MATURE CANOPY CARE

All Treesilience neighborhood residents can receive a free assessment from Livingston Tree Care, a TRAQ- and ISA-certified local arborist. Qualifying residents can receive free care for trees that need significant work, such as the removal of hazardous limbs or trees.

Residents qualify for Mature Canopy Care if they:

• • Have a household income of 80% or lower than the AMI for Mecklenburg County (see chart below),

• • Have a tree on their property that is threatening their safety,

• • Agree to have replacement tree(s) planted if any tree(s) must be removed,

• • Agree to attend the Mature Canopy Care Workshop (see Treesilience Calendar for opportunities),

• • Own and occupy the home where Mature Canopy Care is being requested.

Qualifying residents with hazardous mature trees may receive additional support if funding is available. TreesCharlotte will work with a Certified ISA Arborist and qualifying residents to assess dangerous tree removal and replacement or pruning of hazardous branches. Trees and limbs will only be removed if they are deemed hazardous and all trees that are taken down will be replaced with at least one replacement tree on the same property.

TREE CARE

All Treesilience planted trees (both planted on residential properties and at community sites) will receive tree care during the first and third years after planting. Tree care will include structural pruning, mulching, stake and tag removal, and a general health inspection. 

RESIDENTIAL TREE PLANTINGS

Add a new tree to your yard at no cost–and no sweat! Choose from a number of beautiful species ranging from small flowering trees to larger shade trees. Our arborists on staff can help answer questions about each tree species to help you choose the right tree for your yard. Once a tree is picked, our trained volunteers will plant the 7-gallon tree, mulch it, and come back 1 and 3 years later to prune and re-mulch. 

TREESILIENCE IMPACT ZONE PLANTINGS

TreesCharlotte will look to identify community spaces within the “impact zone” of each Treesilience neighborhood where there is a lack of tree canopy. We will then work with these sites to propose a tree planting that not only benefits that community space directly, but also has a significant impact on the communities within its zone. Examples of Impact Zone Plantings include schools, parks, greenways, civic organizations, and other nonprofit spaces. 

TreesCharlotte will be working directly with each Treesilience neighborhood to provide opportunities to learn more about each community’s tree canopy and how to protect and grow the trees that reside within each. During the first year of Treesilience, we will be hosting Tree Mapping events within each neighborhood. TreesCharlotte partners with volunteers to measure, identify, and map as many trees as we can in each Treesilience neighborhood. From that, our Urban Forest Educator is able to provide each neighborhood with insights on the specifics of that community’s tree canopy and opportunities to grow.

We will also work with each neighborhood to provide youth educational programming through a community school, civic organization, or another local nonprofit. Annually, our Urban Forest Educator will provide an Invasives Workshop, teaching community members and the public how to properly identify invasive trees and plants and how to mitigate them to reduce their ecological harm.

Our Community Engagement Manager and trained TreeAmbassadors will work within each community to identify opportunities to connect with community members. Opportunities can include events such as community meetings, neighborhood block parties, school orientations, and more.