Bridgeport Trees

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Plant a Tree

Do you have space in the parkway outside your house for a new street tree? Help bring new trees to our community!

We are currently recruiting households in/near Bridgeport to be part of an Openlands Tree Planters Grant. Households help plant the tree and agree to help water and mulch their trees for three years.

Trees, tools, and training are provided by Openlands to all households at no cost. Click the button below and fill out the form to get started!

Why Trees

  • Trees improve air quality, manage stormwater, reduce anxiety, reduce the heat island effect, and help lower home energy bills.

  • Many mature ash trees will die in the coming year due to the emerald ash borer, as the city is no longer treating parkway ash trees.

Neighborhood tree canopy before and after infected ash trees removed. Source

Ash Trees

The city is no longer treating parkway ash trees, and untreated ash trees will die. If there is an ash tree outside your home that still has ~70% of its canopy, you can work with an arborist to arrange treatment. We recommend SavaTree or Davey Trees. Mention the Chicago EAB program, which offers a discounted rate for parkway trees. Treatment price is determined by the trunk diameter. Expect to pay $150+ for one treatment for a mature ash tree.

If you do not pursue treatment, or the tree already lost 30%+ of its canopy, request tree removal using 311 when appropriate. Dead ash trees can pose a hazard as they become brittle.

Be aware that research is still evolving on the effects of EAB treatment chemicals on pollinators. Researchers suggest completing treatment around late May after trees are finished flowering to reduce risk.

Trees require treatment every 3 years, and the last city treatment for many trees in our area was in 2016. You can identify ash trees by their leaves and bark, or look for the circular metal treatment tags left by the city on the street side that show the treatment year (pictured below, source).

Learn more from the North River Commission's ash saving effort (Block Club, WTTW).

Metal treatment tag from the city's Bureau of Forestry

Contact

Bridgeport Trees is a small group of Bridgeport residents. Contact us with any questions or comments.

Urban Forestry

Learn more about efforts to create an Urban Forestry Advisory Board for the City of Chicago below.

311 Services

The city accepts tree trimming and planting requests via the 311 system. Please make use of these services, particularly tree trimming! This can reduce tree damage from storms.

Note that there can be a lengthy delay - an average of half a year for tree trimming and 1.5 years for tree planting for our area.