Our office is implementing an ambitious street tree plan for every neighborhood in District 33! We are planting a new street tree in every viable street tree location across our community, and we will strive to ensure all street trees are well cared for and healthy in order to have maximal benefits for climate resiliency and public health in our neighborhoods.
Tackling the climate crisis at the local level is a top priority of our Council office. In 2022, we released our Climate Road Map, spelling out the actions we are taking to mitigate the climate crisis in District 33. When I talk to experts about fighting back against climate change - the solution I hear most often is surprisingly simple: trees. Improving and stewarding our tree canopy is one of the most consequential ways we can lower urban heat and protect our air quality and health. Moreover, a healthy tree canopy has a huge number of other environmental, social, biodiversity and economic benefits.
Here’s how we are working realize these benefits together:
Plant More Trees!
We are filling every viable street tree bed in District 33! Our office has invested over $1.5M in trees through capital allocations and donations to the District 33 Street Fund. Together with support from the Parks Department, this investment will max out District 33’s street tree capacity. Thousands of new trees will be planted by the end of 2026.
District 33 Tree Fund - Help Green Your Neighborhood!
You can donate directly to the cause of increasing the health of your neighborhood’s tree canopy through our District 33 Tree Fund. We have fully funded our plan to plant trees in every viable in-ground location, and now, we’re focusing our fundraising to improve the health of trees across the district by expanding tree beds and installing tree guards, and also adding trees in planters where underground infrastructure prevents plantings. We have already secured $285,000 for this work and are seeking additional contributions.
Filling the Gaps with Trees in Planters: Our sidewalks sit on top of a lot of underground infrastructure—from utility lines to subways—and sometimes this prevents Parks from planting new trees. We’re partnering with the Hort to fill the gap with trees in planters. We’re prioritizing commercial corridors that have been deemed unplantable to green every block in D33!
Improving Tree Health by Expanding Tree Beds and Installing Tree Guards: There are two critical things we can do to help trees thrive—expanding the size of tree beds and installing tree guards. Tree bed expansion involves removing some of the surrounding concrete sidewalk to give tree roots more space to grow. Tree guards help protect trees from physical damage, waste, and soil compaction. Unfortunately, the Parks Department does not fund either of these critical areas for strengthening trees. We are working with Trees NY to expand and improve the health of tree beds across the district.
We’re excited about this next stage of our tree plan. If you are interested in chipping in, you can get more info and contribute to the District 33 Tree Fund.*
*Contributions will in no way affect any business dealings with the City and will provide no special access to the NYC Council, Council Member Lincoln Restler, or any other City officials.
Install Your Own Tree Guard
Our office created a new, beautiful, inexpensive tree guard for District 33! We partnered with Big Reuse to make it more affordable and simple for neighbors to install new tree guards in front of your home, school, place of worship, or wherever a tree guard is needed.
This is part of our commitment to help combat the climate crisis by planting new street trees and keeping those trees healthy. Tree guards are essential to protecting our street trees and ensuring we have a healthy urban tree canopy to reduce extreme heat and mitigate stormwater runoff. Unfortunately, tree guards have been difficult to install and super expensive - typically costing over $1,000.
We launched a new website to make it easy to apply for a tree guard permit, purchase Parks-approved pre-cut materials from Big Reuse, and borrow a free tool set with a refundable deposit. And if you live in District 33 and need assistance with your tree guard installation, we are funding a limited number of free installations by Big Reuse for our constituents this spring. Please fill out this form to request free installation and we will be in touch.
More care for the street trees we have!
All of us can play a role in keeping new and existing trees healthy and ensuring they help protect our climate for decades to come.
Tree Stewardship Events
We’re hosting tree stewardship events in partnership with existing tree stewardship groups and community organizations on an ongoing basis to help activate neighbors and get folks excited about our beautiful street trees. We will continue to host tree bed maintenance and composting volunteer events with partners like BigReuse and Newtown Creek Alliance. Additionally, we are organizing to stand up tree stewardship groups in every neighborhood in our district!
Sign up now to get involved in Tree Stewardship in your community!
Also, please check out NYC Parks Department training opportunities throughout the year.
Take Action On Your Block Now!
You can start providing street tree care on your block today!
District 33 Tree Stewardship Map - Tag a tree to care for in your neighborhood!
Check out our new map, where you can tag a tree to care for in your neighborhood. Our goal with the District 33 Street Tree Stewardship Map is to help grow volunteer engagement at a neighborhood level and track our progress. Our map utilizes open data and is a supplement to the New York City Tree Map, not a replacement. We still strongly encourage all tree stewards to log their tree care on the New York City Tree Map, by following the instructions on their My Trees page on the District 33 Street Tree Stewardship Map.
Here are some quick tips that you can share with neighbors to help ensure that the street trees in front of your home or business are being cared for.
Remove refuse from the tree bed and weed. (Please be careful not to pull intentional plantings by neighbors.)
Cultivate the soil by adding compost (only ½ inch per year) and mulch, but please protect the tree roots. Loosen soil gently (max 1 inch deep) to alleviate compaction. Mix in a thin layer of compost (max ½ inch deep). Add a layer of mulch (max 2 inches deep) to help keep the soil moist and reduce weeds. Keep compost and mulch at least 6 inches away from the trunk and major roots.
Water your street trees once a week between May and October and water them slowly. (15-20 gallons or 3-4 large buckets, at 1 gallon per minute).
Plant carefully around street trees. Choose small and shallow rooted annuals, perennials, and bulbs that require minimal watering and plant them at least a foot away from the tree trunk. Avoid digging large holes and planting large plants that may damage tree roots. Please be mindful not to raise the soil level around the tree roots. And, of course, only plant if you are going to water.