Jamie Daugherty, a forester for the New York City’s Department of Parks & Recreation, surveys trees in East Harlem. MillionTreesNYC has paid special attention to East Harlem because the neighborhood lacked shade and has one of the highest asthma rates in the nation. Trees reduce pollution that contributes to respiratory ailments. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
Jamie Daugherty, left, and Erin Maehr join Jennifer Greenfield, who directs the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation’s street-tree planting, in examining a tree that is healthy but surrounded by litter in Harlem. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
New trees planted as part of the MillionTreesNYC initiative dot the area at 112th Street and Park Avenue in Harlem. Since the initiative was launched two years ago, more than 220,000 trees have been placed across New York City but not without loud and sometimes hostile objections. Foes of the tree planting have cited a variety of reasons for their opposition. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
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Each tree planted by MillionTreesNYC has an identification band placed on it. “Trees give a great deal and ask very little in return,” says New York City Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
