A Memory Tree Project Profile: The Henderson Family

Photo by Renée DeKona

By Pam Sinotte

The Memory Tree Project is in its second year and we continue to hear stories of those who are caring for the city’s street trees in memory of loved ones.

Sarah Henderson explained why her family is participating in The Memory Tree Project:

Photo by Renée DeKona

“My brother Owen passed away in March 2017. He made the inexplicable decision to take his own life. As his family, we were left with many unimaginable and unanswered questions. We spent the first few weeks after his passing, walking zombie-like through Fallon Field. On one day, I happened to notice the signage on a tree outside the park. I contacted my friend Natalie, who works for Liz Malia's office and was immediately connected to Pam from The Memory Tree Project and the Office of Neighborhood Services for Roslindale. The next day Pam met with my mother and me to help guide us through our grief to elect the right tree to adopt. In the end, we remember my brother Owen through an oak tree. It stands strongly and protectively alongside the park yearning to provide shade and comfort to generations of children.”

Clockwise from the left in the photo, Aoife Marshall, Joann Henderson and Sarah Henderson water their memory tree.

We hope you’ll be inspired by Sarah and her family to join The Memory Tree Project and care for a street tree in memory of a loved one. You’ll be honoring a loved one, helping to reduce Roslindale’s carbon footprint, and beautifying the neighborhood! To sign up for your own tree, go to www.greeningrozzie.org/projects/memory-tree-project or email thememorytreeproject@gmail.com.

Rozzie Businesses Join The Memory Tree Project

By Pam Sinotte

Three local businesses have joined The Memory Tree Project: Pet Cabaret, CJM Insurance and Atlas Liquors.

Lisa DiPietro, co-owner of the Pet Cabaret at 4404 Washington Street, is watering a honey locust in memory of her dogs and cats.   

Paul Joyce, Chartered Financial Consultant of CJM Insurance at 147 Belgrade Avenue is watering a linden tree in memory of his beloved mother-in-law, Suzy Mousalli, who passed away in June of 2016. CJM and Anthony’s Tax Services are sharing watering duty.

Atlas Liquors co-owners Peter, Jeff and Natalie are caring for two ginkgo trees at their Roslindale store at 591 Hyde Park Avenue. They’re watering trees for Bernard White, their grandfather Lou White, the founder of Atlas Liquors, and his wife Beatrice. Lou and Beatrice are also honored in a new mural celebrating immigrants painted by The Mayor’s Mural Project.

Studies show that the more trees and landscaping a business district has, the more business flows in. Tree-lined streets also slow traffic – enough to allow drivers to look at the store fronts instead of whizzing by. For more reasons to have and maintain street trees, see Top 22 Benefits of Trees.

When business owners take care of the trees near their businesses by watering them and clearing the tree pits of debris, they and the entire community benefit. When you patronize these businesses, please thank them for helping to make Roslindale a greener, more sustainable community!

 

 

   Photos by Pam Sinotte

MIT’s Climate CoLab wants you!

By Eric Smalley

MIT’s Climate CoLab is harnessing the collective intelligence of thousands of people from all around the world to address global climate change. The Climate CoLab is holding a set of seven contests to generate ideas to help people and communities deal with climate change.

The contest topics are:

• Shifting attitudes and behaviors
• Land-use: agriculture, forestry, waste management
• Buildings
• Energy Supply
• Adaptation
• Carbon pricing
• Transportation

The deadline is September 10, 2017. Winners will be invited to MIT and will join the Climate CoLab winners’ alumni. A $10,000 Grand Prize winner will be selected from among winners across all seven contests.