Photo: Emma Friedman/WBZ NewsRadio
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Using years of data, the city of Cambridge released a new map with the largest trees in the city.
With the help of college kids, Cambridge Public Works has been collecting data on local trees for 15 years, including the diameter and condition of the trees.
Cambridge Public Works IT Manager Eric Josephson said this helps them “know where to plant trees, know where we have issues.”
This data also helps determine what areas need more care and what they need to do to keep the trees alive.
The map shows the largest tree in each of Cambridge’s 13 neighborhoods. Josephson said it is meant to “promote” the city’s urban forestry program and “tell people about what’s around them.”
“Large trees are full of history,” the map’s website said. “These trees have been present for generations within their neighborhoods. They have sheltered residents from summer heat and housed many animals. Their new foliage is a sign of spring, and their fall colors are adored by pedestrians. As proven resilient growers, these trees thrive in unconventional urban environments.”
WBZ NewsRadio’s Emma Friedman (@EmmaFriedmanWBZ) reports.