March 2015 marks the beginning of the fifth year of our TreeKeepers program, and we feel that we are better prepared than ever to put into action the best practices possible for maintaining the Philly park spaces we love. The goal for TreeKeepers in 2015 is to continue visiting new sites that have yet to feel our positive force, while also returning to large sites that need yearly upkeep. What rem
ains consistent from year to year is the commitment to furthering the quality of life for local neighborhoods through the management and inventory of neighborhood civic spaces. TreeKeepers also incorporate Green Stormwater Infrastructure management into the work that we re trained to accomplish. With training from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and Parks & Rec's own Natural Lands staff, our crews have learned how stormwater basins, bioswales, and tree trenches work, and most importantly, how we can maintain them to assure that they continue to sequester water properly, and aid in the resource management that our City is spending a great deal of money to construct. TreeKeepers has also compiled an inventory on thousands of street trees that the City had planted over the past 10 years, collecting data on health, size, and possible damage, to better ensure that the trees we're planting are indeed thriving within our harsh urban environment. TreeKeepers always aims to develop partnerships with local groups who are interested in proper maintenance of their beloved neighborhood park space. Local residents are more than welcome to join TreeKeepers for a day or more of teamwork, learning from each other and helping to ensure that their park looks as beautiful and safe as possible. Here are a few testimonials from some of these happy neighbors:
"Friends of Kemble Park...would like to Thank the [TreeKeepers] for a magnificent job of revitalizing our park. Words are inadequate to describe the overwhelming appearance that Kemble Park took as a result of the in-depth pruning of trees and clearing of old logs removed from the interior and exterior of the park." ""This is to let you know how grateful we are for the wonderful clean-up job that was done in the park (along Parkside Avenue), particularly the areas of undergrowth around the trees...the view from our home is so neat and beautiful!"
Let us know if your park needs some work! Want to become a TreeKeeper? We make most of our new hires in advance of our season, normally in late February-early March, but also have openings during the work season from time to time, and we always take resumes. Please contact us here here if you or someone you know is interested in being a TreeKeeper for the 2015 or 2016 season!
