Regreen Springfield has recently submitted (3) proposals to the City of Springfield’s Office of Community Development Neighborhood Beautification Grant Program. The proposals, make in partnership with the City’s Forestry Division and several neighborhood associations aims to help increase the tree canopy cover in the Memorial Square, Maple High-Six Corners and Forest Park Neighborhoods.
The Neighborhood Targeted Improvement Program aims to build capacity and encourage Neighborhood Organizations to implement projects in partnership with city departments and/or private organizations. Funds will be utilized in projects that follow Housing Urban Development(HUD) compliance guidelines. Eligible projects must benefit low/moderate income neighborhoods, make physical improvements and/or remove slum and blighted conditions. There can be no improvements on private property.
Regreen Springfield’s proposals focus on the following components and goals:
- Community Engagement – Regreen Springfield will work with the MHSC to reach out to the resident of the neighborhood to solicit participation in a tree and shrub planting program that will provide aesthetic and environmental improvements to the neighborhood.
- Resident Visits – A team of trained staff from Regreen Springfield will visit homeowners to determine species, location and number of new trees and shrubs for each property
- Tree and Shrub Planting Volunteer Day – In May, teams of volunteers from the community will with homeowners to plant the new plants in the locations selected via the process outlined above.
- Tree Planting Celebration – Working with residents and volunteers, a cook out will be geld to distribute information on the value of trees and urban greening in the neighborhood.
