Resident Clay Harper noticed dozens of red oaks being planted this week along the Arborway.
Harper said that, by his count, the Department of Conservation and Recreation had planted 41 trees as of Wednesday: Thirty between the Upper Arborway and Arborway proper in the median between Hillside and Centre, eight in the median between Kelly and Murray circles and three on the Arboretum side near the gate that gives on to the Hunnewell Building.
“From my perspective, this is a very welcome sight and timely restoration of the Parkway character,” Harper wrote in an email, “but it is unclear to me how this might effect some of DCR’s planning for the Hunnewell crosswalk.”
The state and community groups have been working on how to make that crosswalk safer for pedestrians and bicyclists.
The health of oaks along the Jamaicaway has been an issue in recent years, with grub infestations harming mature trees. In at least one case, a rotten tree fell across the parkway.
We’ve got messages in to the state about the plantings and will update this item when we learn more.