Life-long Tree Lover & Volunteer

Paul Gallagher has been a volunteer for what seems like most of his adult life. In 1971 Paul moved to Klotter Avenue in CUF. His journey and interest with trees came from the need to plant more trees on Klotter Avenue to reduce the amount of heat coming from the sun onto the street and heating the stone wall across from his house.

Since that time, Paul has planted over a 1000 trees in CUF, Clifton and Price Hill. He talks with landlords, homeowners and students to gain permission to plant trees on their property. He utilizes Cincinnati Parks Re-leaf program to plant large areas in CUF or Clifton to soften the urban area and bring color and shade to otherwise heat sink vacant lots. He bought and uses his own truck to pick up trees, deliver, and/or plant them. He also purchased his own 125g water tank to water all summer long the new trees so they can become established their first year of growth.

Paul’s favorite tree is a sugar maple, he states that the most important thing to him is “color”. He loves the yellow fall color of the sugar maple that adds to the sites he has planted that otherwise would be bleak and barren. He truly appreciates the cooling effect of a trees canopy and the calming affect it has on people.

Paul is a retired 33 year veteran of the Cincinnati Fire Department. Paul joined the Urban Forestry Advisory Board in 1999 and still advises the board today. And to this day Paul is still hustling trees. At 94 he planted 10 trees in and around Clifton in the 2020 fall season.