Planting Trees. Growing Community.
The Anchorage Park Foundation is improving the green spaces of neighborhoods in Anchorage by growing more trees. Local youth and community partners will help green underserved neighborhoods, which have the lowest tree canopy and are disconnected from the greenbelt trail system. Urban forests contribute to a healthier society and environment because trees reduce climate disruption, keep salmon streams cool, provide essential bird habitat, purify the air, and increase property values.
Projects include planting trees in low-canopy areas, stabilizing and revegetating stream banks for anadromous species, managing invasive species, including the pervasive European Bird Cherry, and replanting areas affected by spruce bark beetle damage. The project’s five-year workplan enables youth career development and firsthand environmental education field studies, directly aiding marginalized communities and increasing local participation in environmental management. This tree-planting project not only improves the ecological aspects of these areas, but it also instills important ideals of environmental stewardship in the next generation.
Links to Tree Care Guides
Plant a Tree: An Alaska Guide to Tree Care – Select the right tree for the right place
Plant a Tree: An Alaska Guide to Tree Care – Select a good quality tree
Plant a Tree: An Alaska Guide to Tree Care – Prune your tree
Report Invasive Weeds in Municipal Parks
Vetch (Vicia cracca)
The invasive plants change the natural balance of our lands by endangering birds, insects, and fish that depend on native plants for survival.
Anchorage has the chance to prevent invasive infestations before they become so widespread that control is costly. Help by learning to identify invasive weeds and reporting sightings in Anchorage parks.
This beauty is a beast! European Bird Cherry is an invasive tree.
