The Urban Tree Planting Project is looking for Utica homeowners who are interested in receiving a free tree.
The Urban Tree Planting Project, a collaborative effort by the Rotary Club of Utica, The Unitarian Universalist Church of Utica and the City of Utica Parks Department, will be planting 40 trees across the city in 2024. Furthermore, after this year’s campaign, the project will have seen a total of 100 new trees planted since its inception, reports Rotarian project chair David Jones.
The Urban Tree Planting Project is looking for City of Utica homeowners who are interested in receiving a free tree, which will be delivered and planted at no charge. Homeowners would be required to care for the trees for a minimum of five years. Funding for this project is made possible through a Department of Environmental Conservation grant specific to Urban communities for tree planting in disadvantaged communities.The goal is for the trees to thrive over many years and serve to enhance the value of these properties, improving the air quality within the community by reducing carbon emissions, provide a canopy of shade to lower the heat index during summer months, and as recent studies have found, trees planted in urban areas have served to reduce the level of crime.
Interested Utica homeowners should download the application on the Unitarian Universalist Church of Utica’s website. The deadline to apply is June 1. If you have any questions during the process, feel free to contact the UU Climate Action Team at 315-351-2591.
Varieties of trees available in 2024 included White Birch, Maple Blaze, Cherry varieties, Northern Red Oak, White Oak, American Linden and more.