My City August 2022

MYCOMMUNITY

Grant Awarded to Plant Trees In December 2021, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation granted $140,000 to the Genesee Conservation District to plant 250 trees throughout Flint’s nine wards over the next two years. Tree plantings began in the spring, with a goal of planting 200 in the first year. Planting sites will be based on multiple factors, such as residents’ interest, the pres ence of overhead wires and streetlights, availability of trees from nurseries and the salt tolerance of those trees. GCD Administrator Angela Warren invites residents to request a tree to be planted in the grass strip between the sidewalk and curb in front of their house. She’d also like to hear from neighborhood groups who would work with GCD to plant multiple trees in their neighborhoods. Residents may contact GCD via email at geneseecd@yahoo.com. “The benefits of a vibrant urban forest are numerous,” Warren said. “In order to maintain a healthy urban canopy, new plantings are an essential part of the equation. A healthy canopy reduces the amount of heat and humidity in a community, makes city streets more bike and pedestrian friendly, and even lowers the average driving speed.” Source mott.org/news/releases/mott-foundation-grant-to-help-plant-hundreds-of-trees-in-flint/

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