Chester’s Mentoring Initiative
February 2025
Our presenters were Barron Lacy, Executive Director of
Chester's 9th Street Youth and Community Center, and Faryn Steckiel,
recent urban forestry fellow with Brandywine Urban Forest and author
of this compelling report on Chester's tree canopy:
https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/99edfbdd707b4784ab02cdcb8ec70f60
Faryn used historical records to glean insights into Chester's current
tree canopy. She found that in Delaware County, there seems to be an
inverse relationship between socio-economic composition of population
and green spaces
Higher levels of tree canopy are correlated with reduced stress
levels, healthier communities (mentally and physically), and better
performance in grade school. Trees clean polluted air, reduce heating
and cooling costs, raise property values and offer many other benefits
to communities. Trail development builds local economies because
trails make it more possible for people without cars to get to work.
Children make observations and may form conscious and subconscious
beliefs around topics like "What am I / my community worthy of?" and
"Who is supposed to live in place with trees and nature?" This can
result in stunted feelings of agency, empowerment and motivation to
make positive changes in their neighborhoods.
Should we - and how should we - ethically enlist the help of youth to
fix the world's problems? Some suggestions:
1. We must encourage kids to share and draw out their dreams, since
you can't shoot for what you can't see.
2. Children's participation must be rooted in genuine curiosity and interest.
3. Compensating youth for their work is important.
It takes years before a newly planted tree will impact the
environment. Young trees need tending and maintenance for about two
years.
Some people don't like trees because of damage from roots and falling.
This is known as "tree trauma." Many are passing a rejection of trees
on to their children. However, there is an increased effort to avoid
planting the wrong trees in the wrong places to help avoid
complications and to maximize the benefits. The Chester Shade Tree
Commission assesses each unique environment to choose wisely.
Some opportunities for individuals and families:
March 15 Keep Delco Beautiful clean-up at Sun Village Park
https://www.delcopa.gov/sustainability/KDBLaunchEvent.html
March 29 clean-up at Barry Bridge Park riverfront beach (ask
barronlacy@aol.com for more info)
April 11 tree-planting throughout Chester (ask barronlacy@aol.com for
more info)
April 26 free trees at Arbor Day celebration at Swarthmore College's
Scott Arboretum https://www.scottarboretum.org/
April 26 Celebrate Trails Day celebration including free lunch at Eyre
Park next to Chester High School
https://www.youthdevunited.org/celebrate-trails-day-2025
free online tree-tending course
https://phsonline.org/events/tree-tenders-virtual-training-2025
environmental leadership opportunities
https://elpnet.org/
