Repost Gothamist, May 27, 2024
They’re slim, elegant, eco-conscious … and did we mention drought resistant? They’re New York City’s newest trees, and they may be coming to a sidewalk strip near you.
The city Parks Department is in the midst of its largest tree-planting spree in nearly a decade, with a whopping 9,300 new trees planned for this spring, parks officials told Gothamist. So far, workers have planted close to 3,000 saplings, according to city data analyzed by Gothamist.
Both the trees and the shade they’ll provide are desperately needed in a rapidly warming climate. Navé Strauss, director of street tree planting for the city, said the Parks Department is targeting neighborhoods where scant greenspace and higher poverty rates make residents particularly vulnerable to extreme heat.