ReGreen Springfield

We are happy to announce the winning entries in our 2023 Fall Photo Contest.  Springfield’s natural beauty has truly shone through the lenses of our talented community photographers. We received an impressive collection of entries for the contest, each capturing the essence of our city’s natural world. After careful consideration, we are thrilled to announce the well-deserved winners:

🥇 First Place: M.J. Tash – “Forest Park Winter”
A captivating portrayal of the serene winter landscapes in Forest Park.

🥈 Second Place: Jan Piepul – “Hummingbird in Flight”
An exquisite shot capturing the grace and beauty of a hummingbird in motion.

🥉 Third Place: Bill Malloy – “Forest Park Winter Wonderland”
A stunning depiction of the enchanting winter wonderland within Forest Park.

We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all participants who shared their incredible photographs, showcasing the natural wonders that make Springfield a unique and cherished place.

But that’s not all! We’re excited to announce that our next photo contest is just around the corner, scheduled for this upcoming winter. We encourage all photography enthusiasts to keep their cameras ready and their creative spirits high. Stay tuned for more details on how to participate and the exciting prizes we have in store.

As a token of our appreciation for your outstanding contributions, all contest winners will receive a valuable field guide to trees. We hope this resource will aid them in further exploring and appreciating the abundant green spaces that Springfield has to offer.

Congratulations once again to our winners, and thank you to everyone who made the ReGreen Springfield Photo Contest a resounding success. Your passion for preserving and celebrating the natural world is truly inspiring.

Stay connected with ReGreen Springfield for more opportunities to engage with and protect our city’s precious environment. Together, we can continue to make Springfield a greener, more vibrant place to call home.

🌳  📷  #ReGreenSpringfield   #PhotoContest   #NaturePhotography

The reconstruction of urban infrastructure often presents opportunities to enhance the sustainability and livability of communities through the integration of green infrastructure.

One such tool that aids in assessing the benefits of trees in urban settings is the i-Tree Planting software. A  report was just completed by the US Forest Service, in partnership with ReGreen Springfield, that outlines how i-Tree Planting software was employed to calculate the benefits of existing, proposed, and trees that are being removed as part of the reconstruction of Sumner Avenue at Dickinson Street and Belmont Avenue(referred to as “The X”) in Springfield, MA.

The i-Tree Planting software analyzed the existing tree canopy cover along Sumner Avenue, evaluating their contributions to air quality improvement, stormwater runoff reduction, energy savings, and carbon sequestration. The results highlighted the significant role that the existing trees played in mitigating the urban heat island effect and enhancing local air quality.

Over the span of a decade, they are projected to collectively sequester 69,106.2 pounds of CO2, continue the legacy of ozone removal by eliminating 232.43 pounds, and extract 9.0 pounds of sulfur dioxide and 8.01 pounds of particulate matter 2.5 from the air.

Furthermore, these new trees possess the potential to intercept a substantial 470,331.7 gallons of rainfall, alleviating the burden on the soil, preventing erosion and lessening urban flooding. Their contributions extend to the avoidance of 84,923.1 gallons of runoff, as they participate in preserving the delicate balance of the local ecosystem.

In the end, these three scenarios underscore the indispensable role that trees play in maintaining environmental equilibrium, showcasing the cascading effects of their presence, absence, and revival.

Click Here to read the report brief.