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National NeighborWoods Month is
here!
In this issue:
* Member Focus.
* Highlight of the
weekend activities (10/21 and 10/22).
* Events 10/16- 10/20.
* Mini-Grant Spotlight.
Member Focus:
Collaborative Efforts in Orleans-Jefferson
The
Ninth Ward in New Orleans is a neighborhood of fond memories for many
former residents. Unfortunately, for a large number of those
who now live in what is the city's largest municipal subdivision, the
days are punctuated by violence, drugs, and poverty. Their
neighborhood cries from neglect. In this neighborhood, the
residents are predominantly African-American families of five or more,
60% are school-aged children, and the average household income is
$12,210.
Baptist
Crossroads Foundation/Parkway Partners/LSU Ag Center
Inspired
by a vision and stirred by Mayor Ray Nagin's words that "home ownership
is the most important factor in lifting a family out of poverty,"
Baptist Community Ministries and Habitat for Humanity of New Orleans
formed the Baptist Crossroads Foundation to help those most in need
recover from Hurricanes Rita and Katrina. The first project
would be to construct 75 new affordable homes in the Upper Ninth Ward
along Florida Avenue.
Trees
are an important factor in sustainable housing and healthy communities.
So the LSU Agriculture Center and New Orleans Parkway
Partners were engaged to lead and train residents to plant and
care for 62 new mature trees. Habitat for Humanity would lead
housing construction, LSU Ag. Center and Parkway Partners would lead
landscaping, and Baptist Crossroads Ministries would call upon their
members to donate more than 2,000 volunteer hours.
Louisiana
Urban Forest Council/Friends of Jefferson the Beautiful
By
planting at Elysian Fields Avenue between North Peters and Leon C.
Simon, Lafreniere Park, Laffite, Metairie, Gretna City Park,
and Kenner, this project is part of a collaborative Jefferson-Orleans
Parishes effort recognizing greater potential through working together.
Among those whom will attend this month of tree plantings
will be John F. Young, Jr. (Chairman, Jefferson Parish Council), Aaron
Broussard (President, Jefferson Parish), and Oliver M. Thomas, Jr.
(President, Orleans Parish Council- invited). This projects
help lay the groundwork for the recently announced, first-ever, Joint
Session of the Councils. Tree plantings will continue through
March, and result in 1,800 new mature trees.
  
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Join us!
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To
best promote the good work of your organization as part of the
national
movement, and make the case that urban forestry is
thriving, we need to hear from you. It's not too late to host
a NeighborWoods Month event.
NeighborWoods Month celebrates volunteerism and
community
revitalization. It is a great way to draw attention to the
value of
trees and invest
in the overall health and success of our communities.
How
else can ACT help?
It's also not too late to request
NeighborWoods Month materials. ACT has:
* Banners
* Posters
* T-Shirts
* Toolbelts
* Door Hangers
* Kids' Activity Cards
Or go online and download the:
* NeighborWoods
Month Kits
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The Home Depot Foundation and USDA Forest Service
are the national sponsors
for national NeighborWoods Month 2006.
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Saturday,
October 21
* Tree
Pruning 102 (Atlanta, GA)
Hands on learning and instruction with Trees Atlanta.
* Jefferson
Parish Planting (Metairie, LA)
Kick-off of Jefferson-Orleans collaborative
replantings.
* Glen
Annie Open Space Project (Goleta, CA)
Reclaim right-of-way next to Glen Annie Creek.
* Vernor
St. & Heidelberg Park Plantings (Detroit, MI)
Replace 60 ash trees with The
Greening of Detroit.
* Lafayette
Park Tree Planting (Washington, DC)
Plant 27 trees with Casey Tree Foundation.
* Children's Museum
Planting (San Jose, CA)
Part of a month-long effort working
with schools.
* TreeKeeper
Class (Chicago, IL)
At the Westside NeighborWoods Tree Garden.
* Help
the Hooch & Watershed Festival (Columbus, GA)
Help clean the Chattahoochee River (12th
annual).
* Commemorative
Oaks (Calabasas, CA)
A.J. Herschel Day sixth graders learn about trees.
* Bruce Park Revitalization (Jacksonville,
FL)
Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design...
* Elementary School
Workshop (Houston, TX)
Hands-on planting with Trees for Houston.
* Emerson Heights
Neighborhood (Indianapolis, IN)
Plant 50 trees with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful.
* Gabriel
Richard Park Planting (Detroit, MI)
Plant 14 trees at this landmark
riverfront park.
* Santee
Neighborhood Plantingn (San Jose, CA)
Help Our City Forest plant 20 trees.
* Cabbagetown
Arboretum Tree Marker (Atlanta, GA)
Children are welcome if they
bring an adult.
* Spring
Valley Tree Planting (Washington, DC)
Plant 7 trees with Casey Tree Foundation.
* Idlewylde Street
Tree Planting (Baltimore, MD)
Plant 30 trees with Herring Run Watershed Assoc.
* Florida
Housing/Katrina Rebuild (New Orleans, LA)
Plat 62 trees at 40 affordale homes in Upper 9th
Ward.
* Penn
Branch Planting (Washington, DC)
Plant 11 trees with Casey Tree Foundation.
* Community Boulevard
Plantings (Rochester, MN)
Plat 225 trees at 3 city parks. Refreshment
provided!
* West
Poweltown Planting (Philadelphia, PA)
Plant 40 new street trees with UC Green.
Sunday,
October 22
* Jefferson
the Beautiful Annual Gala (Gretna, LA)
Live music and food. Supports community
projects.
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Events 10/16-
10/20.
October
16.
* Downtown Policy Station Planting (Des
Moines, IA).
* Communiversity Tree
Training (Kansas City, MO).
* Stewardship
Planting (Asheville, NC).
* Growing Greening Cities: Symposium on Urban
Environmental Issues (Philadelphia, PA).
* Tree Arrival (Kenner, LA).
October
17.
* Gretna City Park (Gretna, LA).
* Communiversity Tree
Training (Kansas City, MO).
* Brubaker and Hoyt
School Plantings (Des Moines, IA).
* Lower Beaver
Neighborhood District Plantings (Des Moines, IA).
* Growing Greening Cities:
Symposium on Urban Environmental Issues (Philadelphia, PA).
* Class III: Tree ID and Care (Houston,
TX).
October
18.
* Gretna City Park (Gretna, LA).
* Lafreniere Park (Kenner, LA).
* Bacon Park
ForestKeepers Day (Savannah, GA).
* Volunteer
Recognition Party (Baltimore, MD).
October
20.
* Smothers Elementary School (Washington,
DC).
* Ruskin Elementary School (Washington, DC).
* Florida
Housing/Katrina Rebuilding (New Orleans, LA).
* NeighborWoods
Rebuilding Recognition Ceremony (Metairie, LA).
* Jefferson Parish Planting (Metairie,
LA).
* Help the Hooch (Columbus, GA).
Mini-Grant Spotlight
It's not too late to apply for a NeighborWoods Month Mini-Grant.
Make your NeighborWoods Month event really special. During
October, ACT is offering small cash grants and promotional materials to
help your organization attract attention. If you'd like to hire a
professional photographer or videographer, pay for press release
distribution, or provide other 'extras' that can help you garner
attention or gain extra mileage from your event, the Mini-Grant is for
you. Mini-Grant recipients are notified within two days of ACT
receiving your faxed application.
* Keep Indianapolis Beautiful used their Mini-Grant to hire a photographer for their five October events.
* Trees Forever used their Mini-Grant to order NeighborWoods Guidebooks for attending officials.
* St. John's Church used their Mini-Grant to provide food and T-shirts for all volunteers.
For more information, contact:
Jared Liu
Program Director
Alliance for Community Trees
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