Jamestown Tree
Thanks to a generous one-to-one volunteer match from the People’s Garden grant program from the Eastern Rhode Island Conservation District and sweat equity from Jamestown's wonderful Department of Public Works, we now have a hoop house adjacent to our tree nursery. It will be used to grow tiny trees to the point of being beyond bunny food and able to grow in the regular nursery, and will allow us to purchase many more trees for a fraction of the cost. Our goal is to increase Jamestown's urban canopy, which includes the 10' strip of streetscape adjoining each yard as well as other municipal properties. Keep an eye on our inventory and check out what is available if you are interested in adding a tree on your street. For just $100, Jamestown's Tree Warden and DPW will help you select the right tree and plant it. Application here.
Also recently completed is a new tool shed, funded by a generous one-to-one volunteer matching grant from the RIDEM Urban and Community Forestry program. It is improved with donated solar panels for electricity and an irrigation system for the nursery. Now the mower and tools will have a weather-tight and rodent-proof home. The grant also assisted in the purchase of a cistern, rooftop collection, pump and piping, enabling a functioning, self-sufficient irrigation system.
​
Tree Inventory
If you notice people wandering around the streets, measuring trees and inputting something into an iPad, they are members and volunteers with the Jamestown Tree Committee taking inventory of the trees that are on municipal land and within 10 feet of public streets. The purpose of the inventory is to provide the Town with a good idea of what trees are within the Town jurisdiction and their condition. The resulting database will allow the Town to discern where more trees can be planted on public property and areas of concern. It also will provide a sense of the diversity within our canopy and what species should be purchased for availability in the Tree Nursery. This is an ongoing project. If you have any questions or would like to volunteer to help, please send us an email.
Inventory Report
RIDEM Division of Forrest Management awarded a $3000 grant to the Town of Jamestown to conduct an inventory of trees owned by the town. This grant allowed for the purchase of computer hardware, software, and other equipment to conduct the survey. Volunteers from the community and from the Jamestown Tree Preservation and Protection Committee participated in the inventory. Most of the town-owned trees have been tallied with the remaining trees to be visited in the coming year.
​
By providing this list of trees, it is hoped that the Town of Jamestown, in conjunction with the committee, will provide care for them along with the planting of additional young trees on roadsides and on public properties. The goal is to provide canopy, shade, mitigation of climate change and wildlife habitat for our town and its citizens.Feel free to download the report here. Email the committee if you have any questions.