ROGERS PARK — A program is helping neighbors replace the hundreds of trees felled when a tornado hit Rogers Park last summer.
Ald. Maria Hadden’s 49th Ward Office is working with the the city’s Bureau of Forestry to find Rogers Park residents who would like to replace a tree lost to or damaged by the August storm.
Property owners or tenants in areas hit by the tornado can reach out to the ward office to request a tree. Those receiving a tree must agree to care for it for its first three years, according to the ward office. That includes watering the tree, not laying fertilizer or pruning the tree and making sure it is not damaged by lawnmowers or other lawn equipment.
Those who would like to request a tree can call the 49th Ward Office at 773-338-5796 or email office@49thward.org. When requesting a tree, residents should provide their address.
A massive storm in August produced a tornado that traveled through Rogers Park, moving roughly along Jarvis Avenue from Western Avenue to the lakefront. The storm toppled hundreds of trees in Rogers Park, crushing cars, damaging homes and bringing down power lines in the process. No one was seriously hurt in the storm.
The August storm took down more than 7,000 trees citywide.
To replace trees in Rogers Park, neighbors organized an “I Survived the Rogers Park Tornado” merchandise campaign that raised money for the planting of trees locally. The 49th Ward Office also plans to spend aldermanic menu funds on tree planting in the ward, but those efforts will be concentrated in areas not impacted by the tornado.
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