Monticello discusses the economical benefit of
trees at Arbor Day celebration

Ashley Hunter
ECB Publishing, Inc.

Trees, Monticello City Councilman Troy Avera said at the Friday, Jan. 17 Arbor Day celebration, are important to Monticello.
“[Trees are] part of our ambiance, part of our history and culture here in Monticello,” added Avera.
For 32 years, the City of Monticello has been a member of Tree City, USA, making the city one of the oldest cities in Florida that celebrate and promote trees.
On the Friday, Jan. 17 Arbor Day celebration held in Monticello, the city's council members and city hall staff gathered on Walnut Street in order to host a new form of recognition for the arborical holiday.
In the past, the city has planted new trees on Arbor Day, but for the 2020 celebration, City Clerk Emily Anderson proposed the city instead focus their celebration on preserving the currently planted trees along the city's roads and properties.
The City of Monticello is home to several old, beautiful trees that, Anderson argued, were in need of care. Rather than plant a new tree, the city decided to invite Urban Forester and Arborist Charlie Marcus to visit Monticello and give a program on how he cares for older trees through fertilizer injections.
Much like how humans receive vaccination shots in order to remain healthy, Marcus stated that fertilizer can also be injected into a tree.
'Giving an oak tree a shot' involved Marcus drilling lightly into a tree and injecting liquid fertilizer; after that, he placed a cork into the opened hole, which both protected the tree and kept the fertilizer sealed in. The process would not harm the tree, but would instead spread the fertilizer through the tree's system more quickly.
Despite the intrusive appearance of drilling into a tree, Marcus said that the tree remained unharmed and the injection would help the tree produce more greenery in the upcoming spring.
The city's staff stated that in the future, they will be looking into programs that will allow them to “perk up” some of the old, beautiful trees within the city.
“It's an important project,” added Avera, elaborating that he hopes the city will be able to do more trees in the future.
In addition to his demonstration, Marcus also explained to the gathered audience some of the ways which trees benefit cities that plant and foster them.
“Trees benefit the community in a number of ways,” said Marcus. He mentioned that trees, as everyone knew, provide shade and oxygen, but Marcus also discussed the ways that trees help city taxpayers and residents that are outside of the common knowledge.
Two of the biggest cost-saving advantages to trees are that they reduce stormwater run-off and a tree that is in close proximity to a residence or business will reduce that building's electrical usage, therefore reducing the cost of the energy bill each month.
When a building is within 60 feet of a tree, Marcus said, the building saves electric costs on air conditioning as the tree reduces the amount of direct sunlight that heats the building. The tree also protects nearby paved areas by shading and preserving pavement and asphalt, giving parking lots, roadways and sidewalks longer lives.
Trees absorb stormwater runoff, which decreases the amount of water that cities must process in their sewage system. Roots absorb stormwater on the ground, while the limbs and leaves collect and distribute stormwater. This saves taxpayers' dollars, Marcus explained.
According to Marcus, a 40-inch tree would save the city $140 by reducing the costs of processing stormwater runoff (a 40-inch tree will absorb approximately 3,000 gallons in stormwater a year). It will also save 145.5 kilowatt hours of electricity when near a building.
There were several other facts that Marcus commented on, such as the fact that a full-grown tree is a complete ecosystem in itself that provides shelter and nutrition to birds, bugs and small mammals, and that vehicles tend to travel slower on roads that are bordered by trees.
He noted, with great interest, that even crime rates and shopping habits are influenced by trees, as crime tends to see a decrease in communities with lots of trees, and consumers are more likely to visit and shop in stores that are surrounded by trees.
“If you have the adequate spacing for a tree, plant the biggest tree that you possibly can,” said Marcus, explaining that the bigger the tree, the bigger the savings and benefits.
He did encourage the city to be sure to “plant the right tree in the right place,” as a large-variety and long-living tree in a small space might end up causing more damage than good – trees that are planted in the wrong place could be a danger during high wind weather events, or their roots may crack and warp pavement.
Towards the end of Marcus' presentation, City Clerk Emily Anderson read aloud the City of Monticello proclamation that recognized the annual observance of Arbor Day within the city's limits.
For over 100 years, the proclamation stated, Arbor Day has been a conservation movement that is broadly observed in the United States and is symbolic to the earliest conservation of American pioneers.
“The citizens of Monticello have shown an increased interest in planting trees because of the tremendous role that such trees play in furthering and improving the environment,” continued the proclamation. “The City of Monticello takes great pride in its variety and number of trees.”
But it was the most important factor that the proclamation touched on within its conclusion, as it read: “The enhancement of the beauty of the city's landscape furnishes not only economic value, but also human value that is priceless and benefits all.”
Trees, for all their economic and beautification benefits, are much more than tools or lawn ornaments – they are crucial components of the world we live in and being near trees increases our connection not only to our world's ecosystem, but to the human value in our communities as well.