The city wants to give you trees to beautify your block.

The Tree Fund, which is part of the Neighborhood Matching Fund, provides trees for neighbors to plant in the planting strip. A neighborhood group of at least five households can apply for ten to forty trees from a list provided by the City Arborist. To match the city’s contribution of free trees, the neighbors must organize the planting of the trees. This year you can also get a free fruit tree for your own yard. The application deadline is August 21. This sounds like a great topic of conversation for tomorrow’s Night Out Against Crime.

Volunteers gathered at B.F. Day school Saturday morning to finish up work on an innovative rain garden located in front of the school, just off Linden St.

The garden was created under the direction of Stewardship Partners, a non-profit that helps landowners preserve the environment. B.F. Day volunteered for the project, the third so far.

The rain garden will capture runoff from the school, dissipating and filitering the water while reducing sewage overflow during winter storms. “The more we can take out of the system the less we’ll have spillage into Puget Sound,” explains David Hymel, Stewardship Partners. Hymel said the Seattle School District is interested in following B.F. Day’s example at other schools. For more information on the rain garden project, visit here.

Plus: See more photos, before and after, right here

Beginning this fall, the Army Corps of Engineers plans to cut down 32 poplar trees and plant 40 more along both sides of the Ship Canal.

The Ship Canal, which is operated by the Corps, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and must adhere to federal preservation standards. “The Corps’ plan is to restore the aging poplar colonnade in a historically appropriate matter and to replant shrubs and ground cover that have been lost over time,” the Corps explains in a press release to the neighborhood, underscoring the work will be “environmentally sensitive.” This is the second phase of the replanting — the first took place in 2001, when 22 trees were removed and 53 were planted. (Thanks Michael for the tip!)

Benjamin Schroeter has filed suit to stop Seattle’s fireworks show at Gas Works Park on the basis of environmental impact. “I like fireworks, but the city should do some kind of review,” he told the Seattle Times, explaining he’s worried that people will stir up toxic materials in the soil and the fireworks may harm fish in Lake Union. The city maintains it believes it’s done a good job minimizing the risk of any environmental impact.

This bit of news struck a nerve with Comedy Central’s Stephen Colbert (watch video). Thanks Steve for the link!