From time to time I give a lecture that begins with a one-line definition of economics: the study of the allocation of scarce resources. I note that we often think of capital as being the scarcest of resources, but in a broader sense, time, land or other assets, labor, and any other commodity for which we wish there was a greater supply might also be considered scarce. For many of our cities, scarcities may include tax revenues, residents, adequate infrastructure, and employers that provide jobs.
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Trees are great. They provide a plethora of benefits to the earth including climate control, carbon sequestration, transpiration (the absorption and dispersal of water through their roots and leaves), and much, much more. But a recent study shows that size matters in how well trees perform those benefit-inducing activities. In fact, in a forest area of 100,000 trees, just 1,000 big trees in that area would be responsible for 50 percent of the area's biomass. 
Community gardens provide countless benefits, particularly in urban environments. Whether it's providing much needed green-space and offering fresh fruits and vegetables, or in some instances, actually providing job opportunities to the city's homeless, it's easy to see why they're catching on. 
Wouldn't it feel good to win $5,000, $1,000, or even $500? You could be a lucky winner if you buy a raffle ticket to support America in Bloom, a program that helps connect people to plants at the grassroots level.
Over the last five years the Pittsburgh community of Homewood has banded together to make a major impact in their own backyard. They have taken a stand to clean-up crime through a combination of community beautification and increased police support. To date their local committee has helped plant 21 trees in their 5-block community. And that's not all, they've also planted flowers, landscaped vacant lots, and new plans call for a new community flower garden. 
This award recognizes an individual who exemplifies community leadership through actions that reflect the mission of the organization. The award recipient, who must be from a city that has 
