BEC celebrates arbor week with tree planting
Springtime is on the horizon and volunteers with the Butte Environmental Council are kicking off an Arbor Week celebration Saturday by planting more than 40 trees in residential neighborhoods.
Volunteers will be meeting 9 a.m. Saturday, March 18 at Chapman Park for the nonprofit’s annual spring community-wide tree planting event with community speakers who are involved in urban greening.
Executive Director Caitlyn Dalby said a majority of the project aims to put more shade trees in the city’s right of way. Residents who signed up for this round of tree planting are asked to take care of the tree for a few years, she said.
“The city right of way is not always easy to designate by a sidewalk, but a lot of people’s front yards — part of their lawn is the city right of way. We’re planting shade trees in open spaces in that right of way that will provide shade and beautification (for) that resident,” Dalby said.
Dalby said tree planting by the Butte Environmental Council has historically been done every spring and winter, but this go around it is supporting Chico’s Seed to Shade Project, a goal of planting 1,000 or more trees in three years until Spring 2025.
The city of Chico provided the nonprofit with a map of trees in Chico and Dalby said a good number of trees will be going to disadvantaged and low income communities.
Over the course of the afternoon, volunteers with the Butte Environmental Council will plant 42 trees in the city, Dalby said.
Aside from the event, Dalby noted that Chico’s Urban Forestry Master Plan, a 30-year plan to increase the forest canopy in the community, will be finalized soon.
“We are the city of trees, but we also have a lot of trees that are aging out. Knowing where, how and when these trees are going to be removed, and having the next generation already growing nearby (helps) so that we don’t have severe gaps in green spaces,” Dalby said.
Fellows from the California Climate Action Core are organizing Saturday’s event and the Chico Seed to Shade Project is funded by a Cal Fire grant for urban forestry through the city of Chico.
Chico residents may sign up for tree planting services by the Butte Environmental Council at https://www.becnet.org/urbanforest. Dalby said they are always accepting volunteers.