NeighborWoods program adds
green to Eugene
In the past 12 years,
the tree-planting program
has added 6,500 trees
to Eugene’s landscape
By Nika Carlson
News Reporter
Game spring, the South University
Neighborhood will be a little greener
thanks to the City of Eugene's Neigh
borWoods tree-planting program.
The program, in conjunction with
the Eugene Tree Foundation, planted
18 young trees Saturday at the 1900
block of Harris Street, which is city
owned property.
Jeff Lanza of the Eugene Tree Foun
dation said that the saplings are the
last of about 40 trees the program and
the foundation planted in the South
University Neighborhood between
18th Avenue and 30th Avenue during
the past six years.
The NeighborWoods project was
founded in 1992 to help maintain
and expand Eugene's urban forest
— the collection of trees in a city —
with the help of neighborhood vol
unteers.
The program gives homeowners a
free sapling to plant in the public
right-of-way in front of their houses in
exchange for their promise to main
tain the tree over the next three years.
The right-of-way is the grassy area be
tween a sidewalk and the curb.
After that period, the city takes over
maintenance of the tree.
NeighborWoods Coordinator Rick
Olkowski estimates that program vol
unteers have planted about 6,500
trees in the past 12 years.
018345
Valentine’s Raffle.
We would also like to thank Burly and
Jill Atkin for their donations to the
raffle.
A special thanks goes to Rennie's
Landing and the Fairway Lending
Group for their contribution to and
continued support of CCDC.
Through the support of our parents, staff
and community businesses we had another
successful raffle this year.
The Oregon Humanities
February 29-March 1,2004
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Susan Niditch
Amherst College
War in the Hebrew Bible;
Historical, literary, and
Ideological Considerations
Mahmoud Ayoub
Temple University
Jihad and Fighting:
Peace and War
in the Qur'an
FEBRUARY 29
MARCH 1
Both lectures will be held at 8 p.m. in Room 182, Lillis Hall.
These events are free and open to the public, and are
cosponsored by toe College of Arts and Sciences.
For more information, or for disability accommodations,
please call (541) 346-3934.
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"We try to get it so there is a tree for
every house," he said.
Homeowners can choose from
about five different species, which are
picked out by Olkowski based on the
conditions of the area where the tree
will be planted. Trees range from
flowering species, such as dogwoods,
to shade-providing trees, such as
maples.
The city keeps about 20 different
species of trees. Last Saturday, the pro
gram planted everything from a little
leaf linden to a red horse chestnut to
an Oregon big leaf maple.
NeighborWoods plants trees dur
ing the winter planting season, which
runs from Oct. 15 to April 15.
Olkowski said the program was
founded to get community members
involved in making the city greener.
"It's better for the air, better for the
environment and just better for the
beautification process of the city,"
Olkowski said.
Lanza added that urban forests also
help intercept storm water, cool the
air, provide habitats for animals and
increase the value of neighborhoods.
The Eugene Tree Foundation,
which organized the South Universi
ty Neighborhood planting project,
has been working with the Neighbor
Woods program for the past six years,
Lanza said. He anticipates that Neigh
borWoods and the Eugene Tree Foun
dation will plant more than 300 trees
in the South University area during
the next five to ten years.
The foundation was created in
1997 in response to 40 mature trees
being cut to make room for develop
ment in downtown Eugene.
Now, its mission is not only to ad
vocate for trees, but also to plant new
ones.
"We don't look at trees so much as
a luxury item," Lanza said. "We con
sider them another critical infrastruc
ture element that helps our city
work."
The foundation planted one of
those critical trees in front of home
owner Betty Jean Bartholomew's
house on Saturday.
She said the maintenance of the
tree was a minor burden compared
with the benefits that the tree brings.
Danielle Hickey Photo Editor
NeighborWoods, a City of Eugene tree-planting program, and the Eugene Tree Foundation
planted 18 trees in the South University area on Saturday.
"It's beautiful," she said. "You need
the trees for that, but I'm also think
ing about oxygen and things like that.
Not enough people think about the
environment."
To make a request for a free tree,
contact Rick Olkowski and the Neigh
borWoods program at 868-6290.
Contact tiie city/state politics reporter
at nikacarlson@dailyemerald.com.
Got a story idea?—
—Give us a call. 346.5511
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noon-1 p.m.
Portland cycling and travel expert Joe Kurmaskie will
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Faculty Artist Series concert, Beall Concert Hall, 8 p.m.
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