Submitted by ML Haskell
All interested Bedford residents are welcome to register for an online seminar from 7 to 8 p.m. this Wednesday, Jan. 11: “Beyond Beauty: Establishing the Value of Urban and Suburban Trees,” presented by David Bloniarz, Project Coordinator, USDA Forest Service Urban Natural Resources Institute, UMass Amherst.
For event registration and more information, please visit https://community.massenergize.org/Lexington/events/78
Most are aware that trees provide beauty and a boost to real estate values in the built-up world, and that shade trees mitigate the heat sink of sunshine on brick, concrete, and asphalt. Trees and forests do much more. As stated by the US Forestry Service, “[t]he trees around you
– remove hazardous pollutants from the air you breathe,
– absorb carbon dioxide from the air to store as wood,
– and control stormwater by intercepting and absorbing rainfall.”
This presentation is sponsored by Energize Lexington, whose mission is “[t]aking on the climate challenge, one Lexington household at a time.” Dr. Bloniarz will discuss scientific methods to determine the benefits of urban and suburban trees, including monetary values for the environmental work performed by trees.
The presentation includes a demonstration of iTree, the US Forestry’s flagship suite of online tools, which “delivers current, peer-reviewed tree benefits estimation science from the USDA Forest Service to all types of users with free tools and support.”
ML Haskell serves on Bedford Arbor Resources Committee (BARC). For more information about BARC, visit the Town website: https://www.bedfordma.gov/443/Arbor-Resources-Committee