RETREE THE DISTRICT

MID-PROJECTREVIEW

RETREE THE DISTRICT

We’re not just planting trees.We’re building community!

PHASE I & II SUMMARY

435 TreesPlanted

625 VolunteersEngaged

2,500 ServiceHours

89% SurvivalRate

ReTree the District is a collaborative project of community partners in Buffalo’s University District that is working to plant 1,000 trees across the community. The project is reinvesting in our urban tree canopy and strengthening ties among neighbors.

To learn more visit: ourheights.org/retree

Started in early 2014, ReTree the District has made great strides toward its goal of planting 1000 trees across University District in two years. Between Fall 2014 and Spring 2015 plantings, 435 trees have been planted on the residential streets between Main Street, Bailey Avenue, and Eggert Road.

The project has already brought over 1000 volunteers to the neighborhoods in University District, raised over $20,000 to purchase trees, and has supported the development of many partnerships and collaborations within the community.

ReTree the District is also becoming known for its experimental use of ‘digital tools’ to support project planning and implementation. ReTree the District allows its decisions to be driven by the data collected through the innovative use of community mapping, SMS-based volunteer coordination, and digital troubleshooting.

Drawing on the benefits derived from close collaboration and data-driven decision-making, ReTree the District has developed a new tree stewardship program that has begun to expand beyond University District in into the rest of the City of Buffalo.

At this mid-point of the project, this report provides an overview of what ReTree the District has accomplished so far, and how it plans to continue improving operations, volunteer experiences, and tree survival rates through the second half of the initiative.

PROGRESS REPORTRetree the District Phase I & II

435 1,000TREESPLANTED

TREEGOALout of a

RETREE THE DISTRICT | Mid-Project Review 3

ReTree the District has benefitted from the support of over 1,000 volunteers, approximately 600 of which have assisted on planting days in Fall 2014 and Spring 2015. The remaining volunteers have assisted the project with community mapping, obtaining

property owner permission, and other tasks like tree unloading and distribution. The value of volunteer hours on planting days alone exceeds $67,650. Learning from volunteer requirements observed in the Fall 2014 planting; Spring 2015 project organizers were able

to reduce the number of volunteers needed from 350 to 250 while expanding the number of trees planted from 185 to 250.

While 175 tools were used in the Fall 2014 planting, the Spring 2015 planting employed 202 tools. These included large quantities of spades, sledgehammers, mattocks, metal rakes, push brooms, and stake

pounders. Over the course of two planting days, over $5000 worth of tools have been used in support of ReTree the District ($3,150 in 2014; $1,920 in 2015). Through the Tool Library, these tools are now

available for use by groups across Western New York.

Phase I Phase II Total

Volunteers Engaged 350 250 600Service Hours/Volunteer 5 4 -Total Volunteer Hours 1,750 1,000 2,750*Value of Volunteer Hours $39,463 $23,070 $62,533

Phase I Phase II Total

ToolsUsed 175 202 202Service Hours 5 4 -Total Tool Use Hours 875 808 1,683*Value of Tools Used $2,200 $2,850 $5,050

$67,650.00

*The estimated value of volunteer time for 2013 is $22.55 per hour according to Independent Sector.

*Value based on cost of tool as purchased new

AN INVESTMENT IN OUR COMMUNITY

Value of Volunteer Hours

Value of Shared Resources

University Heights Tool Library4

WINSPEAR AVENUE

HIGHGATE AVENUE

ROUNDS AVENUE

LISBON AVENUE

MINNESOTA AVENUE

LASALLE AVENUE

SHIRLEY AVENUE

DARTMOUTH AVENUE

HEWITT AVENUE

STOCKBRIDGE AVENUE

BERKSHIRE AVENUE

EAST AMHERST STREET

BAIL

EY A

VEN

UE

MAIN

STREE

T

WINSPEAR AVENUE

HIGHGATE AVENUE

LISBON AVENUE

MINNESOTA AVENUE

LASALLE AVENUE

SHIRLEY AVENUE

DARTMOUTH AVENUE

NORTHRUP PLACE

Englewood15 Trees

15

10

6

17

1

2

7

Highgate34 Trees

32

2

14

9

1

LaSalle31 Trees

51

18

6

3

11

Lisbon44 Trees

13

8

2012

2

15

22

Minnesota74 Trees

Northrup2 Trees

2

WHERE DID WE PLANT?ReTree the District Phase I & II Planting Area

WHAT DID WE PLANT?Trees Listed by Common Names

A total of 435 trees were planted during the Phase I & Phase II plantings. These plantings spanned across fourteen streets in University District. Thirteen different species of trees were selected for these plantings. To date, the survival rate for the first half of ReTree the DIstrict is 89% (387 trees).

Cortland Apple

Hedge Maple

Littleleaf Linden

Ginkgo

Hybrid Elm

Freeman Maple

English Oak

Northern Red Oak

Honey Locust

London Plane

Serviceberry Japenese Lilac

Triumph Elm

[Not pictured on map]

RETREE THE DISTRICT | Mid-Project Review 5

WINSPEAR AVENUE

HIGHGATE AVENUE

ROUNDS AVENUE

LISBON AVENUE

MINNESOTA AVENUE

LASALLE AVENUE

SHIRLEY AVENUE

DARTMOUTH AVENUE

HEWITT AVENUE

STOCKBRIDGE AVENUE

BERKSHIRE AVENUE

EAST AMHERST STREET

BAIL

EY A

VEN

UE

MAIN

STREE

T

WINSPEAR AVENUE

HIGHGATE AVENUE

LISBON AVENUE

MINNESOTA AVENUE

LASALLE AVENUE

SHIRLEY AVENUE

DARTMOUTH AVENUE

NORTHRUP PLACE

73

2

Berkshire12 Trees

8

2 2

1

26

Dartmouth39 Trees

4

East Amherst4 Trees

26

11

Hewitt28 Trees

77 Rounds14 Trees

63

Shirley45 Trees

36

5

8

3

Stockbridge16 Trees

14

3

3

5

2 1 1

Winspear29 Trees

University Heights Tool Library6

SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST?

Planted in larger quantities, four species have had relatively high survival rates in University District (Northern Red Oak, Serviceberry, Freeman Maple, and Japanese Tree Lilac). The City of Buffalo Division of Parks and Recreation suggests future plantings prioritize species with survival rates of 80% and higher.

SPECIES COMMON NAME TYPE TOTAL ALIVE SURVIVAL RATE

Ginkgo biloba Ginkgo Alien 17 10 58.8Ulmus 'Morton Glossy' Triumph Hybrid 10 7 70.0Plantanus x acerifolia London Plane Hybrid 47 38 80.9Quercus robur English Oak Alien 38 31 81.6Tilia cordata Littleleaf Linden Alien 10 9 90.0Syringa reticulata Japanese Lilac Alien 115 105 91.3Gleditsia triacanthos inermis Honey Locust Native 13 12 92.3Acer x freemannii Freeman Maple Native 55 51 92.7Acer campestre Hedge Maple Alien 15 14 93.3Amelanchier x grandiflora Serviceberry Native 79 75 94.9Quercus rubra Northern Red Oak Native 29 28 96.6Malus 'Cortland' Semi-dwf Cortland Apple Native 5 5 100.0Ulmus x spp. Hybrid Elm Hybrid 2 2 100.0TOTAL 435 387 89.0

Survival Rates by Species

STREET TOTAL ALIVE SURVIVAL RATE

LaSalle 42 31 73.8Stockbridge 21 16 76.2Berkshire 15 12 80.0East Amherst 5 4 80.0Minnesota 85 74 87.1Shirley 51 45 88.2Highgate 38 34 89.5Hewitt 30 28 93.3Dartmouth 41 39 95.1Lisbon 46 44 95.6Winspear 30 29 96.7Englewood 15 15 100.0Northrup 2 2 100.0Rounds 14 14 100.0ALL 435 387 89.0

PHASE TOTAL ALIVE SURVIVAL RATE

Fall 2014 214 193 90.2Spring 2015 221 194 87.8ALL 435 387 89.0

Five streets had relatively high survival rates, while LaSalle Avenue and Stockbridge Avenue had the lowest survival rates. The target street-by-street survival rate has been set at 80%.

Survival Rates by Street Survival Rates by Phase

RETREE THE DISTRICT | Mid-Project Review 7

INNOVATION & COLLABORATION

EXPERTISE & FUNDRAISING MATCH | Buffalo Green Fund

ReTree the District has partnered with the Buffalo Green Fund (BGF), an organization overseeing the implementation of the broader ReTreeWNY initiative. BGF has supported the project with technical assistance, purchasing support, and representation on the city-wide Tree Committee. During a recent fundraising campaign, BGF also provided a 100% match for all funds raised for ReTree the District.

GROW716 & DIGITAL INNOVATION | Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo

The Grow716 texting platform has been provided free-of-charge to ReTree the District by the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo (CFGB). The SMS-based system is being used to develop effective ‘digital tools’ for volunteer recruitment, operational coordination, and real-time troubleshooting in the field. The University Heights Tool Library (UHTL) and CFGB are now exploring ways in which texting can be used more generally to enhance nonprofit capacity.

TOOLS & MATERIALS | Keep WNY Beautiful and ReTreeWNY

When ReTree the District needed an extraordinary set of tools for over 350 volunteers, two prominent organizations answered the call. Both Keep WNY Beautiful and ReTreeWNY have donated their tools to the University Heights Tool Library in support of community tree plantings and other neighborhood-based initiatives. The UHTL will make these tools available year-round to community groups and block clubs through its digital inventory management system.

STUDENT LEADERS & VOLUNTEERS | UB Honors College and UB Academies

Preparing for and planting 435 trees requires a considerable number of volunteers willing to pick up new skills and learn on the fly. Together, the UB Honors College and UB Academies have shared over 150 student leaders with ReTree the District. These student volunteers have organized planting-day logistics and communications, led community mapping exercises, and served as Team Leaders for both the Fall and Spring plantings. Students from these University units gain valuable leadership experiences and are now choosing to live in University District.

SERVICE LEARNING & EFFICIENCY STUDY | Institute of Industrial Engineers

ReTree the District has been successful in providing valuable real-world service learning experiences to members of the Institute of Industrial Engineers at UB. Members of this student-led club collected data and evaluated operational efficiency and effectiveness of ReTree the District. Their recommendations are being implemented in the second half of the project.

PHASE TOTAL ALIVE SURVIVAL RATE

Fall 2014 214 193 90.2Spring 2015 221 194 87.8ALL 435 387 89.0

SPONSORS

HEIGHTSUNIVERSITYC O L L A B O R A T I V E

University District Common Councilmember

Rasheed Wyatt

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY: Akron Tree Farms, Bailey Avenue Business Association, B Team Buffalo, Buffalo CarShare, Chestnut Ridge Nursery, City of Buffalo Division of Parks and Recreation, Dunkin’ Donuts, Grow716, Home Depot, ReTree WNY, Schichtel’s Nursery, St. Joseph University Parish, University District Block Club Coalition, and the University Heights Tool Library

#retreethedistrict

GET INVOLVED To learn more or sign up to get involved visit www.ourheights.org/retree or text RETREE to 877-877

Volunteer Be a Leader Adopt a Tree DonateHelp us plant 1,000 trees

across University District by joining our spring and fall

planting days.

Lead a team of volunteers and learn the ins and outs of planting and caring for

trees.

Have a tree planted for free in front of your home

or property.

Your money will go directly toward purchasing the

tools and trees to make this project a reality.

PHASE III PLANTING DAY

PRACTICE PLANTING DAY

NOVEMBER 7, 2015

OCTOBER 31, 2015

A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.” - Greek Proverb

“