Helping Steward Our Urban Forest – CanopyBloomington
Taking our sustainability efforts beyond ourselves
Two of our ISA Certified Arborists are serving on the board of CanopyBloomington, a new organization with the mission of engaging Bloomington residents in cooperatively stewarding the city’s urban forest. Along with founders Dr. Sarah Mincey and Sheryl Woodhouse, our own Jerad Oren and Matt Baldwin are helping CanopyBloomington carry out their initiatives.
These initiatives are rooted in data from a 2019 assessment by the Davey Resource Group. Their report shows a 1.6% drop in overall tree canopy coverage within the city limits of Bloomington (from 2008-2018). The changes in coverage vary among differing neighborhoods and sections of the city. The following figures are screenshots from the Bloomington Urban Tree & Canopy Map.
Overall tree canopy decrease of 1.6% in Bloomington from 2008-2018
Tree canopy percent changes in Bloomington by Neighborhood Association and Census Tracts
Using this and other data from the assessment, CanopyBloomington is able to set priorities and determine where to concentrate efforts, with the following focus:
6 Initiatives
-
- Neighborhood Tree Project: tree planting events in partnership with neighborhood communities
- Youth Tree Care Program: teaching the importance of urban trees and their care after planting
- Carbon Offsets: research into ideal trees for sinking carbon
- Dedicate-A-Tree Program: plant a tree in someone’s honor or memory
- Homeowners Tree Education: guides and workshops on tree selection, planting and care
- Pruning The City’s Trees: contract with the city for pruning, planting and species diversity
How To Help
A crowdfunding campaign is running through July 18, with the goal of raising $40,000. MAKE A DONATION
links/sources:
CanopyBloomington website
Bloomington Indiana Urban Forest Assessment
Bloomington Urban Tree & Canopy Map