LOCAL COMMUNITY GROUP GROWS TREE POPULATION IN EAST BOSTON By Grace Tucceri

When Bill Masterson moved to East Boston in 2019, he instantly noticed a problem: the severely lacking greenery. “Look around,” Masterson, formerly of North Andover, said. “How many trees do I see? Not a lot.”

That spurred Masterson to found Tree Eastie, a nonprofit dedicated to planting trees in the neighborhood.

A 2021 report by independent research group Climate Central shows Boston is the sixth hottest urban heat island in the country. The group defines an urban heat island as a metropolitan area with temperatures higher than its surroundings due to excess pavement and a lack of shade.

Masterson describes his current residence as “a bright, red blob with less green” compared to neighborhoods like Dorchester brimming with parks.

Tree Eastie strives to unify the community by relying on over 200 volunteers, mainly professionals in their late twenties. On designated “planting days”, event attendees pair up, dig holes and heavylift 300-pound saplings into sidewalk plots. Since Tree Eastie’s inception in 2020, volunteers have planted nearly 250 trees.

For the first couple of weeks after planting, Masterson drives around with a 275-gallon holding tank to ensure the trees are hydrated. “Trees require 20 gallons a week to survive,” he explained.

Masterson’s organization frequently promotes public caretaking efforts. Tree Eastie distributes complementary door hangers to East Boston residents with tree-care instructions in English and Spanish. The hangers encourage people to partake in their Adopt-a-Tree program by watering nearby street trees.

Tree Eastie also partners with Eastie Farms, a neighborhood nonprofit urban farm. Last summer, Tree Eastie volunteers planted apple, cherry and pear trees in the Rockies Urban Wild community garden. Once ripe, the fruit was distributed to local families through Boston’s Community Supported Agriculture program.