Our Community Greening Program Manager, Alex Pinto, dialed in to a March staff meeting with exciting news: the first 10 trees for Oakland’s Better Neighborhoods, Same Neighbors initiative have been planted by Planting Justice in front yards across the Sobrante Park neighborhood.
Overall, the Oakland Parks and Recreation Foundation will manage the planting of 2,000 trees in deep East Oakland through the end of 2024 with a $1.5 million grant from the California Strategic Growth Council’s Transformative Climate Communities program.
Through its projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, strengthen the local economy and improve public health, the $28.2 million Better Neighborhoods, Same Neighbors initiative builds on decades of activism in East Oakland to develop a new vision for communities historically impacted by redlining, injustice and divestment.
“Putting the first trees in the ground is an important milestone,” says Alex, who estimates he may personally plant about 200 trees during the project. “As we practice identifying locations, securing permits, coordinating volunteers and activating local nurseries, we’ll really get cranking.”
Community members and neighborhood groups within the Better Neighborhoods, Same Neighbors Project Plan Area are invited to contact Alex or project partner Planting Justice to request trees for planting on private land or to suggest locations for planting on public land. Both fruit trees and local species, such as the coast live oak, are available.
“We would love to see dense plantings along major thoroughfares, in parks and across heavily polluted areas,” says Alex. “Community engagement can really help us identify the best locations.”
Details will follow later this month for an event celebrating all of the Better Neighborhoods, Same Neighbors project partners and stakeholders on Saturday, May 7, at Cypress Mandela.
“10 tree downs,” Alex says with a smile, while thinking about the work ahead. “1,990 to go.”
RESOURCES: Better Neighborhoods, Same Neighbors project site.
Nice! And hopefully there’s a budget to maintain the trees over the years.
Sure does, Victor! The grant provides for two additional years of watering and tree care beyond 2024.
I was also going to write: Once the trees are planted, who waters them? Young trees in particular need regular watering. We all know about the drought, which is unlikely to get better in the future. So we can’t depend on rain.
Curious about the “ two years of watering”. Water truck(s)? Employees of..? Volunteers?
Thanks.
Sent from my iPad
Hi Len, thanks for your interest! The plan for watering the new trees post-2024 will be formulated based on the TCC budget and finalized at a later date in the project.
THANK YOU, Oakland needs help cleaning our air.
Thanks very much, Phyllis!