Willis C. Winters, director of the Dallas Park and Recreation Department, estimates that recent storms destroyed more than 700 trees on city property, a majority of which averaged 24 caliper inches (that’s the diameter of the tree for you non-foresters). They were pecans, red oaks, cedar elms, and cottonwoods. Some were bigger than 60 caliper inches. Seeing the raw, ravaged stumps around town is still heartbreaking.
In a press release today, Winters said the city’s replanting plan would result in more than 5,200 new trees in parks. That seems like a great start. But Oscar Carmona, assistant director for park maintenance and operations, noted that all of the new trees require irrigation for two years to survive. The cost of an irrigation system for a small tree grove is $5,000. “It will cost the department more than $1.25 million for the new plantings,” Carmona said.
So the city is asking for donations from corporations and individual citizens. Here’s how to help:
Individuals, community groups as well as corporations and business can sustain citywide reforestation efforts with donations to Dallas Parks Foundation (dallasparksfoundation.org) and Texas TreesFoundation (texastrees.org).
Online contributions can be made at Dallas Parks Foundation and Texas Trees Foundation. Checks payable to Dallas Parks Foundation – Memo: Trees or Reforestation – can be mailed to Dallas Parks Foundation, 9540 Garland Road, Suite 381-117, Dallas, TX 75218.
