Peggy Middaugh & Evelyn Herwitz of Worcester Tree Initiative (All-New Episode)

In an all-new interview, Steve D'Agostino, principal of Best Rate of Climb, interviews Peggy Middaugh (shown, left), executive director, and Evelyn Herwitz (shown, right), a sponsor of the Worcester Tree Initiative. Evelyn is also the author of Trees at Risk: Reclaiming an Urban Forest. They talk about rebuilding Worcester's urban forests.

As Evelyn Herwitz writes on her website TreesAtRisk.com, “City trees matter. Without trees, our urban communities are hotter in summer, colder in winter and dirtier year round. Trees make cities livable. They cool us with shade, protect us from wind, filter pollutants, control flooding and soil erosion, provide homes for wildlife and a green respite from stress. Dying and neglected street trees signal a neighborhood in decline. Lush tree canopies mean higher property values.”

The Worcester Tree Initiative is a private, non-profit effort to reforest Worcester and surrounding communities. It was initiated in January 2009 by Congressman Jim McGovern and Lt. Governor Tim Murray, with the intent of planting 30,000 trees in Worcester and surrounding towns in the next five years.

The Initiative is a public/private partnership between the City of Worcester, Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, many local non-profits, businesses and residents of Central Massachusetts. The program includes intensive outreach, education and training, and long-term tracking to realize significant environmental and quality-of-life improvements with this community-based approach.

The Initiative is using trees grown at local nurseries. As a result, its stock will vary based on availability.