The program was created with a goal of increasing the number of trees planted in urban residential areas of the Massachusetts Gateway Cities (Pittsfield is one!). Through the GGCP program, 3,000 trees (ranging from 6ft to 10ft tall) were planted with a goal of covering 5% of target neighborhoods in new tree canopy cover. The trees were planted by foresters from the Department of Conservation & Recreation (DCR) Urban & Community Forestry Program, with crews hired from local communities. Read more about current and potential benefits here. To see the list of other cities participating, please visit Greening the Gateway Cities Program.
OVER 3,000 TREES PLANTED IN PITTSFIELD
What are the benefits of having more trees?
This program was aimed at reducing energy use in the surrounding neighborhoods, but there are many benefits of having more trees in these neighborhoods!
Check out the new “Green Heart” study by The Nature Conservancy and others to evaluate the health benefits of planting urban trees!
BEAT worked with many others to make the Pittsfield Greening the Gateway City Program a success. In addition to our state partners and the City of Pittsfield, we would like to thank:
Our many wonderful volunteers who put in hundreds of hours watering young trees and going door-to-door letting people know about the possibility of receiving free trees, professionally planted for free.
- Pittsfield Tree Watch – a volunteer group organized to promote beauty in the City of Pittsfield and enhance its environment. Meetings held on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at the Ralph Froio Senior Center, 330 North St, Pittsfield. For more information, please call 413-443-7942.
- Heart to Heart Ministries – check out their Facebook page
- The Westside Initiative – The vision for the Westside is: to have residents who are of mixed cultures and incomes; be a place where youth can grow up and develop fully; and also be a safe, affordable, and attractive neighborhood to live in.
- Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity – brings people together to build strength, stability, and self-reliance through shelter.
- The Christian Center – the oldest human service organization in the Berkshires, serving the community for more than 120 years.
Here is a radio report from the start of this program in Pittsfield:
- Greening Effort Bringing 2,400 Trees To Pittsfield – WAMC May 9, 2016