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Tree Information & Manuals
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TreePhilly Research
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International Society of Arboriculture, Tree Owner Information The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) offers a collection of helpful tips for tree owners, including information on tree benefits, managing hazards and risks, and pruning.
Penn State Extension, Philadelphia County Office [email protected] | (215) 471-2200 The Penn State Extension, with a county office in Center City Philadelphia, has several experts on urban and community forestry who are available to answer questions, share resources, and provide information.
US Forest Service, Tree Owner’s Manual The US Forest Service’s Northeastern Area offers a manual on tree ownership specific to the Northeastern and Midwestern United States. It is available for free download at the web address listed above.
Philadelphia Parks & Recreation (PPR) Street Tree Contract Management (215) 685-4363 | (215) 685-4362 Contact PPR’s Street Tree Management team for planting, pruning, and removal requests regarding street trees (trees planted in the sidewalk). You can also contact this office to request a current list of arborist contractors who are qualified to work on Philadelphia street trees.
International Society of Arboriculture, Penn-Del Chapter (717) 412-7473The Pennsylvania-Delaware Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture was founded in 1960. The purpose of this organization is to foster a greater appreciation for shade trees and to promote the science, technology, and practice of professional arboriculture in the states of Pennsylvania and Delaware.
PECO Tree & Vegetation Services For non-emergency requests for private property tree trimming around electrical wires, please use this PECO request form.
Tree Care Industry Association (603) 314 5380 For tree maintenance, service, and removal on private property, please hire a professional arborist or company certified by the International Society of Arboriculture or the Tree Care Industry Association. Certified arborists and companies may also receive a permit from PPR’s Street Tree office to work on street trees in Philadelphia.
Emerald Ash Borer, Homeowner Resources Emerald Ash Borer, Penn State Extension Free App to Identify Ash Trees and Susceptibility to Emerald Ash Borer The Emerald Ash Borer is an invasive insect that is devastating the ash tree population in the eastern and midwestern United States. The insect has been found in Philadelphia and will wipe out the city’s ash trees over the course of the next few years. Dead ash trees can be very brittle, and are dangerous and difficult to remove. This site will help you identify if you have an ash tree on your property and help you determine what the next steps are to either treat or remove the tree to prevent future hazards and costs.
Greenworks Philadelphia Created in 2008, the Greenworks Philadelphia plan aims to make Philadelphia the greenest city in America! “Target 11: Increase Tree Coverage toward 30 percent in All Neighborhoods by 2025” provided the basis for the formation of the TreePhilly Program.
A Report on the City of Philadelphia’s Existing and Possible Tree Canopy, 2011 Researcher Jarlath O’Neil-Dunne of the University of Vermont used 3-dimensional LiDAR data of Philadelphia’s tree canopy to analyze existing tree and areas for new tree planting. The data was analyzed in many different ways, including by land use, zip codes, and socio-demographics. This report was funded by the USDA Forest Service, and is the reason why the TreePhilly Program has focused on providing free trees for yards.
An Assessment of Tree Canopy Changes in Philadelphia, 2019
This is the second comprehensive report on Philadelphia’s tree canopy, and examines the city’s existing canopy, and changes over the past 10 years. The analysis shows where canopy was lost and gained and shows where there are opportunities and needs for tree plantings. This report was funded by the TreePennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Urban and Community forestry Council. TreePhilly uses this report to inform partnership opportunities with communities in areas facing low canopy and canopy loss.
A Market Analysis of TreePhilly’s Yard Tree Program, Spring 2012-Spring 2014 Researcher Dexter H. Locke of Clark University in Worcester, MA, analysed data from five seasons of the TreePhilly Yard Tree Giveaway program to determine the success of outreach methods and to suggest new areas of growth.
Branching out to residential lands: Missions and strategies of five distribution programs in the U.S. Researcher Vi D. Nguyen of University of California, Berkeley,CA, analyzed the missions, strategies, and challenges of five tree distribution programs, including TreePhilly, to assess methods and offer suggestions for monitoring success.
Philadelphia Tree Summit Report Results from the first urban forestry stakeholder engagement event for the Urban Forest Strategic Plan process (planned for 2020-2021). The Tree Summit brought together 100 people from 50 different organizations to identify key challenges facing Philadelphia’s urban forest that should be addressed in the Urban Forest Strategic Plan, including steps for prioritizing equity in that process.
Environmental Justice Report : Towards Equity in Philadelphia Urban Forestry
This report summarizes principles of environmental justice to inform urban forestry
practices Philadelphia. In particular, this report guides recommendations to improve the
TreePhilly program as it moves toward expanding the Community Yard Tree Giveaway
Grant from 2019 to 2021. The report synthesizes principles of environmental justice and
recommendations from academia and community members to create a list of best
practices in Philadelphia urban forestry. Next, it analyzes the past distribution and
demographics of TreePhilly tree distribution and presents a geographic prioritization for
future outreach.
Morris Arboretum [email protected] | (215) 247-5777 The Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania offers classes each spring and fall, including some on tree identification, maintenance, and care. The Morris Arboretum is also home to the School of Arboriculture, which offers continuing education credits for arborists.
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS), Tree Tenders Program [email protected] | (215) 988-8844 PHS offers Tree Tenders training courses every spring and fall that teach the basics of tree planting and care. Watch their excellent collection of tree care videos, which you can access at the web address listed above.
Philadelphia Orchard Project [email protected] | (215) 724-1247 The Philadelphia Orchard Project (POP) partners with community groups to plant and maintain fruit orchards in the city of Philadelphia. They also offer educational workshop on planting and maintaining fruit and food trees. We highly recommend checking out their Pruning Guide for Fruit Trees.
Forest Service Kids (800) 832-1355 The Forest Service connects kids with nature and the outdoors by providing students, parents and teachers with youth-oriented information and resources related to natural resources and the environment.
Discover the Forest This PSA campaign aims to inspire tweens (aged 8-12) and their parents to re-connect with nature, experiencing it first-hand. The campaign brings to life the joy and excitement kids have when they discover the wonders of nature, helping create interest in their environment and a lifelong relationship with it.
The Schuylkill Center The Schuylkill Center’s wide selection of programming is geared towards all types of people including students, teachers, families, and individuals. The Center focuses on providing the highest level of environmental education to program participants in order to foster curiosity, the desire to learn, and a love for the nature.
Spare a Tree, Use a Bike Rack Biking is good for the environment, but killing trees by locking your bike to them is not. Sometimes trees may seem like the only option if bike parking is scarce, but there are some very good reasons not to lock your bike to the trees. Spare a Tree, Use a Bike Rack lays out some reasons why you should save a tree, and always lock your bike to a rack.
Keep Philadelphia Beautiful’s Community Cleanup Resource Guide This guide has everything you need to run a successful community volunteer cleanup or greening project! From planning to getting resources to recruiting volunteers, it is full of program contact info, checklists, tips and templates for running your first (or 500th!) event.
Philadelphia Parks & Recreation One Parkway Building, 10th Floor 1515 Arch Street Philadelphia, PA 19102 P: 215.683.0217 F: 215.683.0205 [email protected] Phila.gov/programs/treephilly
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