Project Profile
Project Location
New Castle County, DelawareProject Lead
Delaware Center for HorticultureFunder
IncyteBudget
$54,000-
UN Sustainable Development Goals
The 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs are a global call for action. These goals have the power to build a better future for everyone. Investment in this impact project drives action towards the following goals.
Trees planted around the two parks will improve air quality and mitigate urban heat. Planting around the parks’ benches, sports fields and walking paths will shade and beautify these spaces, encouraging parkgoers and children to spend more time in active recreation and play.
Urban tree cover can increase groundwater recharge, promote the infiltration of water in soils, and decrease stormwater runoff. A line of Eastern redcedar and bald cypress trees were planted at the edge of Holloway Terrace Park to intercept the water runoff from the neighborhood, which slopes to a small stream just beyond the park fence. These new trees should help to manage the park’s stormwater runoff and promote its infiltration into the soil.
The project’s planting events and long-term maintenance provide opportunities for R9CDC staff to enhance their urban forestry and horticultural skills.
The parks are located along the Route 9 corridor, an underinvested area between Wilmington and New Castle that faces high environmental burdens, per the CDC. The project enhances equitable access to public greenspace.
Trees planted will filter air pollution, improve soil ecology, and water quality. Incyte corporate volunteers and members of the public planted trees and received training from R9CDC staff on proper tree care and maintenance, empowering them to become tree stewards and advocates in their communities. A total of 102 volunteer hours were invested in the parks.
Trees were purchased from local nurseries to reduce purchasing footprint. Mulch was sourced from a company that uses local leaf litter for production, reducing waste while keeping streets and parks clean.
Native tree species adapted to the current and projected climate of the region were selected for planting. These 100 project trees will store a projected 185 tons of CO2 if maintained for 25 years.
Trees were planted in neighborhoods close to the Brandywine and Delaware Rivers, which flow directly into the Atlantic Ocean, about 50 miles south of the project sites. Healthy riparian buffers are critical to improve water temperatures and habitat in the local rivers near the planting sites. Tree species were selected to secure the soil near the Holloway Terrace Park slope that leads to a stream, preventing erosion.
Urban forests with greater biodiversity are more resilient to climate-related shocks and pests, while increasing habitat and food source variety for urban wildlife. The project planted ten tree species across the two parks. Serviceberry trees, also known as shadbush trees, were planted at both parks, which are historically and environmentally significant to the region.
The Delaware Center for Horticulture prioritized meaningful, inclusive community participation throughout the project design and implementation process. Working with R9CDC, DCH ensured local community voices and opinions on site selection and project design, were heard. Tree planting events and community meetings were designed to foster a sense of ownership with residents.
This project featured both public, private, and nonprofit partnerships. DCH worked closely with nonprofit R9CDC, the Rose Hill Community Center, and New Castle County Parks on tree planting locations and site selection. Incyte generously funded the project, and employees volunteered their time and energy on planting day.
With Incyte’s support, the Delaware Center for Horticulture (DCH) partnered with New Castle County Parks, Route 9 Community Development Corporation (R9CDC), and Delaware River Climate Corps in October 2024 to plant 100 trees at Rose Hill and Holloway Terrace Parks in New Castle County, DE. The project aimed to improve air quality, increase equitable access to greenspace, and encourage outdoor recreation.
The two parks are located along the Route 9 corridor in New Castle, DE. Communities around Route 9 have been historically underinvested in and have limited access to public services, compounded by environmental burdens such as high air pollution and prevalence of chronic illness.
This project represents one step towards greater tree equity and revitalization of the Route 9 corridor. The new trees will filter out traffic and industrial pollutants, provide cooling shade that encourages play and exercise, and beautify community gathering spaces. Around Holloway Terrace Park, located 150 feet from the Delaware Memorial Bridge, the new trees will create year-round buffer to reduce noise, air pollution, and runoff.
Incyte employee volunteers and members of the general public came together to plant trees at the two parks. The planting was led by DCH staff, as well as members of R9CDC, a crew of young community members trained and paid to work with the County Parks Department. Long-term, tree maintenance will be provided by R9CDC landscaping crews, who will gain vital urban forestry and horticultural career skills while ensuring that trees survive to deliver the promised benefits to the community.
Check out a snapshot of the project: Impact Report Summary
Every tree planting project demonstrates impacts that create a more just and sustainable future.
Human Health
Urban Heat - 12
Active Living - 8
Wellness & Mental Health - 13
Social Health - 11
Social Equity
Site Selection - 7
Community Engagement in Design - 6
Community Participation in Implementation - 11
Economic Equity - 11
Environment
Climate Action - 13
Water Quality & Quantity -11
Habitat, Food & Wood Production - 4
Bioremediation - 2
The 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs are a global call for action. These goals have the power to build a better future for everyone. Investment in this impact project drives action towards the following goals.
Trees planted around the two parks will improve air quality and mitigate urban heat. Planting around the parks’ benches, sports fields and walking paths will shade and beautify these spaces, encouraging parkgoers and children to spend more time in active recreation and play.
Urban tree cover can increase groundwater recharge, promote the infiltration of water in soils, and decrease stormwater runoff. A line of Eastern redcedar and bald cypress trees were planted at the edge of Holloway Terrace Park to intercept the water runoff from the neighborhood, which slopes to a small stream just beyond the park fence. These new trees should help to manage the park’s stormwater runoff and promote its infiltration into the soil.
The project’s planting events and long-term maintenance provide opportunities for R9CDC staff to enhance their urban forestry and horticultural skills.
The parks are located along the Route 9 corridor, an underinvested area between Wilmington and New Castle that faces high environmental burdens, per the CDC. The project enhances equitable access to public greenspace.
Trees planted will filter air pollution, improve soil ecology, and water quality. Incyte corporate volunteers and members of the public planted trees and received training from R9CDC staff on proper tree care and maintenance, empowering them to become tree stewards and advocates in their communities. A total of 102 volunteer hours were invested in the parks.
Trees were purchased from local nurseries to reduce purchasing footprint. Mulch was sourced from a company that uses local leaf litter for production, reducing waste while keeping streets and parks clean.
Native tree species adapted to the current and projected climate of the region were selected for planting. These 100 project trees will store a projected 185 tons of CO2 if maintained for 25 years.
Trees were planted in neighborhoods close to the Brandywine and Delaware Rivers, which flow directly into the Atlantic Ocean, about 50 miles south of the project sites. Healthy riparian buffers are critical to improve water temperatures and habitat in the local rivers near the planting sites. Tree species were selected to secure the soil near the Holloway Terrace Park slope that leads to a stream, preventing erosion.
Urban forests with greater biodiversity are more resilient to climate-related shocks and pests, while increasing habitat and food source variety for urban wildlife. The project planted ten tree species across the two parks. Serviceberry trees, also known as shadbush trees, were planted at both parks, which are historically and environmentally significant to the region.
The Delaware Center for Horticulture prioritized meaningful, inclusive community participation throughout the project design and implementation process. Working with R9CDC, DCH ensured local community voices and opinions on site selection and project design, were heard. Tree planting events and community meetings were designed to foster a sense of ownership with residents.
This project featured both public, private, and nonprofit partnerships. DCH worked closely with nonprofit R9CDC, the Rose Hill Community Center, and New Castle County Parks on tree planting locations and site selection. Incyte generously funded the project, and employees volunteered their time and energy on planting day.