I love fake commercials. I recently saw one with the tag line "It's a floor Wax, AND a dessert topping." If you're skeptical of that claim, you certainly won't believe this one.
I've got a product that will reduce crime, remove pollution from the air, filter stormwater, reduce street maintenance needs, and when three or more are visible, contribute to an overall sense of well-being. I'm talking about trees. These benefits are all above and beyond the fruit and rope swing tying sites a tree can provide.
Most cities in Oregon are working to increase their canopy cover - the percentage of the land that is under a leafy blanket of bliss. Street trees can be very important, and even though you don't own the planting strip between the sidewalk and the street, you can plant a tree there with the city's permission, and guidance. A free permit will give you not only permission, but expert advice on trees that will do well in the planting strip, and your adjacent yard [Eugene, Springfield]. Wow - it's arborist in a bottle!!
We've all heard the phrase "right tree, right place" so I won't say it again, but I recently got firewood from a five-foot diameter tree- 45 years old - that was planted too close to a house. Wrong tree wrong place.
Of course, the tree you plant will be small - for a while. But another good way to provide more trees in the city is to not cut down the ones you already have. Of course, trees do get damaged by ice, snow, and drought, and some may need to go for safety or aesthetic reasons, but tree branch worries can often be solved by pruning - not removal. Here you may need a live arborist. I know a few who often recommend pruning over removal - at quite a cost savings - and emotional benefit to you - and all your neighbors.
