As one of our country’s early garden suburbs, the historic Inman Park neighborhood in Atlanta has long been home to a thriving, diverse urban forest. Joel Hurt, who developed Inman Park in the late 19th century, oversaw the planting of oaks, maples, magnolias, sycamores, sweet gums, sourwoods, and many other native and non-native species  — even a coast redwood!

Today, throughout the metro area, Inman Park is known for its tree-lined streets, shaded homes, and leafy parks. Home and business owners are still benefiting from the foresight of Joel Hurt: our trees boost our property values, and the beauty of our neighborhood attracts many visitors, above all at the Inman Park Festival & Tour of Homes.

And yet the future of Inman Park’s priceless tree canopy is uncertain. Shade trees planted decades ago are disappearing. Development is shrinking the space available for new trees. Global warming is making it harder to keep new trees alive.

The purpose of Inman Park Tree Watch, a committee of the Inman Park Neighborhood Association, is to plant new trees, care for our trees, advocate for a healthy and diverse urban forest in Atlanta, and educate Inman Park residents about the importance of a healthy, green environment.