Our summer wrap up newsletter

A Summer of Tree Climbs, New Maps, and Tree Walks

And that's a wrap!

Our 2023 Summer Teen Program Closes Out

Participants in the Teen Urban Tree Corps wrapped up their final week on August 9th. In their final week, the teens completed a last watering day and enjoyed another tree climbing lesson at Franklin Park with Bear and Melissa LeVangie of the Women's Tree Climbing Workshop.

The teens also learned from professionals in the field through a professional networking day, where we welcomed professionals from careers across the environmental industry. We are thankful to all the professionals for taking the time to share their expertise with us.

And on their last day, the teens celebrated with pizza at Ronan Park. Together we reflected on their accomplishments this summer, distributed certificates, and played a rousing game of kickball. We are incredibly proud of the teens and all they have accomplished over the past six weeks—they are true champions of Boston's urban tree canopy.

You can get a glance into what a day was like with the team in the TUTC Vlog created by our teens and our summer intern, Nora Kelly. Check it out on Instagram (@trees_boston) and on our youtube channel linked below.

Watch "A Day in the Life of Our 2023 TUTC Summer Program"

Cartography Corner

Our new & improved Tree Equity Maps provide new insight into Boston's people, environment, and trees

We're very grateful for the hard work of Chad Fisher, our summer Geo-Spatial Analysis Fellow. Over the course of 2 months Chad created a series of maps and tools that explore the relationship between people, trees, and the built environment.

One of the maps he created during the summer is this Tree Canopy vs. Urban Heat comparison. While there are many factors at play, on average, areas with less tree cover are hotter compared to areas that have more shade.

You can take a closer look at this map as well as the many others that Chad created on our website. We have made many more updates to the Tree Equity page on our website. Check it out and let us know what you think.

Upcoming Tree Giveaways this Fall

Our tree giveaways are back for the fall. Boston residents are invited to join us from 10 am - 2 pm on September 16 and October 28 to pick up a free tree to plant in their yards. On September 16 we will be in Allston-Brighton, and on October 28 you can find us in Mattapan. Don't miss out. Register today!

Sep 16: Boston Green Academy, 20 Warren Street Brighton

Oct 28: Urban Farming Institute, 487 Norfolk Street Mattapan

Register for a Free Tree at a Tree Giveaway

SFTT is Hiring Teens for the School Year

During the 2023-24 school year, we will continue to provide PAID career exploration and work opportunities for Boston youth ages 14-18. The program runs from mid-September to mid-June (exact dates TBD), Monday-Thursday from 4pm to 6pm at our offices in Fields Corner, Dorchester. The teens are required to attend at least twice per week.

Participants will care for trees, create social media content and educational resources, participate in outreach activities, and assist in the planning and hosting of our second annual Teen Tree Summit!

Read more about the position and apply today.

Apply to be Part of Our School Year Teen Program

Seeking Community Members to Partner with Emerson College

Are you a resident of Roxbury, Hyde Park, Dorchester, or Mattapan? Do you care about the environment, climate change, and your community? Become a learning partner at Emerson College through their Engagement Lab. Classes meet weekly on Wednesdays, 4 pm- 8 pm, from September 6 to December 13.

You will:

Earn free college credit or a $400 stipend
Work with Emerson students, staff, and local organizations
Develop your art and media skills
Learn more about climate and environmental justice
Share your ideas, knowledge, and experiences and make a difference in the world!

To apply, click the button below or go to elab.works/fall23lp.

It's not too late:
Apply to be a Partner

SFTT featured on GBH

Did you know that the temperature in neighborhoods in Boston can differ by up to 10 degrees on hot summer days? Over the past year we have been working with residents to explore the relationship between community resilience and trees, and inviting them to share their tree stories. And over the past several months we have worked with residents to create tree walks.

Last week Craig LeMoult from WGBH captured one of our tree walks in Codman Square. He highlighted the issue of Tree Equity, showcasing it in a storymap (and video!) of how residents are working together to share their stories and build Boston's urban tree canopy.

Read Article and watch the video: "The idea of 'tree equity' is taking root"

Beating the Beetle

The emerald ash borer (EAB) is an invasive beetle species that lays its eggs in the bark of ash trees and feeds on the trees' nutrients. The City of Boston has begun injecting infected trees with an insecticide in hopes of diminishing the EAB population and preserving the city's healthy ash trees. Read more about the city's efforts in our blog post.

Read about EAB here

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Speak for the Trees
60 Clayton Street, #201
Dorchester, MA 02122

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