East Village Association membership meeting Sept. 11, 2023 at Roots Pizza, 1924 W. Chicago Ave. By Jenifer Goldsmith Neighborhood preservation and beautification were on the agenda in September when EVA welcomed representatives from TreeKeepers and Block Bins. Urban forestry tips from TreeKeepers TreeKeepers is a group of volunteers, including neighbor and presenter Micol Werner Seferin, trained to care for Chicago’s public trees. Our “urban forest” includes all trees in the public way, such as those along sidewalks and in parkways and parks. These trees are property of the City of Chicago and residents are not allowed to prune them, but Seferin suggested many activities we can do to keep our trees healthy and beautiful: Water: trees need approximately 15-20 gallons of water weekly (if it has not rained). We can tell it’s time when the soil around the tree is dry. Make sure to pour water slowly at the base of the tree. Signs: Remove signage for street sweeping, plowi...