TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Tucson Clean and Beautiful kicked off their tree-planting season by planting 98 trees in private property in the Midtown Dodge Flower and Doolen Fruitvale neighborhoods.
Tucson's tree equity map marks out where trees are needed most around town. In Doolen Fruitvale, the map says the temperature is 4.3 degrees hotter than Tucson's average temperature. Dodge Flower, it says, is 5.1 degrees.
Neighbors who were interested in getting trees planted in their yards worked with the neighborhood landscape committee to order from Tucson Clean and Beautiful's Trees for Tucson Initiative. Each yard got three native trees.
One of the organizers of the neighborhood's collaboration with Tucson Clean and Beautiful, Bob Bortner, says working towards neighborhood beautification is good for the community.
“My view on this is if you don’t get involved yourself," Bortner said. "You lose your right to complain about it. So, the idea is for us all to get together and get involved, and that preserves my right to complain.”
Tucson Clean and Beautiful says their tree-planting season runs from October to March. They're targeting neighborhoods with low tree equity. Here's where they're headed next.
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Alex Dowd is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9, where her work combines her two favorite hobbies: talking to new people and learning about the community around her. Her goal is to eventually meet every single person in Tucson. Share your story ideas with Alex via email, alex.dowd@kgun9.com, or connecting on Instagram or X.
