NEWS

Last week, Savannah played host to American Forests’ artist in residence Chuck Fazio to kick off this year’s iteration of the organization’s Urban Forests photo project, capturing images forests and trees from unique perspectives. Chuck Fazio says he’s covered more than 25,000 miles over the past two years photographing trees in both rural and urban areas. “A tree is important no matter where it is and we especially like trees that show the greening of our urban areas,” he says. American Forests is the country’s oldest conservation group. “Their mission is sustainable forests … healthy forests,” says Fazio. “We have a lot of trees in a lot of forests, but sometimes those trees are not in the healthiest condition. American Forests plants trees and makes sure to do everything they can to promote healthy forests.” So far they’ve planted more than 50 million trees and have a goal of another 2 million this year.
The Urban Forests project began in Savannah and will extend through Macon and Atlanta and then into Nashville.

“When I hear ‘Savannah,’ my mind goes to those boulevards with the canopies of trees,” says Fazio. “As we try to fill our library with urban forests, really at the top of that list is Savannah.”

Visit Savannah president Joseph Marinelli says the project couldn’t come at a better time for the city and for American Forests subscribers.

“With everything blooming, we thought it was a perfect match,” he says. “Whether they’ve been here or not, they have an idea of what they think [Savannah] is. Any time we can show how beautiful this destination is — from the historic architecture to the beautiful tree canopy — that’s going to drive future visits, and that’s what we’re all about.” You can follow the project’s progress by liking and following American Forests on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also find Chuck Fazio Photographer on Facebook or @ChuckFaz on Instagram.