VOLUNTEER
ADOPT-A-TREE PROGRAM
The Town of Arlington offers residents and businesses the opportunity to be involved in the care of our new street trees so that we help newly planted trees get established and thrive. The Adopt-a-Tree program lets people search for a street tree near an address (your home, business, school, etc.) and commit to keeping it healthy by watering and tending to it. Caring for a tree during its establishment period (2-3 years) significantly increases the likelihood of its survival. One of the biggest challenges the town faces in increasing town tree planting is effective tree watering. Volunteering to adopt a tree is a wonderful way to serve the community.
Tree Adoption Expectations:
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Watering 1-2 times/week from May-Nov. Water can be brought to the tree using various containers (milk jugs, watering cans) or by coordinating with a nearby resident to use a hose
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Tying a yellow ribbon or bright-colored fabric around your tree's gator bag handle, allowing the Tree Department to quickly see they can move to other trees in need of water.
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Taking a photo of your adopted tree with your smartphone, at the first watering visit and again in October (preferably before leaves come off)
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If you plan to be away for a portion of the summer, please find someone to care for your tree during that time, just like you would with an adopted pet.
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Check out watering tips in our tree care section.
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Record visits to your adopted tree, using your smartphone.
JOIN Friends of Arlington Trees, a GOOGLE GROUP run by The Arlington Tree Committee
Send request: Arlington Tree Committee
Become a member of the Arlington Tree Committee Learn more
IDENTIFY SIGNIFICANT TREES
Arlington is home to a number of trees large enough to be designated as heritage trees. A heritage tree, as defined by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), is a tree that:
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Measures more than 32 inches in diameter at breast height (DBH) or 100.45 inches in circumference
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Has a documented cultural and/or historical significance.
The Arlington Tree Committee hopes you can help us locate the town’s biggest trees so that we can celebrate them, seek DCR funding for care of those trees on public lands, and even try to match them to trees in town photo archives.
To measure a tree’s circumference, you’ll need a long piece of string and a tape measure. An assistant will be helpful for very large trees. Run the string around the tree at 4.5 feet from the ground to measure the circumference then remove the string from the tree and use tape measure. If the tree’s circumference measures at least 100.45 inches around, email its location and measurement to ArlTreeCmte@gmail.com. If possible, include an image of the tree.
MORE BIG TREES
