Your city. Your voice.

There's the old question - When is the best time to plant a tree? People will say -- Arbor Day or maybe a cloudy day. The real answer is this: 20 years ago.

So while our efforts are, rightfully so, in our historic downtown core area, we need to start now and look at the areas that will need a tree 20 years from now and plant it now. I've walked in Gilbert Park and have seen some truly gorgeous live oaks, for instance -- old and majestic. In 10, 20 or 30 years, those trees will possibly be in decline or be gone. Now is the time for us to put in trees nearby -- they can be of 'tiny' caliper and low cost but they have to go in now.

I've also walked areas around Donnelly Park and other streets within 3-5 blocks of the current construction. Dozens of suitable locations exist -- which I am documenting -- where we should be planting trees.

In my personal life, I've always viewed the planting of trees as important. In 1997, I planted two live oaks. In 2012, I lost one and for Christmas gave my wife Maria a nice 3-4 inch caliper live oak. And when I worked at Disney, we had a new house in Ocoee --move in was 1992 and I planted what seemed like a forest -- 2 sweetgum, a drake elm and a laurel oak -- all transplants from my mother-in-law Judy Schutz's yard on Heim Road. Along with that I added 1 pine, 6 more laurels and a live oak. I remember carrying the live oak home in the front seat of my car and I also remember one laurel oak that had a stake in the container that was as thick as the tree -- as my smart-alec neighbor commented. I'll see if I can find some before pictures and add some Google images to show you what can happen when you plan ahead.

Planning ahead. Using data. Using thoughtful approaches can solve problems or in the case of Mount Dora -- make a wonderful place even better.