New York Tree Trust
TEENS FOR NEIGHBORHOOD TREES
Teens
for Neighborhood Trees (TNT) is a nationally recognized
program that engages young people in neighborhood
action to enhance their environment through the planting
and stewardship of street and park trees. Funded through
a grant from the Levitt Foundation, TNT is a partnership
of the New York Tree Trust, United Neighborhood Houses
(UNH), and Trees New York (TNY).
The Tree Trust coordinates the partners' activities. UNH, a nonprofit umbrella organization for 37 New York City settlement houses, selects participating after-school programs. TNY, an urban forestry nonprofit organization, teaches their Young Citizen pruner course to 12-17 year olds.
The
Tree Trust leads each house's tree planting program.
The program takes advantage of new bare root harvesting
techniques, which allow youth to plant their own trees.
Care root trees weigh only a fraction of the typically
planted balled & burlapped trees and can be carried
easily by the youth. Each house plants 8-10 bare root
trees in the spring and fall while the city fills
additional tree planting requests from program participants
through their tree planting program.
By the end of the three-year program in fall 2002, TNT will have reached 1,000 youth, planted 350 bare root trees, and generated 450 requests for new city trees impacting 21 neighborhoods citywide.