Tree Inventory

WHO: Barrington received a Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) Urban & Community Forestry Grant in 2021. The Town of Barrington is collaborating with the Conservation Commission/Tree Commission as part of the Town's government and also with its Department of Public Works (DPW) to maintain and improve its urban tree environment.

WHAT: With grant funds and Town support, a Tree Inventory Program Initiative is in the planning stages with the ultimate goal of creating an ongoing five-year urban forestry plan for all town-owned property in Barrington.

The Tree Inventory organizers consist of a Core Team - Conservation Commission/Tree Commission members and a member of the Park and Recreation Commission.  Volunteers serving as Captains will assist each Core Team member and coordinate onsite work with volunteers.

WHERE: The town is sectioned into 15 areas with data collection only for trees on street roads, not state roads. Phase one of the program will cover four of the 15 areas (Maps 1A, 1B, 2 and 3).

WHEN: Volunteers should anticipate a time commitment maximum of four hours per field outing and 20 hours maximum over a two-to-three-month time frame (mostly weekends and some weekdays based on availability). Volunteers do not need to be an expert (all skill levels are welcome). Materials/handouts will be provided to assist with tree identification and the organizers will contact all volunteers to schedule virtual and in-person training at a later date.

WHY WE NEED YOUR HELP: Community participation is key to this initiative. Part of the Tree Inventory outreach campaign consists of contacting community neighbors, friends and organizations to assist by volunteering to participate in collecting valuable data (number of trees, species, location, size and condition). The goal is to create a database of an estimated 8,000 trees on its 458 streets.