One of best aspects of living in Portland is our collective fondness for trees. Our older neighborhoods – Ladd’s Addition or Irvington come to mind – possess a sense of place, in part, because of the mature trees that line the neighborhood streets. These trees turn the street into our shared outdoor living room, shading us from the heat, buffering the sidewalk from street traffic, providing habitat for urban fauna. Trees are beautiful. They sequester carbon. The list of benefits goes on…

Thinking about putting in some trees at your place? You should think about planting your trees with Friends of Trees. This route has a number of advantages. They will actually come out to your house, scope out the area (along the street? in the yard?) and let you know which trees are most appropriate for your situation. What’s more, they’ll deliver your trees to your house, help you plant and stake them, school you on their basic needs, and even provide follow-up maintenance. What a deal!

Did you know that now is a great time to order some trees for next year’s planting, since they’ll be priced at a discount? With the discount, most trees run in the range of $25 to $75. Spruce up that bare parking strip with…a spruce! Or apple or maple or…just check out the tree inventory here. Also, consider visiting the Ainsworth Linear Arboretum to view over 60 species of street trees located within biking distance of each other. You can also gift a tree to someone else and watch it grow over the years.

Friends of Trees is a great Portland-based non-profit that brings community members together to plant trees. They’ve planted 375,000 trees and native shrubs since 1989. Wow! If you’re into what Friends of Trees is doing, consider becoming a member. You can also help out by donating through the 2009 Willamette Week Give Guide or sign up for a community planting.