Tree Frogs, 2020 elections

‘Tree Frogs’ aim to plant 1,000 trees

Did you know that by planting a tree, you can increase your home’s value by up to 20%? That’s a fact, according to the US Forest Service.

“A mature tree also can also improve your health by cleansing the air you breathe; lower anxiety; and produce more sociable neighborhoods,” says neighborhood tree advocate Aaron Backs. “And in Frogtown, these benefits can be had for free.”

Backs is working this summer with the Tree Frogs, an all-volunteer group of Frogtown residents whose ambitious goal is to plant 1,000 new trees in the neighborhood. “Frogtown has the lowest tree canopy of any residential neighborhood in the city,” Backs explains. “We’ll be giving away and planting 70 new shade and fruit trees in Frogtown yards this summer, which will bring our total so far up to 520. We hope to reach 1,000 trees by 2025.”

The Tree Frogs’ efforts, supported this year by a grant from the Forest Service, will concentrate heavily on Frogtown rental properties, which tend to have fewer trees. Landlords and homeowners can choose among maple, linden, apple pear and cherry trees. “The Tree Frogs will help you select a good site and will get the utilities marked before we plant your tree in the fall,” Backs says.

For more information, visit the Frogtown Green website, www.frogtowngreen.com or call 651-757-5970.

‘2020 Elections: Protected or Infected?’

The League of Women Voters St. Paul (LWVSP), with support from the St. Paul Neighborhood Network, are partnering to present “2020 Elections: Protected or Infected?” a free program on Tuesday, June 30, 6:30-8 p.m.

In the interest of public health and safety, this will be a virtual event. The event will be cablecast on LWVSP’s Facebook page, as well as SPNN channel 19.  Interested participants can register on the LWVSP website, (www.lwvsp.org). The program will be recorded for future viewing.

As Minnesota finds itself dealing with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the League is working to ensure that all voters have an opportunity to learn how this has affected legislation this session, especially regarding bills addressing voting and elections. The event will feature a discussion between Nick Harper, Civic Engagement Director for the League of Women Voters Minnesota, and Junior Alvados of Minnesota Voice, a coalition of non-profit organizations working toward permanent change in racial, social, and economic justice by increasing civic engagement and voter participation across the state, especially focused in underrepresented communities.