10,933 Trees on City Parkways, Summary
In the fall of 2017, Bartlett Tree Experts conducted an inventory of trees along the Parkways in the City of Aiken. We identified 10,933 trees which included 375 species. The attributes that we collected include tree latitude and longitude, size, age and condition class, and a visual assessment of tree structure, health, and vigor.
Tree Risk Assessments and Mitigation
Perform the recommended tree risk mitigation activities for the 683 trees ( 6%) which we found defects or concerns that prompted the need to use the International Society of Arboriculture’ s ( ISA) risk matrices in the field. Risk mitigation activities will comply with current ANSI A300 standard practices.
Soil Sampling
Taking soil samples throughout planting beds and actively managed areas. Soil analysis provides information on the presence of soil nutrients, pH, organic matter, and cation exchange capacity.
7,837 Trees on City owned Parcels, Summary
In the fall of 2017, the Bartlett Inventory Solutions ( BIS) Team from Bartlett Tree Experts conducted an inventory of trees on City-owned Parcels in the City of Aiken, SC. We identified 7,837 trees, including 3 groupings, which included 204 species. The attributes that we collected include tree latitude and longitude, size, age and condition class, and a visual assessment of tree structure, health, and vigor.
Tree Risk Assessments and Mitigation
Perform the recommended tree risk mitigation activities for the 244 trees (3%) which we found defects or concerns that prompted the need to use the International Society of Arboriculture’ s (ISA) risk matrices in the field. Risk mitigation activities will comply with current ANSI A300 standard practices.
4, 246 Trees in the Rights of Way, Summary
In the fall of 2017, Bartlett Tree Experts conducted an inventory of trees along selected Rights-of-way in the City of Aiken. We identified 4,246 trees which included 94 species. The attributes that we collected include tree latitude and longitude, size, age and condition class, and a visual assessment of tree structure, health, and vigor.
Tree Risk Assessments and Mitigation
Perform the recommended tree risk mitigation activities for the 230 trees ( 5%) which we found defects or concerns that prompted the need to use the International Society of Arboriculture’ s ( ISA) risk matrices in the field. Risk mitigation activities will comply with current ANSI A300 standard practices.
Soil Sampling
Taking soil samples throughout planting beds and actively managed areas. Soil analysis provides information on the presence of soil nutrients, pH, organic matter, and cation exchange capacity.
Bulk Density Sampling
Taking bulk density samples throughout planting beds and actively managed areas to determine the amount of soil compaction.
Soil Rx®
Apply Bartlett’ s Soil Rx® program to 185 trees ( 4%) to correct nutrient deficiencies and optimize soil conditions for the designated trees.
98 Trees on the Arboretum Trail, Summary
In the fall of 2017, Bartlett Tree Experts conducted an inventory of trees on the City of Aiken Arboretum Trail. Along the trail we identified 99 trees, including 1 grouping, which included 90 species. The attributes that we collected include tree latitude and longitude, size, age and condition class, and a visual assessment of tree structure, health, and vigor.
Understanding an urban forest’ s structure, function and value can promote management decisions that will improve human health and environmental quality. An assessment of the vegetation structure, function, and value of the Aiken, SC Arboretum Trail urban forest was conducted during 2018. Data from 98 trees located throughout Aiken, SC Arboretum Trail were analyzed using the i-Tree Eco model developed by the U.S. Forest Service, Northern Research Station
Thirty years. Three thousand acres and counting. Working agricultural farms. Open spaces. Habitat protection. Public parks. Important historic properties. The Edisto River, Upper Shaws Creek, Horse Creek, Upper Three Runs Creek, Cedar Creek. Polo fields. Horse Farms.
The Aiken Land Conservancy is all about protecting the things you love about Aiken, the places that make Aiken a special place to live, work, raise a family, start a business, and spend the winter.
Over the last thirty years, the city and the county have grown and developed to attract new businesses, increase employment, provide better education for its citizens, and ensure proper housing opportunities—all worthy goals for your municipal and county government. But with that growth and development comes greater, more sophisticated challenges, like protecting our sources of clean water, our parkways and grand trees, and our historic, iconic vistas like South Boundary Avenue.
Not just a land conservation organization any longer
Moreover, the Land Conservancy is exploring ways to work with the City and the Hitchcock Woods—the largest privately-managed urban forest in the country—to convert strategic, selected parkways into more efficient collectors and absorbers of unmanaged stormwater runoff that will protect water quality and deter damaging erosion from stormwater in the Woods.
As the goals have become more sophisticated and more complex, the Aiken Land Conservancy has grown and developed to meet those challenges. ALC is has been nationally accredited by the Land Trust Alliance, which requires those conservation organizations that bear its gold standard seal of approval to operate in accordance with the highest organizational and financial standards. Moreover, ALC’s board and advisory council is populated with folks of diverse experience and love and commitment to this very special place we call home.
I hope these excerpts from an article in a book published back in 1912 would be of interest to people drawn to this website. Although much of what is mentioned in this article is still relevant today, we have made progress here in Aiken on the treatment of our trees thanks to concerned citizens, historical and conservation organizations and our
Aiken Streetscapes are excited to announce that Dacre Stoker has taken over as Executive Director of the program.
The Origin of Aiken Streetscapes
By William Parker Stoker
April 23, 2020
“For over 125 Years Aiken has been renowned for its dedication and preservation of our glorious parks, magnificent trees and beautiful parkways. It is our responsibility to protect and preserve, for future generations, what has been given to us”. Mission Statement, Aiken Streetscapes
Rob Johnston remembers riding his bike to school at St. Mary’s, shaded by the majestic live oak trees along South Boundary Avenue. Like many of Aiken’s sons, life led him away from his hometown for a while, but he never forgot the feeling of “just looking at all the wonderful trees and knowing that they were something special.” He also recalls, when he moved back to Aiken in 2006, “noticing that the grand trees from the 1950s and 1960s were dying because of old age or disease,” and knowing that something had to be done.
In 2017 Aiken Streetscapes and The Aiken Land Conservancy funded The Bartlett Tree Survey and Management Plans for our Parkways, our City owned Parcels, our Rights of Way and our Arboretum Trail. This was a very significant step towards the long term protection of Aiken’s most valuable asset, our grand trees.
A special thanks to the following photographers for providing images on our website:
Tony Gouge
Todd Lista
Julia Smithing
Ginny Southworth