“It’s taken quite a while to pull
everything together but we’ve
already had a huge outpouring
of support, not only from our
mayor and council, but also the
Penn Hills community. We’re
looking to do great things here.”
and we gave away 50 Redbud tree seedlings. We also held another
fundraiser on April 21. It took place at the Penn Hebron Garden
Club Barn. We had two bands, a keg of beer, donated food, a gift
basket raffle and 50/50 drawing. We raised $1,400! It was more
than we ever expected and it’s allowed us to move forward on our
biggest project, the Front Yard Tree Project.”
She adds, “To understand why this particular project is so
important to Penn Hills, or any neighborhood, it’s important to
know some of the benefits of trees. Trees retain a lot of water,
which in turn keeps excess water from running into storm drains,
which can then overflow into our sewage systems and dump into
the Allegheny River. Also, trees remove carbon from the air, create
oxygen, provide shade, increase and protect property values,
attract residents and businesses, beautify landscapes and, it’s been
reported, reduce crime. For all of these reasons and more, the
Front Yard Tree Project is where we’re focusing our efforts over
the next several years.”
PHSTC members worked with GIS mapping to find an area in
Penn Hills in desperate need of trees. They zeroed in on Veronica
Drive. The street holds 122 houses and the goal was to plant 40
trees. “It was quite an undertaking,” explains Raborn. “We went
door to door asking residents if they would be interested in having
a tree planted in their front yard for free. They were able to choose
from seven varieties, all small ornamental trees that would not
be a lot of maintenance. On May 12, we planted 25 trees we had
purchased from Tree Pittsburgh and used our fundraising money
to buy mulch and fencing at Lowe’s. It was an amazing day and
we’re still available to plant the remaining 15 trees to whoever may
want them on Veronica Drive.”
The commission has a lot of ideas and areas of improvement to
embark upon throughout 2018 and the coming years.
“I want to continue our Front Yard Tree Project one community
at a time,” says Raborn. “I’d also like the residents of Penn Hills
to know how grateful we are for their support and volunteerism.
If it wasn’t for all of their time, hard work and physical labor, we
wouldn’t have had our successes to date.”
To learn more about Penn Hills Shade Tree Commission, visit
the group on Facebook or at pennhillsstc.org. n
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SUMMER 2018
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