SDOT Gardeners watering a newly planted tree in Ballard, in Spring 2011.
It’s mid-December and Urban Forestry has reached its goal of 800 trees planted. Our biggest project in a single area was in Ballard; this spring, we planted 362 bare root trees from 9th Ave NW to 15th Ave NW, and NW 65th St to NW 85th St. Smaller projects and replacement trees were planted all over the city, from NE 125th St in Cedar Park to Seward Park Ave S in Seward Park, and from California Ave SW in West Seattle to 38th Ave NE in Bryant. Several citizens’ groups requested trees, including Beacon B.I.K.E.S, a group working to establish Neighborhood Greenways on Beacon Hill. As a result of our collaboration, we planted 70 trees on 18th Ave S. We worked with a neighborhood group and a Seattle Public Schools class to replace six community-planted trees that had been vandalized in Ballard. We planted fifteen different species of trees, in order to increase tree diversity and find trees appropriate to different planting conditions and spaces. After a project on 19th Ave was completed, a resident wrote an email to thank us: “Today your people planted trees on 19th Av. between S. Dearborn & Charles Street, just like you said, different kinds. It is wonderful. Wherever life may take me, I can walk down that street and enjoy those trees. Thank-you.” As the tree and landscape field crews can attest, tree planting is hard work, but appreciative residents help make it rewarding.