Press Release
Greetings from the Fairhaven Tree Department. What is it you love most about our town? I know I could list so many things, but somewhere near the top I would put the tree lined streets and the character those streets have. Our trees do so much to make our town what it is. The list of benefits are too many to list here, I only get 500 words, but a few big ones are, they cool us, provide storm water mitigation, suck up air pollution and beautify our town.
I just placed our fall tree order for 60 trees we will be planting in November. We hope to plant 40 more next spring. This is to replace the 50 to 70 we have to remove each year due to disease, death, and structural decline. The average life span of a street tree is 7-29 years according to Umass Forestry. The small patch of ground we give them is meager and not what they would get in a natural forest environment.
The 60 trees I just ordered need homes. Believe it or not the most time consuming part of planting a tree is finding a place for it. I could really use your help finding homes for these trees. If you don’t want one maybe your neighbor does. Spread the word and reach out to me if you know of a place. My number is 508-922-1222.
My budget has $5000 for new trees. This order alone is $7200. I have made up the difference with donations from some very generous local businesses and private citizens. Koopman Lumber, Bask, and Harvey Industries are some of the companies I need to thank for their generosity. Thanks so much for caring enough about our town to do something.
There are plenty ways to help our tree canopy other than donating. You can be trained to find proper locations for planting trees, learn how to prune the 222 new young trees we have planted in the last few years, install string trimmer guards, weed around trees, water trees, etc. Every person has a skill that can be utilized to make our town more beautiful and climate resilient. Studies have shown that folks who get out and do things for others live longer happier lives.
An 1870 quote by French theologian Hyacinthe Loyson goes: “These trees which he plants, and under whose shade he shall never sit, he loves them for themselves, and for the sake of his children and his children’s children, who are to sit beneath the shadow of their spreading boughs.”
So come help for your sake, your kids’ sake, and your grandkids’ sake.
There is nothing we can do to prevent trees from getting older.
There is little we can do to mitigate the effects of their aging.
But we can build a stronger more vibrant tree canopy by replanting. Please come help.
Donations or inquiries can be sent to the Tree Memorial Gift Fund, 40 Center Stree, Fairhaven, MA. 02719.
Thank you
Don C. Collasius, Fairhaven Tree Warden, https://www.fairhaven-ma.gov/tree-department
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Click here to download the 9/21/23 issue: 09-21-23 DorotheaMachado
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