RELEAF CEDAR RAPIDS
Daniels Park: replanted condition after 10 years
A park without trees is just a field. Some parks include fields, but the beauty and utility of many Cedar Rapids’ parks comes from their trees. To visit these places now can be heartbreaking: the ragged tops of those trees that survived only remind us of the many that were lost. This memory of former glory spurs us to replant them as quickly and robustly as possible. But this replanting is also an opportunity to make these parks better. Best practices in park forestry have advanced since Cedar Rapids’ parks were originally designed. Applying these practices to the City’s parks results in plans that move beyond the simple replacement of lost trees.
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Daniels Park: pre-derecho
Daniels Park: day after derecho
An aggressive strategy for replanting Cedar Rapids’ parks is detailed on page 95 of the ReLeaf Cedar Rapids plan. It includes selecting trees from the ReLeaf Tree list and not planting imported species where a native tree will thrive. Parks will be planted according to the 10-20-30 rule regarding the percentage use of any one species, genus, or family of trees. Park trees will be planted as saplings, protected by stakes. They will be placed as groups in groves of seedlings close enough together that their roots can eventually touch. The groves will be placed at the edges of existing tree stands and along shared property lines. Large numbers of seedlings will be planted along unshaded segments of recreation trails. Trees will be planted along existing paths with same-species trees on both sides. They will also be located
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MARCH 2022
in areas of activities to provide shade and summer cooling. Plans identify the location of current or potential future community gardens. The planting of groves of food-producing seedlings adjacent to community gardens is encouraged. Replanting will include opportunities for planting an understory of native shrubs, perennials, and/or groundcover beneath trees. The City will pursue a strategy to eradicate major invasive species from its woodlands and unimproved park areas and begin to populate open areas with seedlings as they become available. All the work in replanting will be entered into a City database, applying asset management best practices. Each tree will be assigned a watering and inspection schedule and pruned as necessary. Illustration by Chad Jewell
The Park Trees Plan
