Local Group Forming in Carmel Focused on Preserving Mature Trees

Written by Claire Lane

A group of concerned citizens has united to promote the preservation of the tree canopy in Carmel and beyond.  

In summer of 2022 a group of 10 individuals came together to discuss how to save a mature wooded area in our neighborhood.  We felt leaving mature trees was an important way to fight warming of the planet and to avoid unwanted environmental effects in our neighborhood, e.g., increases in noise, air pollution and traffic congestion.  Other people (in and outside our neighborhood) joined our effort to help defeat the developer’s proposal.  

The proposal was to build 33 condos on a parcel of 2.59 wooded acres that had never been developed. The buildings planned numbered 10-11 and were 3-story--a venture clearly not compatible with a neighborhood of mainly 1-story homes. The developer’s required “green space” was realistically non-existent as was the buffer between the development and adjacent homes. The development would have required a zoning change from “residential” to “mixed use,” and would have destroyed the woods.  The grassroots movement stopped what we considered to be an unwanted invasion in our neighborhood and helped, we believed in a small way, to stall the heating of the planet.  The initial movement continues as SAVE The TREE CANOPY, Ltd.  

We are now seeking members, and offering a choice of different levels of membership.  Our group does indeed focus locally; however, we encourage all like-minded people to join our cause and make their feelings known.  Our signs and stickers can be used in any area.  Many effective non-profits began with a small group of volunteers who wanted to make a difference in a cause about which they were passionate, e.g., Greenpeace, National Resources Defense Council, and World Wildlife Fund.  We ask you to join and work with us in your local area, or in connection with any wooded area that needs protection, wherever that might be.  We are happy to share any or all of the activities we chose to use to defeat the destruction of our neighborhood’s mature trees.  

​If you want to see the wooded area saved by grassroots volunteers, check out 96th Street between Haverstick Road and Wild Cherry Lane in Carmel, IN 46280.

Learn more about their efforts at their website: https://www.savethetreecanopy.org/