Scroll down to comment or rave this story!

  • 5 raves
    • Badge Winner! Multi-Capitalism

Headline: Street Trees to Feed the People

In which the nation's capital leads the way in edible urban forestry
Elizabeth Merritt

 Dateline Washington, D.C., October 26, 2019. 

Elguario Arboristio, director of the Casey Tree Foundation of Washington, DC, today announced a new initiative in collaboration with the District of Columbia Urban Forestry Administration. Starting in 2020, seventy-five percent of all street plantings, and one hundred percent of the plantings in residential neighborhoods, will be productive fruit and nut-bearing trees rather than the traditional ornamentals. 

“We have an acute need for additional local food production” says District mayor Arianna MacLeroy. “Apples, pecans, walnuts, peach trees—these can fulfill the traditional mission of providing shade, beautifying the city and purifying the air, while also helping feed our people.” It will be legal for anyone to harvest from the trees, but the city will also organize periodic harvests, with the crops going to feed the homeless. 

In conjunction with this, the Casey Foundation announced a revision of its mission, adding to the founding mission “to restore, enhance, and protect the tree canopy of the Nation's Capital” the new responsibility to “nurture the District’s trees as a food resource for the residents of our city.”  

Casey Trees was created in 2001 following a generous donation by philanthropist Betty Brown Casey to establish an organization that would work to restore the tree cover of the District of Columbia.  Satellite images published in 1999 showing the dramatic loss of trees in the District since the 1970s moved Mrs. Casey to action. In the past decade the Foundation has pioneered the planting of heat and drought resistant ornamental trees in the District, to replace the traditional oaks, maples and plane trees that were declining from pests, disease and climatic stress.  

For more information see http://www.caseytrees.org/

Oct 24
gardening,forestry


Please login or register to add a comment


  • PlaNetweaver
    Oct 27
    Yea! Wow! Simple Brilliant
  • PlaNetweaver
    Oct 27
    PS Casey Trees goes on my "Airillions Lything" list for future Six(6) Pass - you rock!!
Nominate For A Badge

Badge:
More detail on badges



NOMINATE CANCEL