It's estimated that the City's urban tree canopy intercepts 43 million gallons of stormwater, cleans 200,000 pounds of air pollutants and sequesters almost 14,000 tons of carbon each year. For these reasons and more, homeowners are encouraged to both maintain existing trees and plant new ones within their own property.
Often, preserving or protecting mature trees can have a greater impact on urban canopy levels while newly planted trees are still growing. Their individual canopies prevent or reduce localized flooding and provide shade that can take years to replace if removed. If needed, connect with a local arborist for advice on preserving the health of your mature trees.
Planning new trees is also encouraged. Follow Right Tree, Right Place concepts to avoid collisions with buildings and powerlines and to ensure pleasing aesthetics. You can utilize the I-Tree Design toolkit to model crown growth and environmental benefits of potential plantings at your specific location.
Once you have decided on a tree species, consider connecting with the local conservation districts that offer bi-annual tree sales to support local conservation efforts:
Ingham County Conservation District Tree Sale
Clinton County Conservation District Tree Sale