Tom Denny poses with

Tom Denny (second from left) poses with the other “Saratoga Go!” winner and runners-up

We’re proud to announce that Sustainable Saratoga’s innovative new mobile app, Tree Triage, took top prize yesterday in the first Saratoga Go! Smart City Technology Competition. Saratoga Go! challenged individuals, small businesses and technology companies to create solutions that improve the quality of life for residents, businesses and institutions, or visitors to the City. Participants, including our Urban Forestry Project Chair Tom Denny, competed across categories like “Better Public Services”, “Environmental Innovation”, and “Connected Community”.

The Tree Triage app is a user-friendly way for the City’s Dept. of Public Works (DPW) and Arborist to enter all tree plantings and tree removals into the existing tree inventory.  Routine maintenance of the tree inventory, which will preserve both its planning value and its funding value, is far more cost-effective than having to replace the tree inventory if it becomes outdated.  With Tree Triage, the DPW can record tree information in less than a minute at the tree site.

Smarter infrastructure is key to making our City’s operations more productive and efficient. Our urban forest is a critical and cost-effective part of our community’s infrastructure: trees provide shade that reduces energy costs, remove pollutants from our air, catch rainwater runoff, and create beautiful streetscapes that promote walkability and increase property values. Thanks to the Tree Triage app, sustaining and growing our urban forest will now be easier than ever!