By Lori Litchman
Welcome to Lenapehoking (Land of the Lenape)!
The Lenape people lived in harmony
with the land for thousands of years
before Europeans.
A forest for millennia
oaks, American chestnuts,
hemlocks, poplars–
two hundred feet tall.
Trees
mark time
define time
link to memories
integrate into cultural practices
keep us rooted
in the ecology of our region.
An ancient tree
often carries the
memories of several
generations of a family
- Survey, 19113
Upon Philadelphia's founding,
William Penn
envisioned a
greene country towne
but then
manufacturing, development, production, industry,
altered the land
Forested riverbanks cleared.
Population decrease
urban renewal policies
housing demolished
creating large areas of vacant land
Vacant land left unstewarded.
Unintentional, unmanaged tree canopy
quickly grew quickly grew quickly grew
damaging infrastructure
increasing safety concerns.
Red lining maps
Red lining designation
Red color areas marked Hazardous
with the lowest tree canopy
a landscape of discrimination
Low income and poor
neighborhoods severely
lack trees and are overgrown
with weeds and brush.
- Survey, 19146
Philadelphia's urban forest is shrinking.
But the tree canopy
is not evenly distributed,
a public health emergency
I have
walked treeless
Philadelphia
streets that are
hot and desertlike,
parched
and empty in the
summer sun.
- Survey, 19129
Trees will take 30 years
to provide benefits
urgent action needed.
The Woodlands 