Volunteer Aaron Tarfman promotes cycling
By Chelsea Schuyler
Aaron Tarfman is a cyclist you can bet on having seen in the bike lanes of Portland. He is also one of the friendliest guys I know volunteering for Friends of Trees.
Crew leader Reuban Deumling laughed when I mentioned his name and said, “Oh yeah, everybody knows Aaron. If you’ve been to any biking event, you know Aaron.”
He’s been a Portland resident for over seven years and spends much of his time reaching out to people who have yet to experience the benefits of biking. After seeing him at both of the recent Friends of Trees bike plantings, I thought I’d pick the brain of one of our enthusiastic bike planters.
Is it true you started bike plantings just by showing up at a planting with a bike trailer?
I think I read in The Bee that there was a tree planting maybe a mile away from where I lived. I called ahead of time and said I wanted to come join, and I wanted to bring a trailer, and they said, ‘Oh boy, great!’ … So I show up with basically the same [bike] trailer [I use now], and they’re going ‘Um,’ and I said, ‘Give me a tree.’
Have you noticed any changes in the bike scene using bikes for more than commuting?
Absolutely. The bike culture has expanded exponentially. I mean, it’s quite amazing. Of course with the city putting in more infrastructure, it’s attracted more cyclists. Mayor Sam Adams has been a big part of these safety improvements. But the bike culture has also been helped by the Multnomah County Bike Fair, Bike Moves, and social events where people are encouraged to ride their bikes. The other side of it is the technology … Clever Cycles and Joe Bike have done amazing things to make errands like grocery shopping with a bicycle seem realistic.
Do you feel that biking is essential at this point for Portland’s future?
I think biking is essential for any city’s future. It’s just simply obvious that while there are wonderful transportation systems like the Streetcar and the Max and so forth, the fact is that there are people who can’t afford them. There are places where those transportation modes don’t go. There are times like two in the morning when they stop running. It’s not something you can depend on all the time.
Do you think biking is essential to Friends of Trees’ future?
I would say it’s definitely essential. Bikes can go to places where cars can’t as easily get to, and they’re easier to maneuver [than automobiles]. You don’t have to lift the trees as high because the trees are closer to the ground. The radius for the FOT plantings are at most a couple of miles. So if you’re not going far, it becomes very user-friendly.
Can you share any memorable bike planting experiences?
Oh, they’re all wonderful. I think the best one was when I showed up at the I-205 planting where they couldn’t get the vehicles practically to all the locations because the streets didn’t go through along I-205, and so my trailer was the most practical way to get not only the trees but a lot of other things like soil and water and supplies from one end of the I-205 path to the other.
Aaron Tarfman aims to build several bike trailers for the city to use through a local nonprofit, and he would love to hear from anyone interested in contributing time or donating supplies. You can reach him at aaron [@] tarfman [.] net.
Friends of Trees’ bike plantings have come a long way from just one person biking and hauling one or two trees. Now entire crews are made up of cyclists (in January we had three!), sometimes with their own trailers or donated bikes from local shops. This isn’t just for volunteers. It’s a great activity for homeowners buying trees too!
If you would like to join a bike crew and experience the fun, two plantings are coming right up—one tomorrow and another February 12. Click here to sign up or read a recent blog story for more details!
–Chelsea Schuyler is a contributing blogger for Friends of Trees.