Northeast Tree Tenders’ Fall 2012 planting. Photo/Northeast Tree Tenders

Northeast Tree Tenders will plant 40 trees Saturday, but only with the help of volunteers.

Hasan Malik, the group’s founder, is in search of additional volunteers to help with planting and enjoy lunch after. continue reading »

The Serviceberry tree is one of eight species TreePhilly offers residents. File photo/Jennifer Klimowicz

Philadelphia’s Department of Parks & Recreation is winding down the application period its TreePhilly program, and two Northeast neighborhoods are part of its target.

Frankford and Morrell Park are part of the handful of neighborhoods singled out for their need of trees. They –  along with West Oak Lane, Tioga, Old Kensington, South Philadelphia, Whitman and Haddington – have the most tree canopy needs and are in the Philadelphia Water Department’s combined sewer-overflow area.

The Serviceberry tree is one of eight species TreePhilly offers residents. Photo/Jennifer Klimowicz

UPDATE — Still haven’t gotten your tree? Philadelphia residents have until March 31 to apply for trees they can get in April.

Philadelphia’s Department of Parks & Recreation has begun its TreePhilly program, and two Northeast neighborhoods are part of its target.

Frankford and Morrell Park are part of the handful of neighborhoods singled out for their need of trees. They –  along with West Oak Lane, Tioga, Old Kensington, South Philadelphia, Whitman and Haddington – have the most tree canopy needs and are in the Philadelphia Water Department’s combined sewer-overflow area.

Northeast Tree Tenders founder Hasan Malik explains to volunteers how to properly plant this tree in front of the Northeast Older Adult Center on Bustleton Avenue.

Hasan Malik started the Northeast Tree Tenders three years ago because he was tired of looking at all the bare concrete on the streets of Northeast Philadelphia.

Most of Philadelphia’ s full-grown trees were planted 60 to 70 years ago, said Malik, a Northeast native and Temple University student of civil engineering. And if they haven’t died yet, they are reaching the end of their lives and will have to be replaced soon.

The only problem is that no one is replacing them.

Since trees offer so many benefits to a community, like reducing pollution, raising commercial and private property values, improving health, reducing summer energy costs and preventing flooding, Malik said it was important to him to replace the dying trees.

Although there were other tree tender groups in the Northeast at the time, like Holmesburg Tree Tenders, and the Tacony Tree Tenders, these groups only covered a small area. Malik filled the void by starting a group that covered the entire Northeast.

Encompassing 11 zip codes, The Northeast Tree Tenders covers more area than any of the other 41 tree tender groups throughout Philadelphia.

The group has planted more than 300 trees since 2008. At this year’ s spring planting alone, the Tree Tenders planted 50 trees over seven different zip codes. continue reading »

Ian Litwin of the City Planning Commission (far right) addresses the Holmesburg Civic Association at the April 2011 meeting.

Two of the three candidates for the 6th District City Council seat went to last night’s Holmesburg Civic Association meeting to address neighborhood and district-wide concerns and answer questions from residents.

Republican candidate Sandy Stewart and Democratic candidate Marty Bednarek each addressed the members before taking turns answering questions. Democratic candidate Bobby Henon was not in attendance.

DROP was a hot topic, but a question about term limits drew the most discussion from the roughly 20 people at the meeting. continue reading »

Bill Dobbins of Northeast Tree Tenders cares for a tree the group previously planted, Image courtesy of Rikard Lama for Metro.

This article ran in Wednesday’s Metro as part of our partnership with the daily newspaper.

If you’re in the Northeast the Saturday before Thanksgiving, you’re likely to find about 60 people walking the streets. Carrying eight-foot trees.

Northeast Tree Tenders organizes volunteers twice a year for plantings, during which time they plant 50 to 60 trees throughout the region that they go back and prune throughout the year.

What started in 2008 as a high school project for Hasan Malik is quickly growing to a full-fledged business.

“First it was 23 trees, and the next four [plantings] after that were 50 to 70,” Malik said of Tree Tenders’ beginnings. continue reading »

Here’s a summary of the week’s Northeast news we didn’t cover. See others here.

An Amtrak Northeast Regional train heading toward 30th Street Station struck and killed a man at the Holmesburg Junction station last night. The preliminary investigation shows the death was an apparent suicide.

Keep reading for news on how to get a tree planted, LCB raids and more. continue reading »

By Shannon McDonald

Here’s a list of what happened around the NEast this week, in case you missed it.

A Philadelphia police officer who lives in the Northeast was charged with beating his fiancee. Talib Muhammad, 44, was found driving on I-95 near South Philadelphia with two handguns after he reportedly struck his fiancee in the face with a gun around 10 p.m. Tuesday. The 13-year veteranwas charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and possessing an instrument of crime. Muhammad has been suspended for 30 days with the intent to dismiss.

continue reading »