Not much prevents Springfield’s NeighborWoods Program from planting trees this time of year except, perhaps, a record-breaking cold spell like the one in February. Before temperatures plummeted, about 935 trees representing dozens of varieties were delivered to the City’s nursery, tucked into a secluded area of Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park. As soon as the cold breaks, the trees will be distributed to neighborhoods and city properties for planting. Typically, six to 10 neighborhood associations request trees each year.
Established in 2003, the NeighborWoods program is a joint tree-planting effort between the City of Springfield, Tree City USA, City Utilities and area nonprofit groups. With neighborhood associations front and center among the nonprofit groups, NeighborWoods hopes to keep Springfield’s tree population healthy and plentiful for future generations.
The program is simple. Program director Troy Powell says every Springfield neighborhood has 6-foot right-of-way tracts along some of its streets where these trees can be planted. “I work with all the local neighborhood associations,” Powell says. “I can provide each one with a list of streets where the NeighborWoods program can plant trees.”
Any homeowner whose property includes one of these rights-of-way can request a tree. The tree will be planted by a city crew, free of charge. In exchange, the property owner agrees to a three-year watering schedule, to ensure the tree’s survival.
Powell likes to emphasize that NeighborWoods trees are not seedlings. They are ball-and-burlap trees, which means they have well-developed root systems wrapped in burlap, that measure 1.5 to 2 inches in diameter and stand between 6 and 10 feet tall.
The process for requesting a tree is as simple as the program. Each participating neighborhood association appoints someone to coordinate their tree requests. This coordinator establishes a timeframe, distributes the request forms, gathers them back and turns the forms in to Powell by an agreed-upon date (usually in late summer). Powell says it is not too early to begin this process for 2022 planting.
University Heights Neighborhood Association is brand new to the program. “We invited Troy Powell to present at one of our board meetings in early 2020,” says Jan Peterson, UHNA president. “He literally drove our entire neighborhood and came back with a list of streets that have the required 6-foot right-of-way space.” Six to eight families then turned in requests for trees.
Residents who request trees can indicate their first, second and third choices for a tree on their application form. Powell then works with each resident on the final decision, which he says is based on many factors. These include existing nearby trees, sunlight and shade conditions, water requirements, diversity of species and more. “Together, we determine which trees is most suited to each particular property,” Powell says.
Powell has been with the NeighborWoods program for 10 years and takes pride in the ever-growing number of trees he has helped put in the ground. “This program is a great way for me to have a positive impact on the community I live in and on future generations,” he says. In fact, one of Powell’s favorite sayings is, “A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit under.”
Every year, every neighborhood loses trees to natural and mechanical causes. Age, disease, storms, even trimmers and lawn mowers challenge the city’s urban forest. Through this free program, a neighborhood can regularly replace trees that will add value to resident’s properties.
Neighborhoods interested in the NeighborWoods program can gather more information and contact Powell through the program website, springfieldmo.gov/Neighborwoods.