Interviewing Mallory Pratt, Concordia Tree Team leader
Meet Mallory Pratt, a recent graduate of the Portland Urban Forestry Neighborhood Tree Stewards program, long-time crew leader for Friends of Trees.
You can also read her “Ode to the Black Hawthorn,” a counterpoint to a less-loved tree species.
How long have you lived in the Concordia neighborhood? What brought you here?
We bought our present house in 1993 and moved in August 1995 after completely renovating it ourselves. The neighborhood was very affordable at that time, which was the big draw. It was also a place where you could see people that didn't look like us, which was a plus.
Why should people care about trees in our neighborhood?
Where to start? Trees keep us alive. They cool our streets and houses, give us oxygen, calm our nervous systems, filter our water and store carbon dioxide and they're beautiful! The new houses being built in Concordia don't leave any room for big trees. And big trees are the most beneficial ones. We need to protect the ones we still have and protect space for new ones for the future!
What inspires you about urban forestry?
I've always loved trees; along streets, in yards, in parks, in forests. In 1996, I heard about an organization called Friends of Trees that would help you plant trees in the planting strip. Our planting strip was a barren strip of weeds. Two of the three trees they helped us plant are still thriving today! The crabapple has the most beautiful multi-colored leaves in the fall and the Giant Lilac tree is in showy white blossoms in June. And it inspired me to be a volunteer Crew Leader for Friends of Trees since 2010.
Do you have a favorite tree or place outdoors? Why is it your favorite?
My favorite tree was a majestic 100' tall Pacific Dogwood that was in the middle of the yard across the street until a few years ago. It was well over 100 years old when it had to be removed because it had finally died. We could see it from our bedroom window. It hosted so many birds: owls, sapsuckers, woodpeckers chickadees, kinglets, finches. And it was covered in white blossoms at the same time as the row of lilac trees bloomed in front of it. There will never be a large tree there again because it was in the middle of a buildable lot.
Looking to the future, what are your big plans and goals for engaging for Portland's urban forest? What is an awesome vision for that future?
I want to change our heritage tree program to protect mature trees that will be the huge trees of our future. I want funding for their maintenance on private property. This will help save the large trees we have in our neighborhoods.
Anything else you want to share?
In general, I want to change the notion that we can't have big trees and density at the same time. We can and must. Remember 2 years ago when June's average temperature was 85 degrees? And then our heat dome that killed people who live where there are no trees? It is hard to credit given how cool this year's June has been, but that kind of variability is our new norm.
We have to reimagine our urban future. We can have a city with an average 40% canopy cover everywhere that is also denser than it is now. If Pittsburg, PA, which is already denser than Portland, can do it, then we can too!
