The remarkable and wonderful tree canopy in our neighborhood is in trouble. A substantial portion of the canopy is contributed by the water and laurel oak species and that's the problem. Water and laurel oak (the oaks with the straight trunks) have a very short live span of only 60-70 years versus the live oak which can live over 1,000 years! Most of the RAP area water and laural oaks were planted just after world war two and that means we will be losing most of them during the next ten years.
With the lost of most of our water and laurel oaks combined with other tree canopy losses due to disease, lightening strikes, construction removal, etc., we could lose as much as 25-30% of our tree canopy by 2015. That would reduce property values, change the feel of the neighborhood, and reduce the quality of life. Therefore, we must act now to prevent this loss.
What can you do? Plant live oaks wherever you have a suitable location on your property. Plant the largest you can afford. 3-gallon size costs only $16, whereas a 30-gallon size tree costs $299, but is much larger. You might also wish to make a commerative event out of your planting with a famous and/or historic tree available from the Famous and Historic Tree Nursery at a cost of $39.50 plus shipping. A certificate of origin comes with each tree--perfect to plant in honor of a child or grandchild.
RAP is doing its part (see the blog post about the Historic Tree Grove) by working with the city, JEA, Greenscape, and area citizens to get trees planted in parks and public right-of-way.
Donations are needed to cover some of the costs (tree wraps, stakes, tie-downs, mulch, watering, etc) and you can help by sending your check payable to Riverside Avondale Preservation Inc. This is a charitable deduction.
For information, contact RAP Reforestation Chairman Doug Coleman at 388-0193.
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