In a bid to make the city greener and cooler, the City of La Mesa is planting its roots in a unique way, offering free trees for residents in areas with public right-of-ways, as reported by SD News on August 6, 2023. The program, which is part of La Mesa's Climate Action Plan (CAP), hopes to increase the urban tree canopy coverage from 18% to 33% by 2035 by planting these trees in small strips of land between the sidewalk and street, and all it takes is residents filling out a watering form to sign up.
Now, we all know that trees play a vital role in environmental health and the wellbeing of communities, as they absorb air and water pollutants while generating much-needed shade. The city's CAP emphasizes the benefits of trees, like lowering energy consumption, fighting climate change, and even improving mental health. According to SD News, administrative analyst I and CAP leadership team member Serena Lee reflects on the importance of shade in reducing heat-related illness and urban heat island effects during increasingly hotter summers.
Did you know that between 2020 and 2021, there were 655 heat-related prehospital calls on heat event days in the county? That's according to the county's Health and Human Services Agency 2021 annual excessive heat report. Trees offer a natural solution to these heat-related issues by cooling down homes and neighborhoods, and La Mesa's free tree program is bringing these benefits straight to residents' front doors.
So, how does one take advantage of this shady offer? It's simple. Residents with eligible public right-of-ways need to fill out a watering form, which will be submitted to the city and its tree planting partners, like Tree San Diego. On this form, applicants can list their tree preferences, but it's important to note that preferences aren't guaranteed. Once planting season arrives in the fall, an arborist will visit your designated public right-of-way parcel to ensure it's suitable for planting, and if approved, your new tree will be placed in the spot as you promise to keep it well-watered for at least four years!
Those without public right-of-ways shouldn't feel left out, though. There are still countless ways for residents to contribute to urban greening efforts, like adopting drought-tolerant landscaping and plants, or attending public plantings and tree stewardship training with organizations such as Tree San Diego. Not only are these opportunities great for doing your part towards a greener city, but they also allow you to learn directly from certified arborists and ask them questions about tree care, management, and more.
As La Mesa continues to pursue its tree planting goals, everyone has a role to play in seeing this vision through. The city has already made great strides since 2019, when a CalFire grant helped plant 350 trees in public right-of-ways, expand La Mesa's urban treeNodeagement, and create education and outreach programs. But this is about more than just planting trees; it's a collective effort that strives to create a greener, cooler, and more sustainable future for all residents.
To get involved, head over to the City of La Mesa's Community Forestry website to find out more on how you can be a part of this collective effort. Whether you're signing up for a free tree or spreading the word about urban greening, your participation brings La Mesa one step closer to a lush, shaded, and healthier future.
