THE LEAFLET

Young street trees with watering bags (or you may have some in front of your house!) are thankfully a frequent site in D.C. During the last tree planting season (October 2016 through April 2017), the city planted 8,200 trees, increasing urban tree canopy coverage of the District to 38 percent. That is exciting news! Overall, the District maintains more than 215,000 trees throughout the city. Therefore, it is understandable that during these periods of intense heat (and year round) the District may not be able to water every.tree.every.day.

Enter an innovative new app and the dedicated and enthusiastic people of D.C. – the D.C. Tree Watering App. Launched last week by Mayor Bowser, users can locate trees in all eight wards that need watering, tag trees they water, and upload photos of the trees being watered. In addition, users can report trees in need of care (e.g. a tree has a beehive), and the Urban Forestry Division will review all reports to determine the best means of care for each tree. The app also includes a story map with information about tree species found throughout Washington, D.C.

“With the launch of the new D.C. Tree Watering App we are encouraging all District residents to help support our urban forestry,” said Mayor Bowser. “Watering is the easiest and most affordable way for residents to help, and this app will allow us to coordinate our efforts.”  

We agree! Follow our Weekly Watering Alerts and check to see if there are some street trees near you that need a hand. If your street tree doesn’t already have a watering bag, interested in making watering easier? We have slow-release watering bags for sale – just fill it up once a week and you’re set.