The City of Key West received donation of 12 trees

The City of Key West received donation of 12 trees

The City of Key West recently received a donation of 12 trees and palms to be planted in the 1200 block of Varela Street. Liz and Steven Goldstone, property owners in the 1200 block of Varela Street, hired Just Keys Trees to select, purchase, and deliver the trees to the City.

“We donated them after noticing the pretty trees on Varela blocks up toward Truman,” they wrote, “and learning from [Urban Forester Karen DeMaria] that those trees were there because private donors who lived in those blocks saw the need and contributed them to the City. We thought, ‘well our neighborhood certainly could use pretty trees, why don’t we do the same for our block!’”

DeMaria, Urban Forestry Manager for the City of Key West worked with the Goldstones during the past year to document places to create new tree planters and determine which existing street planters needed trees.

Tree locations and species were selected based on recommendations from the engineering department and locations of overhead and underground utility lines.

“We were able to determine that seven new planters could be created, and five existing planters needed trees,” said DeMaria. “The Goldstone’s ordered a total of 12 trees, which were delivered to the City on June 10.”

City crews started planting the trees in the 1200 block of Varela street this week. Trees donated and planted include five thatch palms, two Bahama tabebuia trees, and one gumbo limbo, verawood, wild tamarind, yellow tabebuia, and cinnecord trees.

[livemarket market_name="KONK Life LiveMarket" limit=3 category=“” show_signup=0 show_more=0]