• Orchard Maintenance: o Care for orchards across the city, prioritizing neighborhoods with low to no tree canopy, high vulnerability to extreme heat, and those that have experienced decades of disinvestment. o Collaborate with other local orchard organizations, Tree Tenders, and volunteers to ensure best practices in the maintenance of orchards. • Community Outreach and Engagement: o Engage local communities in the planning and care of orchards, with a focus on neighborhoods with high food insecurity and limited green space. o Partner with community gardens, passive green spaces, and other local groups to connect residents with tree resources, including free fruiting trees through the TreePhilly program. o Organize workshops, classes, and educational events on fruit and nut tree care, in collaboration with local orchard organizations and other partners. o Provide interpretive signage and/or outreach materials for projects created by this contract. • Partnership Development: o Develop and support partnerships with community gardens, farms, food distributors, and local food retailers to expand access to locally grown produce. o Facilitate connections between community gardens and food pantries/banks through programs such as the PHS (Pennsylvania Horticultural Society) City Harvest Program and initiatives by local volunteer organizations. • Identify new opportunities for planting food-bearing trees on public and private property: o Identify and develop new opportunities for City-run and community-led orchards or food forest projects on public and private land, possibly including coordinating with the Philadelphia Water Department to integrate green stormwater infrastructure with orchard planting in priority neighborhoods. o Prioritize safe planting areas in neighborhoods with high food insecurity and disinvestment, and collaborate with local volunteer organizations for ongoing maintenance and pruning.
