The Town of Camden has launched a new, large-scale program of planting shade trees along our residential streets and has budgeted for over 50 trees to be planted this year. Dave St. Laurent and his Public Works crew have planted over half of the allocated trees so far.  They are watering them assiduously and expect the work to go on into the fall.

We have added to Camden’s tree canopy so far with four sturdy young Ginkgos (best for heavy traffic exposure), a number of Oaks, Sugar Maples, Red Horse Chestnuts, Kentucky Coffee trees, Honey Locusts, and some smaller trees which will not produce as much shade but fit better under the electric wires.

The Town is seeking participation in the Camden Shade Tree Project and would like citizens to consider if a shade tree could be beneficial for your street.

Looking back to the mid 1800’s, when people walked along the road and drove their horses to town, shade trees were planted along the streets in front of the houses for cool shade in the summer yet allowing for sun in the winter. In 2022 one hundred and fifty years or so later, the old trees are dying and need to be replaced.

 Now, in the hot days of the summer, when the sun beats down on the blacktop in Camden and as the exhaust rises from the traffic on Route 1, is the time to think about shade trees and the difference they make. Now, before climate change takes an even stronger hold, is when we need to be establishing more young trees to thrive along the streets to help hold the temperature down in hot summers to come.

Think of Camden with its overarching shade trees sheltering the roofs and pavement, softening the harsh lines of the streets, dappling the metallic colors of the vehicles with green shadows.

Walk down the town streets during one of these hot days. Feel the difference on your face, on your skin, as you pass in and out of the shade of the trees, feel the light breeze that moves in their shade. Much of the heat you feel while in the sun is actually rising from below you; the light of the sun is transformed into radiant heat by the pavement. This heat, in treeless towns, forms great bubbles of hot air, called “urban heat islands”, which lie over the large paved and roofed areas, raising the ambient temperature as much as 20 degrees F.

We may think we will just all turn to air conditioning as heat comes, but this actually makes the air outside even hotter, and jacks up our CO2 emissions, making the atmosphere hotter too.  Camden has had an effective street shade tree planting program, the shared project of the Garden Club, the Town, and its residents for over 40 years since we lost our elms. But now we need to speed-up the planting.  Planting trees at this time will create the cool shelter we will need in the future.

The Camden Conservation Commission has been reconvened to advise on the shade tree project, and the Camden Street Shade Tree Volunteers are actively promoting it, along with the Garden Club/Town annual tree order program. The program plans to follow up, year-after-year, with more tree varieties for diversity to resist the vulnerability of monoculture diseases and pests, and to adapt well to a warmer climate, while keeping the selection as native as possible. These trees will protect our streets, parking lots, and homes from the increasing heat, while lowering our dependence on air conditioning - resulting in less energy use and lower CO2 emissions. The trees will also absorb some carbondioxide, though hardly enough to mitigate our present transportation carbon footprint.

 Please consider placing a shade tree on the street in front of your residence or business (anywhere there is asphalt that could be shaded) and sign up with the Town for a tree. There will be varieties of available trees offered every year, and you could place your name on the list for one or more. There is no cost to you.  

If you're interested in a shade tree along your street, or want to help out, call 236-8732 or send a note beedyparker@gwi.net to receive new information.  If you have time and the inclination, join us, Camden Street Shade Tree Volunteers, and help Keep Camden Cool.  

Beedy Parker is with the Camden Shade Tree Volunteers