The trees that grace Ocean Springs are one of the most prized characteristics of this small city that wins accolades from national publications as a charming place to visit.
Washington Avenue, the entry to downtown, is the city’s best-known tree haven but far from the only neighborhood where trees flourish. An aerial survey shows the tree canopy covers 42% of Ocean Springs — on the low end of the 40-60% tree coverage that U.S. Forest Service researchers consider attainable in forested states.
One group hopes the city’s tree canopy can be increased to 50%, and wants to ensure trees are planted in neighborhoods where the canopy is thinner, notably in east Ocean Springs. Areas such as the Gulf Islands National Seashore and large, undeveloped tracts of land contribute to overall tree canopy coverage, which can be as low as 30% in some neighborhoods, the aerial survey showed.
The Ocean Springs Tree Canopy Renewal Project expects before year’s end to find out if a $250,000 grant will be awarded for the work.
“We are surrounded by water,” said Julia Weaver, a volunteer and organizer of the Tree Canopy Project. “The other characteristic people talk about is our trees, especially the heritage live oaks, which provide beauty and shade and a sense of place.”
Trees reduce urban heat
Without the live oaks that line both sides of the street, Washington Avenue could be Anywhere, USA.
“It says something about the history of the place,” said Melanie Allen for the Historic Ocean Springs Association, which is hosting the tree canopy project. “There’s something about the strength of Live oak trees, it’s just iconic to Ocean Springs.”
But live oaks are far from the only tree that could be planted through the project. There are a host of trees that would also thrive and are wind- or flood-resistant.
Trees offer more than beauty. They help absorb storm water runoff and air pollutants that can make people sick, and they provide shade that lowers temperatures.
In fact, Weaver said, trees are one of the cheapest ways to combat excessive heat and manage storm water. The Forest Service says research shows that tree canopies can reduce temperatures by 11 to 19 degrees, when compared to communities that have no tree cover.
On a hot day, areas with ample shade in downtown Ocean Springs neighborhoods can be 10 degrees cooler than neighborhoods further east, Weaver said.
Trees, the forest service says, “act as nature’s air conditioners, intercepting sunlight and reducing the heat island effect in urban areas.”
Plans for Ocean Springs
Both Pass Christian and Long Beach have undergone the initial tree canopy survey undertaken in Ocean Springs through i-Tree, a Forest Service software that offers tree canopy assessment tools. In 2016, the tree canopy in Pass Christian was measured at 49.6%, while Long Beach’s tree coverage was 41.4%.
To increase the tree canopy in Ocean Springs, the grant would cover a professional survey of the number and species of trees in in the city and would identify gaps in the tree canopy. Results would be presented to neighborhood, community groups and government to build interest in increasing the tree canopy.
Weaver said some neighborhoods might want to use the same species of trees for a cohesive look, which would add economic value as well as beauty. The grant could also be used to buy some trees, although any planting program would be voluntary.
“We would be able to provide expert advice about how to plant them and care for them so they would do well,” Weaver said.
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