Neighborhood Foresters
Why do we need the Neighborhood Foresters?
Street and park trees are a vital part of our community, but they need a little help along the way.
Tree care requires attention, and who better to notice trees in need than the residents who live beside them? Forestry staff can only do so much, and must prioritize hazard trees.
Programs like the Neighborhood Foresters catch problems sooner, meaning we can curb and correct issues before a tree gets labeled as a “hazard.”
How does the program help?
Click through the tabs to learn what Neighborhood Foresters do!
Inventorying creates or corrects the records of trees to support future tree care and planting efforts. The goal is to begin creating a more accurate picture of the neighborhood canopy and needed care by recording tree location, health and other key data. This can be done with digital or paper data collection tools.
Mulch is a powerful tool to reduce competition from grass and other plants, retain rainfall and supplemental water, and improve the soil of the planting site. Most trees are mulched at the time of planting. We correct common improper mulching practices on new plantings. Mulch mostly decomposes after a year, so we add new mulch as needed.
Trees in urban planting sites often can’t survive their first summer with rainfall alone. During periods of high temperature and/or low rainfall, providing additional water is key to avoid wasting the hope and resources invested when planting a new tree.
Watering and adopting trees is now easier than ever too with the STL TreeLC watering app!
Clearance pruning to improve access to sidewalks and parking or remove damage and minor structural/growth issues. We only prune smaller branches able to be safely pruned from the ground.
Planting is not a program activity. Instead our stewardship increases the success of other community plantings and supports planning of future plantings. Neighborhood Foresters are always welcome to participate independently in community plantings, and—we hope—share about the importance of post-planting stewardship.
Want to start a Neighborhood Foresters group in your community?
Fill in the contact form below to schedule a demo!
Contact Us:
Phone: 314-282-4175
Email: info@stltreelc.org
Mailing Address:
PO BOX 775293, St. Louis, MO, United States, 63177-5293