Not Necessarily Christmassy, But They Are Pool-Friendly

If you’re contemplating a new look for the new year—at least for your city streets—there’s a website you need to see.

Last week I mentioned Peru’s National REDD+ Program, which is trying to slow deforestation with the aim, among other things, of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A further step in this direction is afforestation, or actively planting trees, including in urban areas.

Trees in rural areas have many benefits, including preventing erosion and slowing the process of desertification. In cities, they can help with stormwater management by capturing water in the tree canopies, reducing peak flows, and can also help reduce the heat island effect.

The problem is, trees in cities can be a nuisance: They drop their leaves, which can clog storm drains and end up in people’s yards and pools. The Arizona Municipal Water Users Association site last week published recommendations for trees that don’t shed leaves—or at least, that shed far fewer than others. Although most of the species listed here are suited to the desert Southwest, there are some good suggestions for tree-planting in general, as well as for bringing the public on board with planting what the AMWUA calls “pool-friendly” trees.

Is there a concerted effort in your area to encourage people to plant trees?

StormCon & WasteCon Together in Indianapolis 2016!

We are proud to join forces for two important conferences. StormCon 2016 is joining WasteCon to bring even more vendors and sessions under the same convention roof. We know it’s easy to think you can wait till the last minute to register, but before we close 2015, we want to offer you one last chance to get the Super Early Bird discount before 2015 runs out.

Jump on over to StormCon’s website to register for StormCon to ensure you have the best possible price for the show.

It’s going to be a great event, and we look forward to seeing you in Indianapolis in 2016.

Happy New Year!