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NATCHEZ—Trees were the topic of conversation Saturday morning at The Depot’s River Room, where an open house informed community members about a project to protect and enhance the Natchez tree canopy.

Natchez is one of six Mississippi cities chosen to participate in the Trees Mississippi Assistance Program, funded by the USDA Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry Grant.

The Green Infrastructure Center, based in Charlottesville, Virginia, is the non-profit administering the grant. Several of its staffers were in Natchez Saturday, talking with community members and explaining the program and its goals.

Misty Booth, a community forester with the Green Infrastructure Center, is based in Mississippi.

“We tend to think of trees as ornaments. They are pretty and create a sense of place and aesthetics, but they do much more,” Booth said. “They provide a lot of services, like clean water and clean air. They promote recreation by providing shade. They also provide economic services in increased property values and reduce the energy burden.”

Booth and Caroline Ingram, an urban planner with the Mississippi team of the Green Infrastructure Center, have been meeting with a Tree Canopy Advisory Committee of city staffers from several departments, such as parks and recreation, public works and community development, and Adams County Master Gardeners.

Booth said measurements show Natchez has a 56 percent tree canopy, “which is not too shabby.”

The canopy committee has been working to determine the city’s tree canopy in 10 to 15 years and what needs to be done to maintain its current 56 percent.

“You will naturally lose trees, which means you do need to keep planning to maintain that canopy. We have determined that 12,000 new trees will need to be planted in the next 10 to 15 years to maintain what we have now,” she said.

The tree canopy committee has determined 15 strategies that need to be achieved to meet its objective.

“We will be planting trees next planting season — from mid-November to March 1. During the summer and early fall, we will be planning and engaging with the community,” she said.

Also, on Saturday, the Keep Natchez Beautiful committee gave away 600 daffodil bulbs at The Depot to people interested in planting them in public spaces in Natchez, such as parks and churches.

Keep Natchez Beautiful’s mission is to keep Natchez beautiful through litter control, beautification, and recycling efforts. Its director is Tracey McCartney.