Plant shade trees on a bare north Flint block (2026-07-18)

North Flint blocks that were redlined decades ago still show it in their thin tree cover: hotter summers, higher cooling bills, and streets with little shade. Every correctly planted street-side tree is a decades-long fix a neighbor can start in an afternoon. Standard: Arbor Day Foundation planting standard + Michigan DNR urban forestry guidance; SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities. Proof: GPS-dated photo of each tree planted to standard Method (Arbor Day Foundation planting standard + Michigan DNR urban forestry guidance; SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities.): 1. Confirm the planting spots are on the property of an inviting host or an approved public planting strip. 2. Dig each hole twice the width of the root ball and no deeper than the root flare. 3. Set each tree with the root flare at grade, backfill with native soil, and water it in deeply. 4. Mulch a ring around each tree, keeping mulch off the trunk. 5. Stake only if the site is windy, with soft ties. 6. Photograph each planted, mulched, watered tree with GPS and date on. Done when: GPS-dated photo of each tree planted to standard

Where

Host-invited yards and planting strips, Fleming Road area, north Flint, MI 48504

Pay

$80 proposed

This packet is not funded yet, so this figure is a proposed price and not money waiting in escrow. If a buyer funds it, approved proof settles that price onchain. If nobody funds it, approved proof earns provable credit toward the work instead of cash. You see which before you claim, never after.

Proof

GPS-dated photo of each tree planted to standard

This is exactly what gets it approved. Nothing settles without it.

Level

entry

Open until

2026-10-17

How this work is done

A documented method, so this packet comes out the same whoever does it. Typically 45–90 minutes. Method of record: ANSI A300 Part 6 (Planting) + ISA Best Management Practices for tree planting & establishment; Arbor Day Foundation planting standard. DIY-safe volunteer planting on cleared, utility-marked ground; no mechanized or utility-conflict digging.

Bring

• GPS-capable phone
• camera
• round-point shovel + digging fork
• hand pruners
• mulch (wood chips) + measuring stick
• watering can or hose
• gloves + closed-toe boots

Steps

1. 1. Confirm the planting spot is inside the posting radius and clear of marked utilities (811 locate honored); record the GPS waypoint.
2. 2. Photograph the bare site and the nursery stock (label/species visible) before planting.
3. 3. Dig the hole 2-3x the root-ball width and no deeper than the root ball, so the root flare will sit at or just above grade.
4. 4. Remove the container or cut away burlap/wire, gently loosen circling roots, and set the tree with the root flare visible at grade.
5. 5. Backfill with the native soil in layers, firming out air pockets; do not bury the root flare or amend heavily.
6. 6. Build a shallow watering basin, water in slowly until the backfill is saturated, and apply 2-3 inches of mulch kept 3 inches off the trunk.
7. 7. Stake only if the tree cannot stand on its own; use two loose ties that allow trunk movement, and note a removal date within one year.
8. 8. Record species, GPS, before/after photos, root-flare-at-grade confirmation, mulch depth, and water applied into the proof record; sign.

If it does not match the plan

• Unmarked or suspected buried utility, or the 811 locate is not honored -> STOP: do not dig; reschedule after a confirmed locate.
• Root ball is dry, circling/kinked, or the trunk is wounded -> do not plant as-is; soak/correct or reject the stock and note it, rather than establish a failing tree.
• Right-of-way, overhead-line conflict, or a species/site mismatch -> flag for the site steward and choose an approved spot/species; never plant into a conflict.

What counts as done

• GPS waypoint recorded inside the posting radius on utility-cleared ground
• Before and after photos showing the root flare visible at grade
• Mulch applied 2-3 inches deep and held off the trunk, with a watering basin formed and watered in
• Species and any staking (with a removal date) recorded in the proof

Proof is measured against these, not judged by taste.