Hey all,
I didn't want to take over that Portland thread anymore, but I work for a tree org here in Pittsburgh (Friends of the Pittsburgh Urban Forest)
and I am interested in coordinating a planting-by-bike. I have lots of sweet ideas for it, and I need to sit down with my staff to flesh it out, but I figured those interested and those with trailers should let me know here!
For anyone who has come to a tree planting in the past year or two, you may notice that trees are large (2" caliper when planted on the streets) and heavy (balled and burlapped trees, which we normally plant, weigh 250+ pounds when they are 2" caliper).
There are some less-heavy options like bare root and containerized trees, but bare root are better for fall planting than spring.
This is all in the extreme I HAVE AN IDEA phase, but I wanted to get a thread out there about it since many folks were interested... and wanted to offer their trailers.
For some sweet photos of what they did in Portland, see this site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/angryashley/sets/72157615112621690/
Into it.
I have a semi-converted kids trailer that you are welcome to have if you'd like. I've had it for well over a year and have yet to use it. Two wheels, attaches to the rear QR with a bracket thingie. Likely about 100 limit or so. Just a bar frame, needs some sort of platform put on it to suit the actual use.
i have two long bikes. could be good for hauling shovels 'nat.
also, i can get a Bikes At Work Trailer
At least on long bike, maybe two, might have a tester then.
Kids trailer we don't use.
Torker cargo bike too.
I have access to child labor also.
I've got nothing capable of loads over 100 pounds or so, but will happily donate thigh power to the endeavor.
sounds like we need a fleet of bikes at work trailers.
I hate to be a naysayer, but the plantings I have been to, a semi had to bring the trees from butler, anyhow. said truck then parked at a central location and the trees were dispersed via hand trucks. what is the advantage of using bikes if it is not from the nursery?
I've got your tree trunks right here.
I mean, uh, yeah I'll help.
I have a kids' trailer and child labor available, too.
@ dmtroyer--yeah the trees need to brought to a central location via flatbed truck. in lawrenceville last month though, we plated bare root and so the trees were taken all over the entire neighborhood by pickups after being brought via uhaul from upstate new york (the butler nursery doesnt grow bare root stock), so this would have been awesome for bikes! but the neighborhood group there already had it super organized and I didnt want to throw a wrench into their plan.
for this planting, i would try to organize it to be more specific to the bike part. Like, we might organize front yard plantings instead of street tree/sidewalk plantings, and then we would have to deliver the trees to homes all over the east end from one location, etc. Normally the plantings we have now, we require people to concentrate the trees in an area.... if we can do it by bike, we can spread out the trees more.
Like I said it is still even "pre planning" phase, and those are somethings we have to consider.
Portland organizes plantings differently, where people have to come pick the trees up and drive them somewhere else. So plant-by-bike worked well for them. Still, I think we can do it.
also thanks for the child labor offers! is this just for tree planting or are they available year round?
I have a child/dog trailer that I can help with.
I'm interested. I have no trailer, just legs and wheels
also thanks for the child labor offers! is this just for tree planting or are they available year round?
For the right price? Year 'round!
I'm interested, I've got legs, wheels and svelt manly tree planting muscles.
beware, i live
(i would love to be a mule)
this is beginning to sound like it could be the first bikepgh messageboard meet-up
Damn. Does Portland have to rain on all of our parades?
If anyone would like to attempt this next year, I'll deliver. Maybe treesbybike could help us set up a Pgh replica.
i started this thread because i talked to the people in portland who planted by bike and i want to do it too. their plantings are differently organized than ours, so it will be a little different here.
haha, but i didnt see that that was a christmas trees by bike organization. haha! that would be easy... you could partner with four frozen farmers at construction junction or with urban gardener. you could even do a pick-up the tree for recycling by bike, which would probably be a big success.
i imagine that being an east end only service
For the right price it could be anywhere...
I'll plant my tree anywhere you tell me to... for a price.
I'll plant my tree anywhere you tell me to... for a price.
You still working on those euphemisms, Joe?
could be an FPUF sticker slogan
If anyone has an idea, I have a chop saw and a welder.....
We can cut the trees to fit them on bikes then weld them back together.
caitlin, here's an article that just came out about planting trees by bike
http://bikeportland.org/2009/12/28/guest-editorial-planting-trees-by-bike
Love the idea. Wondering if we could also plant wild flowers along the many trails in the area to support the wildlife and increase the pleasure of the rides. Might be a nice earth day or bikefest activity? Happy to help if others are interested ...
Bikeraunt, I'd love to as long as we stay native. Unfortunately, fall is a better time to plant them. I think if we wanted to do that in the spring, we'd have to get the seeds now and leave them out in the cold for the winter, as they need a few months of cold to "activate."
Or maybe you can get pre-seasoned seeds?
So, can we plant trees in the spring and wild flowers in the fall? Sounds fun!
the trail planting would be something I could talk to Friends of the Riverfront about... they often have a big planting of both trees and seeds and bulbs and given that most of the sites are on trails we could arranged that too, perhaps.
Absolutely, native plants only and hopefully species to help the native or endangered species such as milk weeds for the Monarch butterflies. Wondering if the Pepsi Refresh campaign might be willing to supply/purchase the seeds?
