Greener Block Award 2022

Friends of the Urban Forest chose the Calle 24 Latino Cultural District as the winner of its 10th annual Brian Tsai Greener Block Award. Executive Director Brian Wiedenmeier presented the award to representatives of Mission Verde and Calle 24 on Saturday, June 18 at an outdoor plaza at 24th and Harrison streets.

Award recipients John Mendoza and Susana Rojas of Calle 24 and Josh Klipp and Kindra Scharich of Mission Verde.

Mission Verde is a coalition of community volunteers that formed after the City notified residents of its intent to remove 77 mature ficuses along 24th Street in the Mission District. Mission Verde developed a proposal to mitigate the impacts of the mass removal and to establish a community-owned watering plan for all new trees. Thanks to this effort, the City agreed to remove only 33 trees and to plant 145 new ones.

A Mission Verde watering team in action with one of their custom mobile watering units

"We're thankful for this recognition and we will continue working toward our environmental sustainability and building community with our neighbors," said Calle 24 executive director Susana Rojas.

Since 2013, Friends of the Urban Forest has given this award to recognize the part of San Francisco that has undergone the most significant transformation in increased street trees and/or sidewalk gardens in the public right-of-way in the past year.