Friends of the Urban Forest want to give you a tree! Here’s how it works:

Mission residents have until October 1 to sign up to receive a street tree in the planting that Friends of the Urban Forest (FUF) is organizing for November 8.  Residents who have eligible sites in front of their homes and businesses can save approximately 75% of the total tree planting costs by participating in FUF’s neighborhood tree planting program; most of the costs are covered by grants, government funding and private donations.

Sign up here!

(No guarantee the tree you get will be as cool as the Ghostbusters ghost tree, originally photographed by Ariel Dovas.)

Full press release after the jump:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JULY 22, 2014
CONTACT: BEN CARLSON, 415-497-9342

More street trees coming to the Mission in November
Residents have until October 1 to sign up for a tree

Mission residents have until October 1 to sign up to receive a street tree in the planting that Friends of the Urban Forest (FUF) is organizing for November 8. Residents who have eligible sites in front of their homes and businesses can save approximately 75% of the total tree planting costs by participating in FUF’s neighborhood tree planting program; most of the costs are covered by grants, government funding and private donations.

FUF is a non-profit organization that helps individuals and neighborhood groups plant and care for street trees and sidewalk gardens throughout San Francisco. FUF plants trees in neighborhoods in which at least 30 trees have been requested. The copayment for a “Tree Package” is $135, and includes the tree, permit processing, site preparation including concrete removal, and three post-planting tree care visits. FUF’s certified arborists make recommendations regarding the tree species that are most suitable for the conditions at each planting site, and the property owner makes the final selection.

“Tree planting brings neighbors together,” said FUF Executive Director Dan Flanagan. “We love to help neighborhood residents transform and improve their blocks.”

The Mission is a moderately leafy neighborhood, but that’s not saying much; with only 13.7% of its land area covered by tree canopy, San Francisco has a sparser urban forest than most other cities, which is surprising given our “green” reputation. In fact, San Francisco ranks only 17th among the 20 most populous U.S. cities in its tree canopy coverage. Worse yet, our urban forest is shrinking, because tree mortality is currently outpacing tree planting; the San Francisco city government has allocated very little funding to its own tree planting program in recent years.

To receive a tree, sign up at http://www.fuf.net/mission/ or contact Caitlin at caitlin@fuf.net or 415-268-0772.

Tree plantings are community events that involve the tree recipients, volunteer tree planters, and FUF staff working side-by-side. They last from 9:00 a.m. to about noon, followed by lunch.

Since 1981, FUF has planted more than 48,000 trees, totaling 43% of San Francisco’s street tree canopy. Urban trees clean the air, reduce storm-water runoff, provide habitat for wildlife, beautify neighborhoods, and increase property values.

For more information about Friends of the Urban Forest, see http://www.fuf.net.

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While we’re on the subject, why do so many people think they can put things like clear plastic bags (such as the kind bread comes in) and god damn candy wrappers into the recycling bin?

IT’S NOT THAT DIFFICULT, PEOPLE.

MM reader Tom M. wonders if it might be:

On my walk home tonight I noticed what seemed at first to be a large pile of trash on the corner of Harrison and 17th. No big deal. However, upon further inspection, it was apparent that, yes, someone blew up a recycling bin.

At least it wasn’t a compost bin.  Or, god forbid, a porta-potty!

Farmgirl rules. Here’s the deal:

• No Waste: We offer one daily arrangement of beautiful, local and seasonal flowers and greens. For Valentine’s Day, you may get Cymbidium Orchids, non-red Roses, Tulips, Lisianthus, Anemones, Ranunculus, Kale & Scabiosa, depending upon is available with our growers that week.
• Field-to-vase: We work directly with local farmers to source only the freshest flowers.
• Recycled packaging and low-emission: We use recycled vase and reused burlap coffee bags from San Francisco-based Ritual Roasters and our bouquets are delivered via bike courier.

Lovely! Browse today’s options here. (Bouquet in a burlap sack, bouquet in a reused vase, or a LIVING PLANT.)

Residents have been questioning the design that DPW has proposed for the new park set to blossom at 17th and Folsom since the first draft was revealed, and although many of their concerns have been addressed in subsequent revisions, one of those qualms continues to stand out. Quite literally, actually, in the form of an 8-foot fence surrounding the park:

The original concept design was even more inwardly focused, though it did address access to the future affordable housing to the north. Most egregiously, it set the 8-foot-high fence right at the park’s edge, making the 10-foot-wide sidewalk feel even more constrained…

The inflexible, over programmed design remained inwardly focused and lacked any integration with the urban fabric and immediate neighborhood community, which features many arts organizations. By most measures of good urban design, it was still a very unsuccessful design…

A low fence, such as the one at the nearby Mission Playground, can provide safety for small children without such a defensive and negative feeling.

[Link]

So, do you agree that DPW is totally completely it when it comes to building this park?  And just how high does a park fence have to be in order to keep all the good stuff inside while not looking like a prison from the outside?

Previously:

• Potential New Park On 17th And Folsom
• Breaking: Proposed 17th and Folsom Park Will Be Green
• Future Park at 17th and Folsom Will Probably Take a While

brown paper bags – 5 cents per – half off retail (SOMA / south beach)

brown paper bags 5 cents each
Lowest prices in the city!

Plus it’s still environmentally friendly because you’re paying for them

[link]

(Thanks, Gary!)

[via Sexpigeon]

[graphic via The Cornicopia Institute]

We don’t do that much politicking here (there’s plenty of that on the internet already), but it is a big election year, so expect some issues to pop up as we find them relevant or particularly pressing.

Local grocery cooperative, Rainbow Grocery Cooperative, is officially endorsing California’s Proposition 37, the Labeling of Genetically Engineered Food Initiative. This endorsement is not shocking, since 2000 Rainbow has officially opposed the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs):

“We will ban these foods from any private label product we carry, and support efforts to label and/or ban such foods until a time when they can be proved safe for consumption and the environment.”

Christa Irwin, of Rainbow’s Ecology Committee says of Prop. 37:

“People want to know what they’re eating. Just because a product says ‘natural’ does not mean that it hasn’t come from a GMO crop or possibly processed with or contaminated by one. This fight is imperative and hopefully will change labeling on a national level.”

You have to wonder why the food companies would pay so much money to stop us from knowing how they’re making our food and what they put into it. Since the above graphic was made the numbers on the red side have continued to go up. Fog City Journal has an informative write up on the matter. I just don’t trust companies like Monsanto and Phillip Morris, excuse me, Altria, to hold our health as their top priority. Anyone remember StarLink? If it costs less to do recalls or payout lawsuits…

I think the consumers have a right to know. If the companies believe that GMOs are safe then don’t hide them, convince us. It’s a bummer though, I like a lot of the products in the left column. I think Prop 37 is just the first step in getting to a better place with the development and use of GMOs. Much more testing should to be done, especially focusing on long term effects. Unfortunately there seems to be very little push back on the chemical/food companies making them, and much of the changes they are making are likely irreversible. If Prop. 37 passes consumers will be able to weigh in on the matter with their wallets, which is what the Big Ag companies are afraid of.

There’s cheap socks and gloves to go with them, too.

Just don’t say you live in the Presidio, because that would be a loooooong ride. On the other hand, it’s a lot easier for wasted people to puke over the side of this contraption than out the window of a cab.  Of course, perhaps you might be inclined to skip the cab altogether and simply take a nap on the hood of a parked car instead.

Our pal Doug over at Ice Tubes (the best blog about living in the Haight and surfing) spied this incredibly trippy-looking way to recycle your old jeans somewhere in the Haight. Read all about it.

I’d try it with my old jeans, but I think they might be too full of holes.

The SF Energy Co-op thinks maybe so, and they’re raising money to get the project started:

Our cooperative needs to get a pilot project putting solar on our neighborhood center up and running so we can raise membership around it and show other neighborhoods how they can get together on profitable solar projects too.

Maybe the Mission will be next? Read on.

Sure, you could make countless trips to the dump scrounging reclaimed materials, or you could just buy the parklet in front of Fabric8 for a considerable markup, drop it in your yard, and call it a day.

This one-of-a-kind parklet was designed and built by San Francisco artist Erik Otto using recycled materials. It has been featured in numerous publications, documentaries, and television programs. Most materials were procured from SF Recology (aka the dump) via Otto’s previous artist-in-residence there.

Amenities include 4 custom-made bean bags; low-voltage lighting system inside the house; and delivery/installation within the area. Can be purchased in part or whole. Olive tree and steel foundation excluded. Seller financing available.

More information: http://fabric8.com/parklet/2011.html

Not really my style, but I call dibs on Deep’s parklet triceratops if that ever goes for sale.

[Craigslist via Curbed SF]

I’m impressed by the cyclist who just rode down Valencia with a small couch on his back. I also find it an odd transportation decision.

— Karina (@kvanscha) August 13, 2012

Pretty impressive!