This tree-lined street puts the green in Greenwich Village. (Getty Images)
While New York City is often referred to as a concrete jungle, the city is surprisingly greener than you might think. Thanks to NYC Parks, you can now see exactly how green it is. Today is Earth Day — the perfect time to highlight the New York City Street Tree Map, which provides curious users with an interactive map of all the city’s street trees by borough, neighborhood and street. It’s the most accurate map of a city’s street trees in the world.
The New York City Street Tree Maps pinpoints trees by borough and neighborhood. (NYC Parks)
Volunteers Have Mapped Over 694,200 Trees
How did this massive undertaking happen? Through the help of thousands of volunteers. Data for the tree map was gathered through a citywide tree census, TreesCount! 2015-2016. Volunteers recorded information on the species of tree, trunk width, health and GPS coordinates for each street tree in every borough.
The NYC Street Trees Map only shows trees grown under the jurisdiction of NYC Parks. Trees in areas maintained by the Department of Transportation or state and federal government may not be available. Trees planted on private property are also unavailable.
NYC is Home to 234 Species of Trees
The information gathered by the volunteers helped the parks department build an incredibly detailed snapshot of each tree. On this page, simply type in an address or zoom into your neighborhood of choice. Each street tree is represented by a green or brown circle on the map. Clicking the circle pulls up information on that specific tree including its genus, species, trunk diameter and street view of its location.
Breakdown of ecological benefits of a single tree in Clinton Hill (NYC Parks)
There’s even an estimate of the ecological benefits of each tree with a monetary value attached to the service they provide. For example, a Little Leaf Linden tree on Washington Avenue in Clinton Hill conserved 983 kilowatt hours annually, which is valued at $124.06. It also intercepted 1,260 gallons of stormwater, valued at $12.47.
Clinton Hill Rentals Under $2,500 a Month Article continues below
Develop a Green Thumb and Become a Tree Steward
In order to encourage users to get involved, the NYC Street Tree Map also includes a My Trees section. Users can mark their favorites and share them with friends. There’s even an option to record your care, which keeps all of your maintenance of a particular tree in one easy-to-find permanent spot.
If you’re interested in literally getting your hands dirty, you can join NYC Parks stewardship program. The organization hosts volunteers year-round, offering basic training like watering trees to mulch and soil cultivation, installing tree guards, and pruning. Simply register for one of the city’s upcoming stewardship programs in your borough.
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