Arborway oaks to get a trim

 

Groups must raise $10K for pruning

The century-old giant oaks lining the Arborway will get a trim this spring “for public safety and the good of the trees,” according to the state Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR).

But the expert tree pruning is a lot more expensive than a barbershop haircut. Local community groups are attempting to raise $10,000 by the end of March, a donation that DCR will match 2-to-1.

“Through this tree initiative, we will ensure that the parkway trees continue to provide lungs to the City of Boston and the Town of Brookline,” said Julie Crockford, executive director of the Emerald Necklace Conservancy, which is managing the project.

The Arborway is part of the historic Emerald Necklace park system designed in the 1890s by Frederick Law Olmsted. The landmark red oaks need pruning to prevent large limbs—some of them the size of small trees—from dropping on passers-by, and to keep the trees healthy in their old age. The project will cover almost 4 miles of parkway extending from Jamaica Plain’s Casey Overpass to Park Drive in Brookline.

The pruning project involves 18 community organizations, coordinated locally by JP’s Arborway Coalition and Jamaica Pond Project.

“The Emerald Necklace is noted worldwide as being one of Frederick Law Olmsted’s masterworks,” said Sarah Freeman of the Arborway Coalition. “Without the trees, the Arborway is no longer an ‘arborway.’”

The pruning project is just the latest collaboration among DCR, the Arborway Coalition and other local organizations. Previous planning and fund-raising efforts included new tree plantings and decorative fencing near the Arnold Arboretum entrance.

For more information on the pruning project and fund-raising, see GatewayToTheArborway.blogspot.com or call the Arborway Coalition at 617-524-0602.

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