sitting atop layers of gravel and tough Georgia clay. To dig the holes for planting new trees, we had to break up these hard layers with a pickaxe before shoveling away heavy piles of rock. Matt explained that the terrain would not be an issue for the trees, however, as only particularly durable tree species were selected for this tough urban environment.

We planted two additional saplings in the park that afternoon: an elm and a bald cypress. By the end of the shift, we were each covered in our fair share of mud and dirt. It definitely felt like an afternoon well spent.