EXCHANGE: Couple helping replenish city's urban forest

URBANA, Ill. (AP) - One tree. Eighty trees. They won't solve climate issues by themselves, say Warren Lavey and Holly Rosencranz, but every little bit helps.

In the past year, the couple has donated $15,000 to the city of Urbana for its ongoing project of replenishing its urban forest.

Hundreds of Urbana's ash trees have been decimated by the emerald ash borer. City arborists realized the loss of so many trees drove the age of the city's urban forest up, and there needed to be a plan to replace the dying ones.

When Rosencranz, a master gardener who helps maintain the Idea Garden in Urbana, and Lavey, an environmental lawyer, found out that the tree-planting backlog the city had was over a decade long, they felt compelled to give what they could.

It started when the couple matched a $5,000 Rotary Club donation in the spring, boosting the total contribution to $10,000 for the project, enough for about 85 trees.

Making connections along the way, they thought, "Why not give more?"

"I think it was just that we were ripe for something, and this opportunity sort of appeared in front of us, so it was very organic," Rosencranz said. "It was so aligned with our values, it made sense to just keep the momentum going. If we really wanted to make something that really leaves a footprint, there's nothing better than a tree."

The couple recently donated another $10,000 to plant 80 more trees in Urbana, bringing the number they've sponsored to 165 of the 303 planted in Urbana this year. Their donations alone have shaved four to six years off the city's tree-planting backlog.

"Sometimes, you know, you want to save the world. But you ask yourself, 'Well, is that a realistic goal?'" Rosencranz said. "For me, this was specific, it was measurable, it was actionable, it was relevant.

"There's something very satisfying about contributing to something that has such a legacy and that it made such a big difference."

Urbana's tree inventory represents one of the most diverse in the Midwest, and the city was the inaugural recipient of Tree City USA designation in 1976. Caring for trees has been a priority for the city ever since - Urbana is among just 16 cities nationwide that have maintained their Tree City designation every year since.

Always passionate about natural preservation, Lavey said he'll do whatever he can to help develop and protect parks around Illinois, the nation and the world.

"It was nice that we were stepping in at a time when Urbana had already designed its tree-planting program and had chosen a wide range of native species to plant," Lavey said. "In our view, trees enhance the local neighborhood. To be able to drive down a street that has trees makes it more attractive to embrace nature and build values focused on the outdoors."

Rosencranz and Lavey teach seminars and give talks on the health impacts of climate change, so when faced with the opportunity to give back, they had to do something that could impact their immediate environment.

"It's hard to find ways to contribute to a healthy planet in such a visible way," Rosencranz said. "So this felt like it hit the nail on the head for us in terms of our climate advocacy.

"I think there's a role for everyone. There's, of course, a role for international policy, state policy and what not. But there's a lot we can do as individuals."

They hope their donations will encourage others to donate and eliminate the city's backlog. A big part of why they were so eager to help, Rosencranz said, was working with city staff. "It's been fun to collaborate with people with such wonderful values and to work with like-minded people with similar thoughts of 'healthy people, healthy planet, healthy community,'" she said.

Their next mission: She and Lavey are working with the Urbana school district to make five new trees available to students for planting on Arbor Day next year.

"Our goal is to get more kids out into some of the neighborhood parks," Rosencranz said. "Urbana still has a long way to go, and there's opportunities for people to get involved. As people drive around Urbana and see saplings, we'd love to see them participate and plant some themselves."

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Source: The (Champaign) News-Gazette, https://bit.ly/2KGkCKN

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Information from: The News-Gazette, http://www.news-gazette.com