Students staying on campus this fall break can help to ensure that the red and yellow autumn foliage gives way to a whole lot of green next spring.
This Saturday, UC Green - a local, non-profit group dedicated to forestry - will be sponsoring a large-scale tree planting effort in the West Powelton and Saunders Park neighborhoods of West Philadelphia.
The group plans to plant 40 300-pound adult trees throughout the community, all of them lining streets in residential areas, UC Green executive director Amanda Benner said.
Student volunteers should arrive and register by 10 a.m. at the intersection of Baring and Budd streets, between 40th and 41st streets, one block north of Market. They will work in teams run by experienced planters and be given tools and instructions.
"It's a way to get your hands in there, dig in the dirt and plant a tree for the future," Benner said.
The event runs until 1 p.m. and is followed by free lunch.
The group hopes that the planting will help build community, as volunteers - who are expected to number over 100 - include both West Philadelphia residents and Penn and Drexel students, she said.
The benefits of added greenery in the community are numerous, she added, like promoting residents' health and increasing property values.
UC Green estimates that for every dollar that the city invests in trees, it reaps up to $3.74 in benefits. These benefits accrue from things like energy conservation and lower crime rates.
The planting is part of the group's National Neighborwoods Month, which is run by the environmental group Alliance for Community Trees.
It will be followed up by a smaller planting in the Spruce Hill neighborhood the following Saturday, Oct. 28, Benner said.
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