Speak for the Trees welcomes MassCEC intern Sam Scarfone (he/they) to our team. Sam is a student at Northeastern University pursuing a master's in Environmental Science and Policy. While getting his bachelor's degree in Environmental Science and Philosophy at Minerva University, Sam volunteered with urban forestry groups in San Francisco, sparking a love for cities' ecosystems and making sure everyone has access to their benefits. Since then, he has worked around the country in conservation jobs documenting invasive species and protecting endangered shorebirds. In their free time, Sam loves to go birdwatching, play guitar, bake, and write cryptic crosswords. Sam will be working directly with Claire Corcoran, Community Tree Specialist, to plant trees on private property through our NeighborWoods program. 

Like many aspects of life in New England, our tree care work is seasonal, and Boston’s trees are entering their winter dormant phase. As the 2023 tree watering season wraps up, we celebrate the hard work of Mekhi Edge Wallace, our Tree Care Associate. This year, he has cared for 178 trees in several neighborhoods across Boston, including East Boston, Hyde Park, Mission Hill, and Dorchester. When the spring comes around and the trees start to leaf out, they’ll need weekly watering again, and we hope Mekhi will return. Check out this video to watch a day in the life of Mekhi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWoWTiHSBNU.

For our 2023 Tree Giveaways, we're thrilled to share that we had another successful year of distributing 250 trees to eager residents who share our passion for a greener, healthier Boston.

We had two Tree Giveaways to endcap our amazing year, one in Brighton, at the Boston Green Academy, and wrapping up in Mattapan, at the Urban Farming Institute. These gatherings brought together communities, neighbors, and city officials to celebrate the power of trees in our lives. There is always a sense of unity and shared responsibility towards the environment that is always encouraging. We would like to thank the wonderful partner organizations that hosted our Tree Giveaways.. - Jerel Ferguson, Community Outreach

On Friday, October 20th, Pema Choti Sherpa, College for Social Innovation Education Fellow at Speak for the Trees, led Boston College High School students in tree watering and care activities for their day of service. The student cohort included twelve middle school students, all of whom have an interest in this area of work. The students learned how to use a hydrant meter to get water from fire hydrants. They also learned proper watering techniques and tree care. 

Speak for the Trees is now offering paid training on American Forests’ Tree Equity Score Analyzer (TESA). This project will empower community groups and residents in Boston’s environmental justice neighborhoods to develop tree-planting proposals. This will be done through two 2-hour training sessions, and participants will receive a stipend for their time of $20/hour. 

The first session will teach residents how to develop planting scenarios using TESA, an interactive mapping tool designed to assist community members in bringing equitable tree plantings to life. This will be followed by a second session in which community members will refine their scenarios into feasible proposals that will include site selection, species selection, and budgeting. 

TESA is a great tool for advocating for tree plantings, educating about tree equity, and detailing the environmental and economic benefits of trees. If you are interested in hearing more about this training or other educational opportunities with Speak for the Trees, please reach out to our Education Coordinator, Joshua Reed ([email protected]), or our CFSI Education Fellow, Pema Sherpa ([email protected]). You can also explore TESA at https://www.treeequityscore.org/analyzer/boston.