By Joseph A. Curtatone

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff or publishers)

You may have noticed that Somerville streets seem a little leafier lately. In a densely built urban city like Somerville, greening our streets and neighborhoods can be a difficult task, but it’s a challenge we’re committed to taking on. Part of the solution to that challenge is expanding our tree canopy, which is why last month we planted 575 new public trees throughout Somerville as we march toward our goal of planting 2,000 new trees by the end of 2015. Public trees do more than beautify our neighborhoods, although that’s important too. Increasing our tree canopy improves our air quality, saves energy costs and can even help slow down traffic and deter crime. In short: the healthier our trees, the healthier our community.