November/December Newsletter

N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 • A R B O R D AY. O R G

NURTURE THROUGH NATURE

Eastern White Pine Pinus strobus

THIS EVERGREEN HAS ALWAYS BEEN one of the most important trees in the American landscape. In colonial days, the best of the trees were set aside by the king for masts on British ships. Today it is still a valuable commercial tree but also favored in parks and spacious yards — both for its beauty and its fast growth. This popularity has also led to the eastern white pine being named the state tree of both Maine and Michigan.

NEEDLES: Long, slender, and bluegreen, sometimes reaching 5 inches in length. Grown in bundles of five that are soft and flexible.

CONES: Narrow, curved, about 5 inches long, and hanging downward. The scales are smooth and sometimes sticky with sap. BARK: Smooth and grayish-green

when young, darkening with age. At maturity, trunks are grayishbrown with deep furrows and broad, scaly ridges.

FORM: A large tree at maturity, reaching 80–100 feet or more in height with up to a 40-foot spread. The trunk is usually straight with a pyramid-shaped crown, especially when young. A whorl of branches is produced annually making it easy to tell the age of this tree. Older trees are often topped with a flattened leader that points away from the prevailing wind. WILDLIFE VALUE: Provides nesting sites for many birds

including woodpeckers, common grackles, mourning doves, chickadees, and nuthatches. The seeds are favored by black bears, rabbits, red squirrels, and many birds. While potentially damaging to the trees, the bark is eaten by mammals such as beavers, snowshoe hares, porcupines, rabbits, and mice.

PLANTING: Suitable in hardiness zones 3–8. Prefers full sun and moist, well-drained loam or sandy soil with an acidic pH range of 4.5– 6.5. Can be established in other soil conditions and partial shade, but growth will be slower. To purchase or learn more about this tree and others, visit arborday.org/whitepine or scan this QR code.

An official publication of

We guarantee delivery of healthy trees to our members. Please check ordering deadlines and shipping dates at arborday.org/shipping. If you need to contact us about your trees, call 888-448-7337, email us at info@arborday.org, or drop us a note at Member Services, Arbor Day Foundation, 211 N. 12th St., Lincoln, NE 68508. We want your tree planting efforts to be successful!

© 2023 Arbor Day Foundation. The Foundation sometimes exchanges mailing lists with selected organizations with offers of interest to our members. If you do not want your name included, just write, email us at privacy@arborday.org, or call Member Services and tell us not to exchange your name.

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ONE PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOL SYSTEM IS EMBRACING HISTORY AND CELEBRATING TREES

TREE BASICS

ARBOR DAY FOUNDATION CHIEF EXECUTIVE,

Dan Lambe

It’s November: Yes, you can still plant that tree!

A RB OR DAY J OU RNA L

Well, the planting part is pretty straightforward. We help partners all around the world get trees in the ground — in forests and neighborhoods where they’re needed most. Nurture? That’s all about tree care. We not only provide funding for partners to handle ongoing care after a tree is planted, we also provide learning opportunities for forestry professionals and homeowners alike to ensure that our global tree canopy remains healthy and vibrant. And celebrating is certainly the easy part. Foundation employees find ways to celebrate trees on a daily basis, and Arbor Day is that annual reminder for everyone to revel in the wonder of all the things trees do for us. But what about the word in our mission statement that sometimes gets lost? What about INSPIRE? That’s the word I take most to heart. It’s a big responsibility to inspire the world. And as the need for trees continues to grow, that inspiration has become more important than ever before. I have to say it’s a rewarding undertaking. I find myself engaging in conversations with so many different people in so many different situations, each wanting to talk about trees. That’s my moment to encourage — to inspire — and I always take advantage of it. I relish it. After all, trees are a universal good. They have the power to connect communities, cultures, and generations. They have the power to create a better future for all of us, and I’m proud to do my part. I’m also grateful for each of our members and supporters and all the ways you inspire others to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees.

How important is mulch this time of year?

IN MANY PARTS OF THE COUNTRY, the weather has cooled and the leaves have fallen. While it seems nature is winding down, fall planting is just getting started. With cooler temps and impending winter dormancy, the later autumn months make wonderful conditions for newly planted trees. As long as the ground isn’t frozen, you can plant with confidence.

AT THE ARBOR DAY FOUNDATION, our mission drives everything we do. Every day, we are looking to inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees. But how do we define each element of this mission?

When planting in the fall, it’s important to use mulch around your trees to reduce the possibility of freezing and thawing that can lead to frost heaving. As the moisture in the soil expands and contracts, it can potentially push the tree partially out of the ground — exposing its roots to the cold and wind. A 2- to 3-inch layer will provide insulation for the soil.

Have concerns about fall planting? You’re not alone. Check out the answers to some of the most common questions we get.

PART OF THE GIRL SCOUT PROMISE is to make the world a better place. How do they deliver on that promise? Tree planting and care, of course! This organization has committed to planting 5 million trees, protecting existing tree canopy, and honoring trees on camp properties and in local communities. Known as the Girl Scout Tree Promise, the large-scale effort is happening in forests around the world and in the communities where these Scouts live. The goal is for every member to plant at least two trees in the next five years. And they can show off their dedication with a new fun patch, designed just for Scouts. To help make it happen, Girl Scouts has partnered with the Arbor Day Foundation to provide a simple and cost-effective way for local councils to source trees. This is the kind of partnership we Do you know a can all be proud of. These Girl Scout in your girls are coming together community? Ask how to take on climate change, you can get involved improve wildlife habitat, with the local Girl Scout reduce pollutants in the air, council as they plant and and ensure a greener future care for trees. It may for all of us. mean only a little of your time to help these Scouts fulfill their promise.

On the cover: The two certified arboretums at the Perkiomen Valley School District provide plenty of opportunity for students to engage with nature.

During the fall, your newly planted tree will require watering. But how often and how much will vary for each tree depending on its size, species, climate, and location. Use a trowel to dig an inch into the soil near your tree. If it’s moist to the touch, your tree doesn’t need water.

It’s freezing outside. Isn’t the ground frozen?

Fostering the Next Generation of Tree Planters

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Do I need to water the tree?

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Not necessarily. For soil to freeze, the daytime low temperature has to stay below 32°F for four to six weeks. (Keep in mind that snow on the ground doesn’t mean your soil is frozen.) A great way to test whether the ground is frozen is to get out your shovel. If you can dig up the dirt with your spade, you’re good to plant.

Can I just plant the tree in a pot until spring?

What are the benefits of planting in the fall? Fall planting gives trees an extra growing season before the stress of summer. Cooler temperatures and fall rain allow trees to establish their roots, making it easier for them to adjust to extreme heat or drought in the summer. Many people fear that young trees can’t withstand the winter. However, that’s not the case. Trees go dormant in the winter, the equivalent of hibernation. This “sleep” state slows down the tree’s growth, energy consumption, and metabolism.

We don’t encourage planting in a pot. The changing temperatures can freeze the soil in the pot and lead to it cracking. There also isn’t enough aeration. Trees need water and oxygen to thrive. Because of a pot’s constricted space, the tree will get little oxygen.

Ready to get planting? Grab your favorite fall jacket and get out there! For tips on planting your tree, visit arborday.org/planting.

Restore Our Forests for the Holidays EVERY DAY, THE NEED FOR REFORESTATION INCREASES. This winter, you can do your part with gifts that give back — sending your season’s greetings while helping plant trees in forests where they are needed most. Choose from a wide selection of Give-ATree® holiday cards or Trees in Celebration certificates to have trees planted in honor of your friends and family. See all the ways you can plant trees this holiday season at arborday.org/gifts23.

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Planting for a More Resilient Tomorrow

Nebraska City, Nebraska

International Paper helps restore tree canopy after extreme heat THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST is known for its mild summers. In June of 2021, however, the weather wouldn’t be described as mild. For several days, a deadly heat dome hovered over the region, causing temperatures to skyrocket to 116°F. Beaverton, Oregon, was hit hard by the heat dome, as well as a brutal ice storm that had occurred just a few months prior. These two extreme weather events led to a significant loss of trees in the community’s canopy. International Paper saw this need and stepped up. They partnered with the Arbor Day Foundation and local tree planting partner Friends of Trees to distribute more than 200 trees to residents and to plant 45 trees in public spaces throughout Beaverton.

“International Paper is proud to join forces with the Arbor Day Foundation to strengthen the resilience of our communities,” said Dr. Alissa Campbell Shaw, Senior Manager, Global Community Engagement at International Paper. “Trees provide shade to communities allowing for a livable climate, and they also help preserve clean air, water, and healthy food.” One of the planting locations was Vose Elementary School. The newly added trees will grow to provide shade for students walking to school. They will also provide benefits throughout the community, including cleaner air, stormwater management, and added strength in the face of future heat events.

Charitable Gift Annuities — A Priceless Legacy TREES THRIVE FOR GENERATIONS, and so can your support of the Arbor Day Foundation with the help of a Charitable Gift Annuity. As you receive consistent retirement income, you’ll feel good knowing your gift will also leave a legacy for years to come. Charitable Gift Annuities offer retirement income, with a large portion of it being tax-free. For example, Patricia, age 84, made a $75,000 donation to the Arbor Day Foundation through a Charitable Gift Annuity. She receives $5,550 (7.4%) annually, with $4,739 of it tax-free. Additionally, at tax time, she can take a $40,392 charitable deduction that can be spread over several years, if necessary.

LEARN MORE. NO OBLIGATION. Please provide me with a confidential quote for an Arbor Day Foundation Charitable Gift Annuity. Birth Date / / I am considering a gift annuity of $

($10,000 minimum)

Name

To receive additional information and a confidential quote on a Charitable Gift Annuity, please complete and mail the form at left, contact Erin Mousel at 888-448-7337, ext. 9614, or email giftplanning@arborday.org.

Address City/State/Zip Telephone (

)

Email Mail to: Arbor Day Foundation 211 N. 12th St. • Lincoln, NE 68508

When Patricia passes away, the remaining funds in the annuity will be distributed to the Foundation. This gift will not only support tree planting efforts but also ensure that Patricia’s passion for trees will live on.

Best time to call 08776 100

* The illustration above is an example; exact numbers are subject to change based on date of gift.

FOR RESERVATIONS TO STAY AT LIED LODGE: arbordayfarm.org • 800-546-5433

Youth Leadership in Environmental Stewardship Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever National Youth Leadership Council gather at Arbor Day Farm HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS may not be the first age group you picture when you think of conservationists. But the teens on the Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever National Youth Leadership Council definitely have a conservation mindset. This past June, seven of these students and their families gathered at Arbor Day Farm for the Council’s annual summer meeting. These teens are leaders among their peers. They serve as representatives and mentors for youth and wildlife organizations, getting younger people outdoors by teaching and practicing wildlife conservation. The council members have worked on important issues including the Farm Bill, legislative efforts to increase wildlife habitat programs, and legislative efforts to reduce age-restrictive barriers and introduce young people to hunting. They also work on local projects within their communities, including helping with learnto-hunt programs, planting pollinator habitat, starting high school shooting teams, organizing family outdoor events, and serving as officers within their local Pheasants Forever or Quail Forever chapters. The annual gathering at Arbor Day Farm was an opportunity for these students to share their experiences and grow in their leadership. According to Heather Francis, a wildlife biologist for Pheasants Forever who helped organize this year’s national event, “We’re giving them leadership skills that they can take home and share with the people in their chapter and the students in their school.” Heather also wanted to give them a unique and fun experience in her home state, so Arbor Day Farm was a natural choice. The students went on an ecology tour and a tree tour with the farm’s grounds and orchard manager, learning about the area’s different ecological areas and all the different trees native to Nebraska. They

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National council members take time to enjoy all the fun to be found at Arbor Day Farm. also toured the orchard and had a chance to have some fun in the Tree Adventure. “They loved it,” Heather said. “I mean, they’re all high school students — of course they had a ball!” The trip was made even more meaningful by a planting project in the farm’s pollinator garden. The Pheasants Forever pollinator educator chose the plants the students added to the garden — a nice variety specific to southeastern Nebraska. This is what Arbor Day Farm is about. Helping young people connect with nature. Giving them the knowledge and passion to become conservation advocates. Inspiring future tree planters to ensure a better tomorrow. And it wouldn’t be possible without your dedicated support.

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Involving Indigenous communities The arboretum project was part of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration initiative launched in 2021, which inspired the district to work with Indigenous populations. The schools began to research which Native American groups historically lived in the area. That research led to the Lenape people, an Indigenous group no longer in the region. Then came the question: If they’re not here, where are they now?

Showstopper Photography

Members of the five Lenape tribes gathered with students and staff under a 329-year-old swamp oak. This tree was here when the Lenape people lived in Perkiomen Valley.

Celebrating Tree Campus K–12 Recognition and Honoring Indigenous Heritage Two middle schools, two arboretums, and a lot of potential

J

ust north of Philadelphia, the Perkiomen Valley School District is home to two newly recognized Tree Campus K–12 schools. Both of the district’s middle schools (and high school) are being celebrated for their work in creating PV Woods — a collective 76 acres for conservation and environmental education within two accredited arboretums known as Lenape Arboretum and Muhlenberg Woods. The arboretums — one on each of the middle school campuses — were made possible through a partnership among Ursinus College (a recognized Tree Campus Higher Education school), the Delaware Tribe of Indians, and the Perkiomen Valley School District. And now Perkiomen Valley School District is the only K–12 school in the world with two accredited arboretums.

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With help from the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian, the school contacted the Delaware Tribe of Indians — one of the five sovereign tribes of the Lenape. The involvement of the tribe and Ursinus College provided a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for their students to learn about nature and honor the history, culture, and legacy of the Lenape people.

The arboretums come to life According to Dr. Seamus Clune, principal and director of PV Woods at Perkiomen Valley Middle School East, students from the school environmental clubs led the charge. “We wanted students to be part of this project from beginning to end,” he said. A Boy Scout and a Girl Scout worked with arborists from Penn State to identify the best example of each of the existing tree species in the arboretums. These trees were then labeled with their English name, scientific name, and Lenape name. A QR code provides the pronunciation of the Lenape name as well as information about the tree’s connection to Lenape history and culture. For example, the branches of a willow tree (known as nushemakw to the Lenape) were used to make arrows. From there, activity bloomed as fast as students could manage. Rain gardens. A 5K fundraiser through the arboretum. Bird houses for eastern bluebirds. An indigenous herb garden. Gnome hunts. Native bee houses. Butterfly gardens. Arbor Day celebrations.

state curriculum standards as well as to give them a unique environment in which to learn. Science teachers are instructing among the trees, illustrating the function of watersheds and building environmental literacy. English teachers embrace it as an outdoor classroom for poetry lessons. And the elementary students are even going for nature hikes during the school day.

Plans for the future With the two arboretums up and running, these schools have set their sights on new ways to engage the students and the community in PV Woods. Tree planting is always in the discussion, with a focus on native trees that will be resilient in the face of a changing climate. They hope to receive grant funding soon to plant more riparian forest cover to support cleaner waterways. Plans are also in place to make the arboretums inviting for children, including a storybook trail. The Arbor Day celebration will also grow to include a tree planting in honor of each of the four kindergarten classes every year. “The middle school kids at each campus will run an Arbor Day program for the kindergartners, read a story, talk about the trees,” Seamus said. “Then we’ll have a tree planting ceremony.” In everything, the goal of the PV Woods is to immerse students in nature — helping them understand the wonders of trees.

Spread the Word About Tree Campus K–12 If you would like to see students in your community develop a deeper connection with nature, talk to a teacher or administrator in your area about the Tree Campus K–12 recognition program. Learn more at treecampusk12.org.

Enriching experiences for students An arboretum on each campus means these schools have limitless hands-on outdoor learning experiences for students. Particularly with limitations during the pandemic, Seamus knew how critical this was. “We recognized the huge need to connect kids with nature,” he said. Just the development of the arboretums got the middle schoolers engaged in new and exciting ways. And now, the spaces can be used more broadly to meet ARBOR DAY • November/December 2023 • 888-448-7337 • arborday.org 5