Since 2018, we have supported the City of Medford’s efforts to increase our urban tree canopy.
IT ALL STARTED WHEN…
The City of Medford has a well-established tree-planting program. It also performs year-round tree maintenance (including overseeing trimming around utility-wires, tree- and stump-removal, and watering). Nonetheless, due to development, old age, and urban pressures such as gas leaks, Medford’s tree canopy is in decline.
Medford residents organized to form the Medford Tree Advocacy Group (now Trees Medford) during the summer of 2018 to respond to this decline. This volunteer group, which has grown to over 100 members, advocates for the City’s trees.
In its first year, group members watered at-risk trees, applied for and received a DCR grant for tree-planting in West Medford’s Dugger Park, and submitted an actionable CPC application for tree planting in parks across Medford..
Trees Medford aims to support Medford’s increased investment in trees. By 2023, we’d like Medford to have completed a formal tree inventory, increase the number of trees planted year on year, hold 2-3 tree planting events each year, and work with local universities to hire tree interns and introduce community educational programs. We also aim to influence the environmental impact of new developments in Medford by encouraging developers to preserve old-growth trees and plant new trees when building new structures.