by Maria and the Tree Team
Thank you everyone who takes the time to read our posts on trees in the neighbourhood, stewards the trees around your home, enjoys the trees in the neighbourhood, and recycles the papers in your home, including this newsletter. What goes around comes around!
In hearing our updates, you may be wondering what our intention is and how we go about measuring our success. Applied informally, we use the acronym of T.R.E.E.S. to guide us in our work.
Overall, we look to increase the T (Total Trees), R (Relationships), EE (Education and Engagement) opportunities towards S (Sustainable Stewardship).
Briefly, here is what we are working at increasing in number and quality.
T: Increase Total Trees
• Private/Homeowner
• Public/Streets and Medians
• Public Parks
• Canopy Health and Density
R: Increase Relationships
• Between and amongst Tree Subcommittee members, residents, neighbours, Beautification Committee, BRCA, The City of Calgary, and the natural environment around us.
• Relationship between trees and overall health outcomes. Between emotional/mental/social/physical realms of health.
• Relationship of our neighbourhood and wider Calgary context, considering strategies, needs, actions, and best practices.
• Relationship to Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo, Spark, community schools, etc. as natural partners.
• Between different ecologies. Different age groups. Different services, i.e. schools, faith communities, businesses, care homes, etc.
E: Increase Education and Communication
• Awareness building.
• Spread information widely; that is to inform, educate, guide by example, and mentor on:
The function of trees, importance of trees, location of trees.
Trees of interest, historical, beauty, unique quality, etc.
Tree care, new planting, maintenance, pruning, lifecycle, protection.
Bylaws.
Pest outbreaks.
Tree Committee needs, successes, and learnings.
E: Increase Engagement and Interest
Actions big and small by all stakeholders. This includes:
• Planting. Care and maintenance.
• Replanting.
• New builds.
• Advocacy.
Long-term perspective: trees will sustain us and outlive us if we do our job well!
S: Increase Stewardship and Sustainability
We cannot remember if this was said to us or read in a journal article or City of Calgary publication, so we credit they who wrote of stewardship:
“Individuals or groups feel a sense of ownership, connection or attachment to parks and open space that results in behaviours and actions, which maintain, protect and preserve that open space”.
This is what we aspire to implement as sustainability.
• Direct and indirect actions and attitudes that benefit trees.
• Honouring best practices and health promotion.
• Two-year plant cycle partnership with the City of Calgary, and related initiatives throughout the year.
• Funding Partners and Donors to increase our scope and capacity for years to come.
That is our T.R.E.E.S. overview of directives, actions, and measures. Did we miss something important to you? We would love to hear from you and hope you found this helpful. If you are interested in contributing and making our tree canopy or committee stronger, please reach out at [email protected].
Click here to the Bridgeland Community News home page for the latest Bridgeland community updates.
