Dead tree in New York City

Street trees are vulnerable to lots of things. Pests, disease, or lack of water can kill them.

Susan Phillips reports for StateImpact that the city of Philadelphia has an estimated 130,000 street trees and plants between 1000 and 3000 new trees each year–each one costing between four to six-hundred dollars.

So it would make good economic (as well as environmental) sense to find the culprit before a tree succumbs.

Susan took a walk with a guy from Boston named Bob Ackley who knows about another cause of tree deaths that you might not suspect–underground gas pipe leaks.

The outcome of that stroll is the interesting audio story below.
 

If you’re the type who prefers to read all about it, you’ll find it here.