At the Earth Day San Francisco celebration on April 21, 2018 Friends of the Urban Forest presented the sixth annual “Most Greenified Block” award to Silliman and Woolsey streets.
Though these two streets in the Portola neighborhood are separated by several blocks, both were improved last year according to our key award criteria: diverse and appropriate trees were planted with great neighborhood participation, resulting in a significant increase in greenery and a much-improved pedestrian experience.
“We went from almost no trees being planted during the last 10 years to 160 being planted last year,” said neighborhood organizer Alex Hobbs, who accepted the award from FUF executive director Dan Flanagan.
The trees included Southern magnolias, Small-leaf Tristanias, Fern pines, and a variety of species in the myrtle family.
Hobbs said that momentum for the neighborhood’s “greening revitalization” increased after the Portola was officially recognized by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors as the Garden District of San Francisco due to its agricultural history.
Urban greening projects beautify the city, reduce stormwater runoff, calm traffic, relieve stress, bring neighbors together, and increase the likelihood that people will walk rather than drive.
For high-resolution images of Silliman and Woolsey streets, see http://bit.ly/portola-greenified.