54 trees planted across medford

In partnership with the Mystic River Watershed Association, TreesMedford was awarded a grant to provide shade trees to Medford residents to plant in their yards. The grant specified these bare-root, 3- to 6-foot tall trees be distributed to Medford residents most affected by urban heat islands (e.g., who live in South Medford, Wellington) and who commit to caring for the tree.

In October 2023, 54 trees were planted across Medford. Given community interest, TreesMedford plans to coordinate similar programs in coming years.

To learn more, sign up for updates from TreesMedford by providing your contact information at the bottom of this webpage.

TreesMedford Raises $200,000+

TreesMedford, a grassroots community organization of residents passionate about increasing Medford’s tree canopy. Since forming in 2018, TreesMedford has raised $208,800 in grant monies. 

These grants have funded tree inventory work ($31,500 to date), and tree planting ($177,300 to date).

Click here for more detail about these grants.

2022 Report: TreesMedford

January 2023

Trees available for TreeMedford’s Adopt-a-Tree program

TreesMedford had a busy year in 2022. From writing grants to plant more trees, to delivering a draft tree ordinance to the City Council, to organizing citizen watering efforts, we have had a real impact on the city’s trees and the City’s ability to improve its tree canopy. We have logged nearly 300 hours towards these activities. Partially through our efforts , Medford was able to plant about 180 new trees in 2022. Our attention is increasingly focussed in places where the canopy is sparsest, which is frequently in environmental justice areas. While there are a few places in Medford that reach our goal of 40% canopy, there are many areas that are significantly below that density.

Grants for Tree Inventory

TreesMedford continues to submit grant applications to fund tree planting and the management of Medford’s tree canopy. We started with an inventory of parts of South Medford, which has been completed. In 2022 we were awarded $10K by the Nellie Lehmann Taft Foundation and $500 from Wegmans to continue the inventory of trees in Medford. We completed the inventory of the Oak Grove Cemetery with funds from the Community Preservation Act. In collaboration with the Cemetery Commission, we are using the inventory data to plan tree planting, supported by a $25K grant we got from the Medford Community Fund. 

We are also working on two additional grants. If we receive all of the $12.5K grant we requested from the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation we will be able to complete the inventory of the City’s trees. We also applied for funding from Mystic River Watershed Association and recently heard that we were awarded $25K for South Medford, where we have inventory data. We are working with them to refine our strategy for targeting the worst heat islands in Medford. 

Covid Memorial Grove

The TreesMedford’s Covid Memorial Grove initiative has been embraced by the City of Medford. A Medford Transcript article on it appeared in January 2022 and the City has applied for a $25K grant to develop a design for a space in Riverside Park. We are delighted that our idea is starting to move forward.

Medford Tree Ordinance

After an industrious 2021 drafting a tree ordinance for the City, TreesMedford solicited and incorporated feedback on the draft, and sent a draft to City Council in February 2022. In June, City Council broke the draft ordinance into three separate ordinances: to establish a Tree Committee, to protect trees on Public Property, and to protect trees on Private Property. The Tree Committee would be a new initiative for Medford, and the ordinance to protect public and private trees would involve revisiting related code already on the books. 

Fundraising

We added an important new feature to our website (TreesMedford.org): a button allowing people to make online donations. As a newly minted nonprofit, we need donations to purchase items such as leaflet printing, to support tree watering (with watering bags and tree tags), and to buy seedlings to give away. Some grantors, like DCR, require matching funds or volunteer hours, and we are hoping to raise these funds through donations. 

Watering

The summer of 2022 was hot and dry, and many trees suffered. The City contractors guarantee the trees that it plants for one year, but if that tree dies, we lose a year of growth and all of the effort made by the Tree Warden to select and plant the tree. It is better to keep the trees alive and not lose the City’s investment. This is why the TreesMedford watering program is so critical to improving our tree canopy.

TreesMedford updated the tree adoption web page with the year’s newly planted tree locations. Thirty-one newly planted trees were adopted in 2022. Anyone interested in adopting is encouraged to visit https://www.treesmedford.org/adopts.

We also worked with citizens to ensure that the gator bags function as designed. Many bags get  damaged by mowers and winter weathering. We also requested more watering by the City, and access to city water for the watering done by our volunteers for unadopted trees.

Tabling 

Our outreach efforts focus on tabling at fairs and events. We were a presence at Arbor Day, Mystic River Festival, Circle the Square, Harvest Your Energy, and Tufts Community Day (where we nearly got blown off the Hill by gale force winds!) and altogether spent nearly 40 hours at the events and planning for them. These opportunities enable us to reach hundreds of people with a message about the value of trees in Medford. We also use these events to find good homes for tree seedlings that will shade our neighborhoods and reduce summer’s heat.

Tree Stumps 

The bad news is that there are more stumps in Medford than there were a year ago. The good news is that the City obtained funding for stump removal in certain parts of the city. These funds will support the removal of 160 stumps. Some stumps have been around for years. 

Partnerships

TreesMedford has developed partnerships to expand our ability to reach our audience, educate our youth, and communicate with similar groups in the region. TreesMedford was chosen by Wentworth University’s Women’s Leadership Initiative to participate in its community-based service-learning project. Three students researched the relationship between Medford’s tree canopy (or lack thereof) and the heat island effect. The students presented a final project with an actionable plan highlighting the specific sites Medford can plant trees that, over time, will help reduce surface temperatures. 

We are part of MassTreeOrgs, a new regional tree group formed to compare and discuss tree-canopy enhancement in our respective communities. We also participated in a Lexington Living Landscapes webinar on best practices for individuals working with certified arborists. Our work on the ordinance is based on what we learned from ordinances in other Massachusetts communities, and we value the sharing that MassTreeOrgs enables.

 Engagement with the City 

TreesMedford actively engages with the City’s government. We attended Tree Hearings and noted our objection to tree removals. We collaborate with Medford’s Energy & Environment Committee. We participated in City Council and Committee of the Whole meetings to advocate for the proposed tree ordinances. 

We interact with City officials on a range of issues, including the inventory data, data transparency, the Tree Adoption Program, and the COVID Memorial Grove. We are making inquiries about city support for GIS for the inventory data to ensure that the inventories that have been collected are accessible, used and kept up to date. 

To reach out to TreesMedford contact Amanda Bowen at awbowen@comcast.net.

2021 Report: TreesMedford

January 2022

Another year is gone and TreeMedford is reflecting on what we accomplished in 2021. It was a remarkably busy year. TreesMedford is now officially a 501(c) (3) nonprofit!  Donations to TreesMedford will benefit Medford’s trees and its tree canopy by supporting tree watering and educational campaigns, as well as jumpstarting the Covid Memorial Grove.  We welcome your checks made out to TreesMedford and sent to Kim DeAndrade, Treasurer, TreesMedford, 54 Canal Street, Medford, MA 02155. An online contribution mechanism is coming soon.  What better cause to support than trees in your own city? 

In 2021, we reaped the rewards of some of our grant efforts from past years, adding more trees than ever to Medford Parks and neighborhoods. Our Community Preservation Act (CPA) grant supported planting 46 of those trees in Parks, including Morrison, Playstead, Hickey, Hormel, Barry, and Honor Roll. Medford planted a total of 146 trees this fall.

Though we are thrilled to see all the new trees go in, and proud that we have been able to increase the number that the city can afford to plant, planting in Medford is not keeping up with the number of trees that are taken down. In January, 2019, there were about 300 stumps on Medford Streets, and as 2022 began there were 550. Over 150 stumps and dead trees need to be ground out to make way for trees that have been requested by Medford citizens. Some people have waited 2-3 years for a street tree. In areas that the Commonwealth identifies as environmental justice neighborhoods, Medford tapped into block grant funds that supported grinding out 16 stumps.  City funds were used to grind out 48 more stumps in other parts of the City.  The City will need to expand its program to get ahead of this problem.

We are now into our second year of the adopt-a-tree program and have over 100 people signed up to care for trees. The Girl Scout Troop #68137 did a terrific job creating a website, readying the trees for adoption, and making presentations to other troops. They have now turned the project over to TreesMedford. Fortunately, last summer was wet, and after June the clouds were generous if not overly so, but we are grateful to have such a fine start to this important program. Young trees are so vulnerable! Though contractors will replace trees that die in the first year, they will do that only once, and we will lose a year’s worth of growth if a tree must be replanted. 

Any city resident who would like to adopt a tree and water it May - October 2022, can find more information at TreesMedford.org. 

In July TreesMedford was asked by the Zoning Subcommittee to draft a tree protection ordinance. We amassed and reviewed ordinances and bylaws from Massachusetts communities and referenced the excellent tree report of the Tree Subcommittee of Medford’s Energy and Environment Committee. TreesMedford has drafted an ordinance, and sought input from environmental advocates from across the City. The draft is currently under preliminary review. 

Though Covid made our education agenda difficult to pursue, we were able to table at the Harvest your Energy Festival and Arbor Day. We spoke to about 100 people and added 30 to our membership list. At the Harvest your Energy Festival, we found homes for tulip trees that we had fostered, and we gave away pin oaks and sweet gum trees and “I ♥️ Trees” bumper stickers at the Arbor Day Festival. More bumper stickers are available from treesmedford@gmail.com. 

In September, TreesMedford was chosen by Wentworth University’s Women’s Leadership Initiative to participate in its community-based service learning project. Three students researched the relationship between Medford’s tree canopy (or lack thereof) and the heat island effect. The students presented a final project with an actionable plan highlighting the specific sites Medford can plant trees that, over time, will help reduce surface temperatures.

In December we met with the mayor to discuss our priorities, increasing Medford’s tree canopy to 40%, eliminating tree stumps, tree data, the draft tree ordinance, City resources for trees, and the Covid Memorial Grove. The Mayor seemed especially interested in pursuing the idea of a memorial grove for Covid victims, which in a sense, we all are. 

This year we raised $27.5K in grant money. Most of the funds were for planting trees in environmental justice areas of Medford. The remainder were for an inventory of Oak Grove Cemetery trees. We are developing tree inventories for all of Medford. This year the inventory data for South Medford was turned over to the City for their use. We plan to raise money to inventory the Parks and complete the rest of the cemetery in 2022. 

Gas leaks are a known killer of urban trees. TreesMedford is partnering with other communities to identify successful ways to monitor gas leaks and ensure that they are repaired. TreesMedford identified dead trees near gas leaks on several streets where additional scrutiny is needed.

As we look ahead to 2022, we are continuing to find more ways to foster a healthy and vibrant tree canopy to benefit Medford. The ordinance we drafted will be on the front burner in the late winter early spring of 2022, with strong interest from the Mayor and City Council Members. We also look forward to working with the city to site and plant a Covid Memorial Grove - a restful space for our community to reflect on what we have all gone through these last few years and remember loved ones that we have lost. A parklike setting, tall shade trees, flowering trees and shrubs would provide a soothing place for people to relax and reflect for generations to come. Park benches and picnic tables would offer shaded places for people to sit, eat, or relax. Finally, TreesMedford will be pursuing closer ties with neighboring tree groups to learn from their experience with gas leaks, ordinances, and other issues.

We would welcome your involvement in TreesMedford. As you can see, there is plenty to do and get involved with. We estimate that we logged nearly 400 volunteer hours between us this year, and that does not count the hours of the 100 volunteers who pledged to water and care for trees in our adopt-a-tree program. Come join us! Our meetings are on the 3rd Wednesday of the month at 6pm.

Sarah Gerould CoChair, TreesMedford

Amanda Bowen Cochair, TreesMedford

2020 Report: TreesMedford

TreesMedford Accomplishments for 2020

Oh, What a Year! Fortunately for the trees, they don’t get COVID! Most of the rest of us, however, were hunkered down to avoid it. Nevertheless, TreesMedford did not stand still in 2020. With over 450 hours of volunteer work, we moved to broaden the scope and depth of our activities; 2020 was a good year for TreesMedford. 

On the heels of TreesMedford’s 2019 $20K DCR grant to plant trees, early in 2020 the City Council approved a $89.8K grant from the Community Preservation Act (CPA) to plant shade trees in nine city parks. These trees--large, long-lived, and tolerant to climate--will help keep the parks and Medford citizens cooler into the next century! The planting is complete in Tufts Park and Hormel Stadium/LoConte Memorial Rink, and will be completed in Hickey Park/Playground, Barry Park/Playground, Morrison Park, Hillside Memorial/Capen Park, Playstead Park, Wright’s Pond, and Medford Honor Roll Park in 2021. 

One critical item on our “to do” list is completing an inventory of Medford’s trees. Tree inventories provide a snapshot of all the urban trees; they describe the size, species, health status, maintenance needs, and potential planting sites of the City’s forest inventory. Medford’s tree inventory will enable better planning, but needs funding to get off the ground. TreesMedford started the city-wide inventory by requesting funds for a tree inventory of environmental justice areas. We were awarded a $5K Medford Community Development grant and applied that money to inventorying trees in South Medford. That inventory was delivered in April. We are grateful to the Mystic River Watershed Association for serving as the Fiscal Agent for these funds. We have submitted another DCR grant application to finish surveying the trees in these areas of South and East Medford. 

TreesMedford also wrote a CPA grant application to inventory trees in Oak Grove Cemetery. Many of the older cemetery trees are in very bad condition. The inventory will provide information needed for a cemetery master plan that includes taking care of the trees, replacing those that are unsalvageable, and determining where to plant new trees. Though the plan and inventory can be justified on historic grounds, the cemetery is increasingly being used for outdoor recreation. More shade in the newer sections would directly benefit the walkers who use the cemetery. Though it would be great to fund a tree survey for all of Medford in one grant, we are taking advantage of small grant opportunities that are available to us. It will require many more infusions of funds to complete an entire City inventory. 

This summer was hot and our new trees suffered. This did not escape the notice of Girl Scout Troop 68137. TreesMedford developed a great partnership with the girl scouts with the goal to organize tree watering for young trees. The troop created a Trees Needing Adoption website, with a map of trees available for “adoption.” Using that website, the Medford citizens can learn how to care for young trees and sign up to water and care for a tree. We also developed a hanging tag for recently planted trees so that people can identify the tree they would like to adopt. 

The City has been busy, too. Medford’s Tree Warden, Aggie Tuden, oversaw the planting of more than 125 trees, some of which were paid for through TreesMedford grant-writing efforts. Unfortunately, Medford streets and parks lost more trees than were planted, so for yet another year Medford’s net tree count is a negative number. Many of the trees were lost in two devastating storms, a consequence of climate change. Sadly, the tree removal also resulted in an increase in the number of stumps. Currently there are more than 400 stumps that need to be removed and ground out. What an eyesore for Medford!

Though sometimes it’s hard to believe, TreesMedford has not been around for that long. This year, in addition to creating an informational web page we finalized, printed and distributed a brochure describing who we are and what we do. We were lucky to have the pro bono graphic expertise from Traher Designs, and the brochure looks beautiful! We also made important strides towards becoming a 501(c)(3). We look forward to being able to handle our own grants and solicit donations from residents and local businesses!

Early in 2021, Medford’s Energy & Environment Committee issued their Tree Report making important recommendations for future forestry efforts in the City. We are pleased that many of our accomplishments to date are among those suggested by the report. We will work hard to help fulfill many other key recommendations in the coming years.

Sarah Gerould

Amanda Bowen

Coochairs, TreesMedford

Funding for the Trees

Tree leaves carpeting the ground signals winter dormancy for deciduous trees.

While Medford’s trees rest, TreesMedford continues its work. One important component of TreesMedford’s advocacy work is fund-raising. To date, TreesMedford has secured $113,300 in grant funding:

• $20,000 through the DCR Urban Forestry Challenge Grant; used for tree-planting on Salem St and Main St.

• $84,800 through Medford’s Community Preservation Act; used for tree-planting in nine Medford City parks.

• $5,000 through the Medford Community Fund; used to complete an inventory of street trees in South Medford.

• $3,500 through Medford’s Community Preservation Act (a Small Grant Application); used to complete an inventory to trees in historic Oak Grove Cemetery.

In just two years of advocacy, TreesMedford raised more than $110,000 for the City of Medford’s forestry program.

As 2020 closes, TreesMedford continues in its efforts to secure new funding sources — to inventory trees, plant trees, and care for the city’s tree canopy.

Street Tree Inventory Begins in Medford

TreesMedford, in partnership with the Mystic River Watershed Association, was awarded a $5,000 Medford Community Fund grant in December 2019. The grant money was used to kick off the City of Medford’s street tree inventory.

Why does Medford need a street tree inventory? To move Medford toward the goal of 30% tree canopy coverage, the City needs data: where street trees are planted, the health of each street tree, and where tree stumps or hazard trees require removal. With a full inventory, the City will know where to focus tree-planting and tree-maintenance resources. Because the inventory is a digital resource, the City can grant the public access to this inventory.

Who performed the street tree inventory? Medford Tree Warden Aggie Tuden selected Davey Tree to perform the inventory. Tuden also oversaw this effort. Davey Tree works with municipalities to perform various urban forestry management services, including tree inventories. 

How and where did Davey Tree do the street tree inventory? Davey sent a certified arborist, who, for one week in March 2020, inventoried 1,007 South Medford street trees. Using Davey Tree’s TreeKeeper software, the arborist recorded observations about every street tree, sidewalk stump, or plantable site she visited in this section of Medford.

What did we learn from this street tree inventory? The TreeKeeper software associates the arborist’s observations with other publicly available data (like Google Maps Street View). TreeKeeper also calculates the “eco benefits” of the trees inventoried (estimated at $114,326 for the 1,007 trees inventoried). In addition, the arborist highlighted for Medford’s Tree Warden four trees damaged in a March 2020 storm; these hazards were promptly removed. 

This inventory is available to the public here: https://medfordma.treekeepersoftware.com/

Based on the strength of this inventory report, TreesMedford is beginning the application process for additional grants with the goal to fund a street tree inventory for the entire City of Medford.

2019 Report: TreesMedford

It’s been a productive year for trees in Medford. Not only has TreesMedford had some terrific successes, but the City has made some important contributions to our tree canopy.

Perhaps the biggest news is that we received $20,000 from DCR for outreach and new trees in East and South Medford, areas of Medford with the sparsest tree canopy. With that funding, money from a Natural Resource Damage Claim, and funding from the City’s budget, Medford was able to plant over 100 trees. Though that is fewer than the number of street trees that came down in 2019, it is an improvement over previous years. 

As part of the DCR grant, TreesMedford volunteers tabled at or were a part of City events and festivals. We attended the Arbor Day tree planting at Hastings Park, tabled at four City events during the summer and fall, and engaged with over 100 residents. In preparation for tabling, we created a banner, an outreach brochure, and an interactive activity for visitors. We are now starting to plan for Arbor Day 2020 and designing a tree hanger for new trees.

In 2019, we also applied for two other grants:

1. We pursued a Medford CPA grant for trees in parks, based on recommendations in Medford’s Open Space Plan. We presented our grant application at an open meeting in November, and expect to hear about the success of that proposal in January 2020.

2. We applied for funds from the Medford Community Fund to begin a tree inventory. In December 2019 we heard that we will be able to begin that effort with the $5,000 we received. We will be looking for other sources of funding to augment that activity in 2020. Depending on how many trees Medford has (no one seems to know), the inventory will require many times that to get it finished.

We also started working on our second CPA initiative to support planting trees in areas uphill from land that frequently floods. This will include “the back of the sidewalk” trees in people’s yards. We will be working closely with the Conservation Commission to ensure that we target the right areas. 

We have used our monthly meetings to get up to speed on local issues related to trees. Pat Maloney, a Tufts University graduate student and Forestry Department intern working with Tree Warden Aggie Tuden, showed us new maps he has generated documenting new trees planted 2010-18. We heard about a report advocating for trees prepared by the Energy & Environment Committee, and members attended the City Council meeting where Adam Knight presented a separate proposal for a tree ordinance. We learned about the current process for the City’s tree hearings when tree removal is disputed. We discussed possible responses to the problem of known gas leaks that kill or harm the health of city trees. We consulted with Director of Energy and Environment Alicia Hunt about the City’s climate vulnerability assessment and discussed ways to ensure that our efforts dovetail with the projects of the Energy & Environment Office.

The group also worked on making itself more of a presence. First, we conducted a vision/goal setting exercise to prioritize our efforts and develop a mission statement, led by Erica Wood of Mystic River Watershed Association. As part of the DCR Grant, MyRWA started to develop a TreesMedford web page. MyRWA interns working with Erica Wood created numerous posts for the Facebook page about the benefits of trees. TreesMedford has begun to flesh out the web page, adding a blog, photos of Medford trees and other content. An early blog post is an open letter to our new Mayor written by one of the TreesMedford CoChairs about the importance of trees and of expanding the City’s budget for planting and maintaining trees in Medford. We also started and updated a Facebook page. Several members of the group attended open meetings and contributed to the development of Medford’s revised Open Space Plan.

We look forward to 2020 with enthusiasm and energy, hoping that we will be able to accomplish as much or more in 2020 as we did in 2019. Happy New Year!

TreesMedford wins $5,000 Grant

On December 13, 2019, TreesMedford, in partnership with MyRWA, learned it was awarded a $5,000 Medford Community Fund grant. This grant will be used to kick off an inventory of Medford’s street and public trees.

TreesMedford is at work to target funding for a full tree inventory. This inventory will provide critical information to support the City’s long-term tree management plan.

Excerpt from the award letter, from Mayor Stephanie M. Burke:

“On behalf of the Medford Community Fund, it is my pleasure to award TreesMedford, in partnership with the Mystic River Watershed Association, with a $5,000 grant to be used for the creation of a thorough tree inventory in the City of Medford. This inventory will help to improve the care and keeping of our City's trees, while moving Medford toward our goal of a 30% tree canopy. “

Read the complete letter here.

A Letter to Medford's Mayor-Elect Lungo-Koehn

Dear Mayor-Elect Lungo-Koehn:

Congratulations on your victory! Your campaign was clearly built on great organization, a depth of support from your followers and a message that resonated. I spoke to you briefly on the phone during the campaign and was impressed that you were willing to make time for a call. Now the hard part starts, and I’d like to offer you some thoughts to consider as you start planning for your new term. 

I am concerned about our climate. There is much that the City can do to adapt to climate change and to mitigate it. The one activity that can do both is to plant more street trees. On the adaptation side, trees reduce the heat island affect and keep our city cooler as the planet warms. A full canopy of properly maintained trees (not one here and there) can buffer the winds that will accompany increasingly severe storms. Trees take up water, and their roots can help water to infiltrate into the ground, reducing the amount of flooding that the city experiences in these storms. Trees also take up carbon and contribute to the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from the city. 

Trees have all sorts of other benefits as well. Viewing trees helps the sick to heal and reduces stress levels. Trees beautify our city. Trees reduce pollution levels in the air. They keep our houses and sidewalks cooler and more livable on hot days. Street trees even increase property values. 

But the previous administration did not put enough funding into the budget to even maintain the number of street trees we have. The number of street trees is steadily declining. There is a backlog of 300 stumps awaiting grinding out and replacement with trees, and nearly as many dead trees awaiting removal. What does it say about our city to have these eyesores greeting us at every turn? The DPW’s staffing levels are woefully inadequate to tackle this backlog. A contractor could be hired to grind out the stumps and plant new trees, or additional personnel hired to eliminate the backlog and better care for the trees we have.

TreesMedford, which I cochair, is an advocacy group with a full plate of activities and concerns. We are working to secure funding to plant more trees for Medford, with a successful $20,000 grant from DCR under our belt and an $84,000 proposal currently under consideration for CPA funding.  (While it is possible to get grants for planting trees if the City's budget for planting trees does not diminish, maintaining trees and grinding stumps is a tough sell.)  We are strategizing about how to get funding for a tree inventory so that Medford can evaluate the trees it has and develop a succession plan for trees as they age out. We are concerned that Medford contractors add mulch “volcanoes” to the base of street trees in a way that can damage the bark and cause the tree to girdle itself, prematurely spelling death to the trees that are Medford's investment and heritage. Better communication with contractor staff of the proper way to mulch trees is needed. We support a tree ordinance as the right way to ensure that Medford does not lose its character or the community benefits that trees provide. 

Thank you for taking the time to think about Medford trees. We are looking forward to working with you on these issues and hope to garner your support for them as you begin your term as Mayor. 

Sarah Gerould

TreesMedford Co-Chair