Worcester, MA; 1/14/09

It’s our turn to keep Worcester green with tree-planting plan Worcester Telegram - Worcester,MA,USA Long before we ever heard of the Asian longhorned beetle, public trees all across Worcester were in crisis. Herwitz’s research found that over the past 30 to 40 years, Worcester lost nearly half of its publicly owned trees, and the decline was accelerating. Can you imagine this community without tree-lined streets, small neighborhood parks, or large wooded public spaces like Elm Park, Green Hill Park, Nick’s Woods or Broad Meadow Brook? Neither can we. But that’s what we face if we sit back and do nothing. If there is a glimmer of a silver lining to the beetle infestation, it is a renewed focus on the plight of our urban forest. Now, it’s up to all of us to plant the seeds that will blossom in future generations, so that our children and grandchildren will live in a place filled with healthy trees and all the benefits they provide.