SOUTHWEST PHILADELPHIA – If you walk or drive by Woodland Avenue late this fall, you can expect to see some new residents. By December, 35 new trees will be planted along Woodland Avenue between 54th Street and 62nd Street. ACANA and Southwest CDC are leading this greening and beautification effort with help from Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, the Philadelphia Commerce Department, and Penn Urban Health Lab’s Deeply Rooted Program.
Trees help cool our streets, clean our air and water, and make our communities healthier. Some areas of Southwest Philadelphia are as much as 4°F hotter than Philadelphia on average. Trees are one of the easiest ways to keep our city streets cool. Trees also help children do better in school and recover faster from traumatic events. These trees will also help neighborhood businesses. Research shows that customers visit commercial areas more often when streets have trees.
ACANA’s Commercial Corridor Ambassadors will care for the new trees. The staff learned proper tree care at a training program at Overbrook Environmental Education Center. The ACANA staff will water, mulch, and remove dead branches for the first two years after planting. The first two years of care are the most important to make sure a tree will have a healthy life.
ACANA and Southwest CDC are exploring opportunities to continue this project and bring more trees to Southwest Philadelphia.
This project is one of many greening projects in Southwest Philadelphia. If you would like a free tree along your street, you can request free trees from South Philadelphia Tree Tenders. Southwest Philadelphia Tree Tenders also offers paid opportunities for young adults and community members of all ages to plant trees and do community clean ups. You can contact Southwest Philadelphia Tree Tenders by going to www.bartramsgarden.org/trees or emailing trees@bartramsgarden.org.
