David Lefcourt, Arborist, City of Cambridge David discusses how a municipality, with active citizens and volunteers, can get the greatest benefit from its trees for climate and biodiversity. Presented at the Urban and Suburban Carbon Farming to Reverse Global Warming conference at Harvard University on May 3, 2015, organized by Biodiversity for a Livable Climate. www.bio4climate.org

1. Inventory of Biodiversity
Urban and Suburban Carbon Farming Conference
Biodiversity for a Livable Climate,
May 3rd, 2015

2. David Lefcourt
MCA, MCLP, ISA Municipal Specialist, TRAQ
City Arborist/Tree Warden
City of Cambridge, MA
617-349-6433
dlefcourt@cambridgema.gov
www.cambridgema.gov/tree
President – Society of Municipal Arborists
Past President – MA Tree Wardens’ and Foresters’ Association

3. Urban Forestry Division maintains over 19,000
trees throughout the city.
As compared to:
3,070 Parking meters
6,600 Street lights
Over time, the value of a tree increases while the value
other city assets decrease

4. Tree Diversity Throughout the City

5. Tree Diversity Throughout the City

6. Trees Species Throughout the City
Native*

7. Potential New Tree
Wells
Beginning in Summer 2014, the Forestry Division
identified roughly 2,600 potential tree wells
throughout the City.
The Forestry Division will continue to identify new
potential tree wells over the next several years.
The overall goal will be to develop an outreach and
funding plan to plant many of the proposed new tree
wells

8. How to Work with Others to Maintain Tree Diversity
• Neighborhood Tree Walks
• Neighborhood Tree Talks
• Public Outreach – Facebook, DPW Website,
EAB
• Planting Trees with Volunteers
• Citizen Science with Earthwatch Institute
• Working with other Departments
• Educating Contractors

9. Neighborhood Tree Walks

10. Cambridgeport
Neighborhood
Tree Talk

11. Cambridgeport vs. Citywide
9/15/2011 Cambridgeport City of Cambridge
Cambridgeport as
Percentage of
Citywide Count
# of Trees 1,739 12,995 13.38%
# of Planting Sites 57 624 9.13%
# of Retired Sites 0 137 0.00%
# of Stumps 23 234 9.83%

12. Tree Density
Number of
Trees
NAME Total Street Length Density
765 WELLINGTON HARRINGTON 30536.96 0.02505
1211 MID-CAMBRIDGE 51414.62 0.02355
560 AGASSIZ 23882.84 0.02345
1738 CAMBRIDGEPORT 74861.15 0.02322
892 AREA IV 40287.77 0.02214
1556 EAST CAMBRIDGE 73128.31 0.02128
1266 NEIGHBORHOOD 9 67418.83 0.01878
804 RIVERSIDE 43901.87 0.01831
1333 NORTH CAMBRIDGE 78165.94 0.01705
1906 NEIGHBORHOOD 10 112724.25 0.01691
266 STRAWBERRY HILL 17149.87 0.01551
410 MIT / AREA 2 36659.18 0.01118
199 CAMBRIDGE HIGHLANDS 19924.67 0.00999

13. Top 15 species in Cambridgeport by
percentage:
Red maple 13%
Norway maple 13%
Honeylocust 11%
Littleleaf linden 11%
Pear 11%
Pin oak 5%
Japanese zelkova 4%
Cherry sp 2%
Japanese tree lilac 2%
Hedge maple 2%
London planetree 2%
Sophora 2%
American linden 2%
Elm sp 2%
Green ash 2%

14. M
em
orial
Brookline
M
assachusetts
M
agazine
Brookline
Putnam
Albany
River
Waverly
Erie
Central
Henry
W
averly
River
Em
ily
Tudor
Andrew
Laurel
Salem
Rockw
ell
Kenwood
Talbot
Speridakis
Blanche
°0 250 500 750 1,000125
Feet
N
Charles River
Top 10 Streets with the
Least Dense Tree Coverage
Andrew Street
Blanche Street
Emily Street
Kenwood Street
Laurel Street
Rockwell Street
Salem Street
Speridakis Terrace
Talbot Street
Tudor Street
Top 10 Streets
with Least Tree
Density in
Cambridgeport

15. Boston Globe
May 14, 2014

16. Fall Foliage Map

17. Working with Volunteers
Bare root tree planting project with local girl scout troop

18. Engaging the Youth
Help get young kids to adopt trees in the City

19. Citizen scientists spend the day measuring and assessing
trees throughout the City of Cambridge
Collaborating with the
Earthwatch Institute
Other projects in the works:
- Coring trees to determine historical
growth rate data
- Development of an Urban Forestry
management plan

20. Encourage
residents and
business owners
to water trees

21. Encourage residents and business owners to water
trees

22. Water-By-Bike/Tree Ambassador

23. Honeylocust
Honeylocust
Honeylocust
Elm
Linden
No Trees
15

24. City of Cambridge
Emerald Ash Borer
Management Plan

25. Emerald Ash Borer (EAB)
Management Plan
• EAB was recently found at the Arnold Arboretum, which is about 6
miles away from Cambridge
– Could arrive in Cambridge any time now. May already be present.
– Depending on existing condition and/or size of tree, could take 3-7
years for EAB to kill a tree
– Standing dead ash present high risk to public safety due to how quickly
branches will fail
• There are roughly 883 City maintained ash trees (4.6% of overall
City maintained tree canopy)
– Good – 769 trees
– Poor – 114 trees
• Good trees can be protected through proactive treatment; trees in
poor condition need to be removed as potential high risk trees.
• It is more cost effective for the City to treat now as oppose to
removing all dead ash trees 3-7 years from now

27. Trees and Construction

28. Get involved from the beginning
• Pre-design meetings
• Tree walks to assess existing condition of trees
• Continuously emphasize safe construction practices around the
trees
• Tree protection
• Fines for damage to trees
• Stress the importance of the trees in the City and to its
residents

29. Avoid the Following When Working Around Trees:
• Wounding the tree
• Exposing Roots to Elements for Long Periods
• Cutting or Ripping Roots
• Compacting Rooting Soil with Materials and
Equipment
• Breaking Branches

30. Improving Planting Conditions
Installing Structural Soil to Improve Soil Volume Utilizing Flexi-pave to Improve Tree Survivability

31. Thank You!
David Lefcourt
MCA, MCLP, ISA Municipal Specialist, TRAQ
City Arborist/Tree Warden
City of Cambridge, MA
617-349-6433
dlefcourt@cambridgema.gov
www.cambridgema.gov/tree