Philadelphia Joins Multi-State Effort To Plant Thousands Of New Trees
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - More than 40 neighborhood groups in Philadelphia were picking up trees today from a warehouse on the site of the former Navy Yard (above), to be planted citywide over the weekend.
"Maples, oaks, lilacs, different cherries, lindens... it just goes on and on and on," says Michael Leff (below), program manager of "Plant One Million," a new multi-state initiative led by the Pennsylvania Horticulture Society to restore the region's tree population.
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"Each person who requests a tree has to sign an agreement that they will care for the tree," says Leff, "primarily that they will water it for the next couple of years as it gets established. But the tree-tender group that collects the requests will also make sure that individuals will do that, because that could vary from person to person."
Cynthia Kishinschand (below) is an organizer in her East Falls neighborhood.
"From East Falls, Tree Tenders we give you a bucket -- I label the buckets. They're all on my front porch. You get watering instructions, species information," she says.
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She even gives volunteers watering reminders via e-mail updates.
"And that is from a little 70-year-old lady who is learning!" she says proudly. "So I'm not just learning about trees."
Reported by John McDevitt, KYW Newsradio 1060
