Land bank releases ‘Greening’ guide to advance use of native plants and trees
YOUNGSTOWN — To encourage the development of green spaces with native plants and trees, the Mahoning County Land Bank recently released "Greening Practices for Native Ecosystems," a 165-page guide for landowners, landscapers and policymakers.
Authored by Danielle Lewis, a land use consultant and Youngstown State University faculty member, the greening guide provides detailed advice on the selection, placement, layout and management of 92 species of trees, shrubs and smaller plants, all based on where they'll be planted.
"This exhaustive guide is a gift to the community to mark the 10th anniversary of the land bank's establishment," Debora Flora, executive director of the land bank, said in a news release. "Along with Danielle and the organizations that supported this project, we're distributing the guide to promote the use of native plants in greening opportunities, including those that arise when once-unproductive land is put to better use."
The land bank and its local partners have focused more effort in recent years on using native plants and trees to develop parks and other green spaces on properties the land bank acquires, often through foreclosures for unpaid taxes.
Native plants and trees generally require less time and expense to maintain, and their greater durability supports local birds and other wildlife, as well as better stormwater management, the release states.
"Native species also take up carbon dioxide and pollution and are beneficial for our overall health," said Lewis, who works with the land bank and other government and nonprofit clients on greening projects.
The greening guide will be distributed to local organizations that work with the land bank and shared with members of the Ohio Land Bank Association, a statewide organization of county land banks.
This story was originally published February 16, 2021 at 4:11 AM with the headline "Land bank releases ‘Greening’ guide to advance use of native plants and trees."