NeighborWoods Tree Planting Program
The NeighborWoods Program is a national effort through the Alliance for Community Trees dedicated to restoring tree canopy in American cities. More than 14.9 million trees have been planted in the U.S. through the NeighborWoods program since 1993.
Each year, KDB selects neighborhoods, schools, or places of worship that are in need of publicly-viewed trees to participate in the NeighborWoods Tree Planting Program. The NeighborWoods Tree Planting Program aims to have a concentrated impact on the urban forest in Denton’s neighborhoods in the areas that need it the most.
Applying for the NeighborWoods Program
Participating groups are given training, free mulch, and free trees to plant in their yards or on their property in fall or early winter. Groups interested in participating must complete an application. To give you an idea, this is what the 2011 application looked like. The program has closed for 2011 so watch for the next deadline in 2012. KDB has a limited number of trees available in this program each year.
The NeighborWoods program is sponsored in part by Denton Municipal Electric.
For more information or assistance with your application, please contact Mendie Schmidt at (940)349-8738 or mendie@kdb.org.
Benefits of increasing tree canopy
In cities, the benefits of increasing tree canopy are clear and well-documented:
- Sales at businesses on tree-lined streets can be up to 12 percent higher than in treeless areas.
- Shaded streets need to be paved half as often as those without tree cover.
- The property values of homes with trees are as much as 20 percent higher than equivalent properties without trees.
- Shade from three strategically placed trees can cut utility costs by as much as 50 percent.
- Trees reduce the amount of water runoff from rain and clean the water that does run off, saving billions of dollars otherwise needed for stormwater control.
- Children perform better in school if they are able to spend time in green settings.
- Trees reduce asthma rates in children by removing dust and pollution from the air.
- Each year, an acre of trees absorbs the amount of carbon produced by driving a car for 26,000 miles.
- Crime rates are lower in neighborhoods with more trees and parks.
- Large shade trees support an immense variety of bird species, insects, and other urban wildlife.
Important NeighborWoods Dates
- January 3, 2011: NeighborWoods application available online
- May 23, 2011: NeighborWoods application due to KDB offices
- June 17, 2011: Groups are notified of NeighborWoods awards
- Summer 2011: Community Forestry class for groups awarded NeighborWoods trees
- Late Fall 2011: NeighborWoods tree plantings
