Western Reserve Land Conservancy’s Reforest Our City Program Reaches 10 Years of Urban Forestry Work in Cleveland
This year, Western Reserve Land Conservancy’s Reforest Our City program completes its 10th year of working to plant trees in the Cleveland neighborhoods that need them most. Over the past decade, staff have planted and distributed 17,000 trees across 172 total sites in Northeast Ohio. Now, the program’s focus shifts to the next decade of growing canopy and connections; thanks to transformational gifts from the Dusenbury Family and an anonymous donor, the program will continue building by identifying new sites, maintaining strong partnerships, and developing new ways to further involve community members.
The benefits of the trees planted by the Reforest Our City program are innumerable; not only do trees lead to better health outcomes for residents in the program’s target neighborhoods—like lower asthma rates and fewer cardiovascular diseases—but they are also key factors in creating better air quality, enhancing stormwater management, and reducing energy usage. The trees planted throughout the past ten years provide essential habitat for urban wildlife, and create important green spaces for community use.
The Reforest Our City program was created in 2015 as a response to the Cleveland Tree Plan—a comprehensive look at Cleveland’s dwindling tree canopy, which was at 18% and falling. With the goal in mind of helping the city reach a healthy 30% canopy coverage by 2040, the program has carefully expanded, bringing trees to historically red-lined communities that have long endured excessive vacant land in their neighborhoods.
“Like a tree, growth happens little by little, year by year—upward and outward. Over the past decade, our ROC program has grown in that same organic and sustainable way. Today, we’re proud of the capacity we’ve built and the professionalism of a program that is unmatched in our region,” said Isaac Robb, Chief Urban Program Officer at the Land Conservancy. “Just like the trees we’ve planted, we look forward to continuing to grow and mature—delivering the greatest benefits to the people and places of Cleveland where trees are needed most.”
Now, the first trees planted by the Land Conservancy are three stories overhead thanks to strategies promoting each tree’s success, from improved planting methodology to a rigorous care schedule that includes watering, mulching, and pruning over the course of several years post planting. Residents and community leaders alike have been heavily involved in the program since its creation, helping guide priorities and navigate the unique needs of each area.
In its expansion over the years, the Reforest Our City team has also developed tree-focused educational programming. The Sherwick Tree Steward Training Program teaches people about trees through hands-on training that empowers them to advocate for trees in their own neighborhoods. Since 2015, 792 people have participated in the Tree Steward training.
“There is a saying that the best time to plant a tree was 10 years ago. It’s meant to convey the urgency of planting today to have the benefits of the canopy in the future,” said Tom Schreiber, Senior Manager of Community Forestry at the Land Conservancy. “I’m so grateful that Western Reserve Land Conservancy had the foresight to begin this effort in 2015. The entire Reforest Our City team takes incredible pride in planting trees for Cleveland residents to enjoy now and in 10, 20 and even 100 years from now.”
The Land Conservancy is incredibly grateful to the staff members, Sherwick Tree Stewards, donors, volunteers, partner organizations, and community members who have made this important urban reforestation possible. To celebrate the tenth anniversary of growing Cleveland’s tree canopy, the Land Conservancy will kick off a series of 10 events. The first is on October 10th in partnership with KeyBank, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and The J.M. Smucker Company, members of Greater Cleveland Partnership’s Tree Canopy Working Group, to host a special tree planting in a Cleveland neighborhood.