The City of Chicopee, through a collaboration between the Forestry Department and the Department of Planning & Development, announces its Fall Community Tree Planting event scheduled for Saturday, November 10, 2018.
Approximately 100 trees will be planted along Trilby Avenue, Dickinson Street, and Ludger Avenue within existing tree lawns that are within the public right-of-way. Interested volunteers are encouraged to attend and get their hands dirty planting the City’s next generation of street trees while learning about the benefits of the City’s Urban Forest. Invite your friends, family and neighbors to come dig, plant, and celebrate new greenery!
The volunteer planting event will run from 9am until noon on Saturday, November 10, 2018. The installation team will rendezvous at Ray Ash Park on Arcade Street. Shovels and other necessary tools will also be supplied. Appropriate footwear and clothing is highly recommended – be prepared for all weather conditions as the event will take place rain or shine!
This is the third volunteer planting event held by the City since 2015. A Fall 2015 event in Willimansett was an overwhelming success, resulting in the planting of approximately 220 trees and was supported by funding from the City and the TD Bank Green Streets grant program. In the spring of 2017, with City funding, approximately 100 trees were planted along Fairview Avenue.
This year, the event will be funded by the City and through tree planting waiver fees accepted by the City’s Planning Board from projects where developers were unable to meet tree planting requirements per site plan regulations.
Mayor Richard J. Kos touted the benefits of this event, stating that, “Our community tree planting program offers a unique opportunity for residents, neighbors, and friends to come together to improve the health and wellness of our City, return the desirable, tree-lined appearance to the City’s streetscape, and leave an enduring environmental impact for future generations.”
The impetus for this project stems from the City’s Urban Forestry Plan, completed in 2013. In addition to participation in such initiatives as the Commonwealth’s Greening the Gateway Cities program, this Community Tree Planting event again demonstrates the City of Chicopee’s commitment to its Urban Forest. The urban forest also provides a vital layer of stormwater management, helping to spread and infiltrate water into the soil, which lessens the impact during the “peak flow” of rain events.
Director of Planning & Development Lee Pouliot commented on the event, saying that, “The addition of 100 new street trees continues the City’s commitment to implementing the Urban Forestry Management Plan which calls for significant tree planting efforts to further increase our urban canopy. Every tree planted is selected with great consideration and represents a step toward making the often overlooked and underappreciated presence of a street tree a regular layer of infrastructure.”
Please see the attached Volunteer recruitment flyer for further details.
To register for the November 10th event, please visit the City’s website at chicopeema.gov or contact the Planning Department at 413-594-1515.