Friends of the Urban Forest
Encyclopedia
Friends of the Urban Forest is a non-profit organization
based in San Francisco that plants and maintains trees within the city.
Organized as a response to the city's lack of trees, the group's first tree planted was a glossy privet on arbor day
, 1981, in Noe Valley. As of 2006 it had planted 40,000 trees.
San Francisco was originally mostly sand dunes and has few native trees. Fog, wind, cold, and salty air made it difficult for native and planted trees to survive. Only buckeye and Pacific willow were common. Most of the 90,000 trees in the city were planted in the 1880s through 1920s as part of large parks and properties. Monterey Pine
s and Eucalyptus trees were planted in the San Francisco Presidio, Stern Grove, and Golden Gate Park
. However, these early trees were as of the early 2000s nearing the end of their life span and dying in large numbers.
At 12%, San Francisco's tree canopy cover remains considerably under the 22% national average. Benefits to planting more trees include aesthetics, improved property values (mature trees are said to increase surrounding property values by approximately 1%), helping with global warming
by absorbing carbon dioxide and providing oxygen, and energy savings due to increased tree canopy.
Even at more than 5,000 trees per year as of 2006, San Francisco's tree-planting efforts were modest compared to other cities in California and throughout the world. That year Los Angeles announced plans to plant one million trees, and the United Nations
had raised funds to plant 121 million trees towards a goal of one billion trees.
Friends of the Urban Forest was mentioned in an episode of the Sci Fi Channel reality show Who Wants to Be a Superhero?
.
(the group hired a feng shui expert to help with tree placement in Asian neighborhoods), and environmental damage from invasive species
(few types of trees are native to San Francisco). One protest group, calling itself "Gay Shame", distributed posters (which a group member described as "a prank") claiming that the improved property values resulting from the trees would displace homeless people in the city's Tenderloin
neighborhood.
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
based in San Francisco that plants and maintains trees within the city.
Organized as a response to the city's lack of trees, the group's first tree planted was a glossy privet on arbor day
Arbor Day
Arbor Day is a holiday in which individuals and groups are encouraged to plant and care for trees. It originated in Nebraska City, Nebraska, United States during 1872 by J. Sterling Morton. The first Arbor Day was held on April 10, 1872, and an estimated 1 million trees were planted that day.Many...
, 1981, in Noe Valley. As of 2006 it had planted 40,000 trees.
San Francisco was originally mostly sand dunes and has few native trees. Fog, wind, cold, and salty air made it difficult for native and planted trees to survive. Only buckeye and Pacific willow were common. Most of the 90,000 trees in the city were planted in the 1880s through 1920s as part of large parks and properties. Monterey Pine
Monterey Pine
The Monterey Pine, Pinus radiata, family Pinaceae, also known as the Insignis Pine or Radiata Pine is a species of pine native to the Central Coast of California....
s and Eucalyptus trees were planted in the San Francisco Presidio, Stern Grove, and Golden Gate Park
Golden Gate Park
Golden Gate Park, located in San Francisco, California, is a large urban park consisting of of public grounds. Configured as a rectangle, it is similar in shape but 20% larger than Central Park in New York, to which it is often compared. It is over three miles long east to west, and about half a...
. However, these early trees were as of the early 2000s nearing the end of their life span and dying in large numbers.
At 12%, San Francisco's tree canopy cover remains considerably under the 22% national average. Benefits to planting more trees include aesthetics, improved property values (mature trees are said to increase surrounding property values by approximately 1%), helping with global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
by absorbing carbon dioxide and providing oxygen, and energy savings due to increased tree canopy.
Even at more than 5,000 trees per year as of 2006, San Francisco's tree-planting efforts were modest compared to other cities in California and throughout the world. That year Los Angeles announced plans to plant one million trees, and the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
had raised funds to plant 121 million trees towards a goal of one billion trees.
Friends of the Urban Forest was mentioned in an episode of the Sci Fi Channel reality show Who Wants to Be a Superhero?
Who Wants to Be a Superhero?
Who Wants to Be a Superhero? is a reality show hosted by Stan Lee. Contestants dress up as comic book superheroes of their own invention. Each week, Lee challenges the contestants to represent what "superheroes are all about." One or more of the superheroes deemed the least deserving is eliminated...
.
Resistance
Despite the public-spirited nature of the project, tree-planting efforts have been met by concerns about mess and sidewalk damage, blocked views, bad feng shuiFeng shui
Feng shui ' is a Chinese system of geomancy believed to use the laws of both Heaven and Earth to help one improve life by receiving positive qi. The original designation for the discipline is Kan Yu ....
(the group hired a feng shui expert to help with tree placement in Asian neighborhoods), and environmental damage from invasive species
Invasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
(few types of trees are native to San Francisco). One protest group, calling itself "Gay Shame", distributed posters (which a group member described as "a prank") claiming that the improved property values resulting from the trees would displace homeless people in the city's Tenderloin
Tenderloin, San Francisco, California
The Tenderloin is a neighborhood in downtown San Francisco, California, in the flatlands on the southern slope of Nob Hill, nestled between the Union Square shopping district to the northeast and the Civic Center office district to the southwest...
neighborhood.