Introduction

Recent hurricanes have devastated Winter Park's Oak tree canopy. Preliminary estimates indicate that 8,000 trees were severely damaged or destroyed just within Winter Park's city-maintained street rights-of-way.* This catastrophic loss is in addition to an ongoing annual tree replacement requirement of 2,000 to 3,000 trees.

Winter Park's Oak canopy is a unique signature asset that contributes significantly to our quality of life. In addition to the natural beauty and shade provided by the tree canopy above our city streets, trees provide many other benefits:

reduction of sunlight glare
softening and enhancement of architecture
preservation of wildlife habitat in urban areas
improvement of air quality by absorbtion and filtering of pollutants
cooler air temperatures in the immediate vicinity of the tree canopy
reduction of stormwater runoff
increase in local community property values

However, this priceless community asset is under continual attack by a variety of forces including old age (the lifespan of a Water Oak, for example, is only 40 to 50 years), maintenance budget shortfalls, and the stresses imposed by advancing development and increasing population. And then, of course, there are the ravages of severe weather.

The 2004 hurricane season underscored the urgent need for an activist citizen's group to join in partnership with City government to ensure that Winter Park's environmental character remains intact for future generations. Please review the balance of this site to learn more about our ambitious goals, the people and organizations involved, and the ways in which you can get involved. | Next: About the Fund

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Introduction Recent hurricanes have devastated Winter Park's Oak tree canopy. Preliminary estimates indicate that 8,000 trees were severely damaged or destroyed just within Winter Park's city-maintained street rights-of-way.* This catastrophic loss is in addition to an ongoing annual tree replacement requirement of 2,000 to 3,000 trees. Winter Park's Oak canopy is a unique signature asset that contributes significantly to our quality of life. In addition to the natural beauty and shade provided by the tree canopy above our city streets, trees provide many other benefits: reduction of sunlight glare softening and enhancement of architecture preservation of wildlife habitat in urban areas improvement of air quality by absorbtion and filtering of pollutants cooler air temperatures in the immediate vicinity of the tree canopy reduction of stormwater runoff increase in local community property values However, this priceless community asset is under continual attack by a variety of forces including old age (the lifespan of a Water Oak, for example, is only 40 to 50 years), maintenance budget shortfalls, and the stresses imposed by advancing development and increasing population. And then, of course, there are the ravages of severe weather. The 2004 hurricane season underscored the urgent need for an activist citizen's group to join in partnership with City government to ensure that Winter Park's environmental character remains intact for future generations. Please review the balance of this site to learn more about our ambitious goals, the people and organizations involved, and the ways in which you can get involved. \| Next: About the Fund back \| home \| top * The 8,000 total above does not include damaged or destroyed trees on private property within the City of Winter Park, or on non-right-of-way public property.
The Winter Park Live Oak Fund is a public-private partnership endorsed by the City of Winter Park. ©2004–2005 Winter Park Live Oak Fund, Inc., a Florida corporation. All rights reserved. Live Oak logo design by David Weaver, based upon an original image by noted photographer Ralph A. Clevenger. Website design by