COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE STATE JOIN TOGETHER TO REPLANT IN THE WAKE OF TWO HURRICANES
CHIEF
AS THE ARBOR DAY FOUNDATION has been on the ground in communities around the U.S. and beyond helping to replant and recover after disasters, I, myself, have had the honor of looking residents in the eye as I’ve handed them trees for their yard. The energy, the excitement, the dedication — it’s an experience like nothing else when you hand someone a free tree knowing you’re giving them so much more.
That tree is a symbol of hope.
This spring I had the opportunity to work at a distribution in Shreveport, Louisiana. A derecho passed through in June of 2023 and took out a significant portion of the city’s beloved tree canopy. Many of the trees were more than 100 years old. It was a big loss, as the trees not only shaded residents from hot and humid summer days but also helped to form the identity of the city itself. Those iconic live oaks were beloved by everyone who lived there.
Walking the streets of a community hit hard by this kind of destruction is heartbreaking. The devastation is palpable. Knowing that storms like these — tornadoes, hurricanes, derechos, and more — are only increasing in frequency and intensity feels almost overwhelming. These natural disasters threaten not only community trees but the people who live there.
Seeing people from all parts of the city line up together for trees was nothing short of inspiring. They showed up hours before the event was set to begin, chatting with strangers and sharing stories about the trees they’d lost. They came together for the sole purpose of planting trees, a united front in an effort to restore the treasured urban canopy they lost.
Community members weren’t the only ones coming together. City officials, corporate leaders, and environmental nonprofits alike were all working together to help people replant the trees they lost in their yards. In that moment, I felt proud to be a part of something this profound. I was excited to see the role the Arbor Day Foundation is playing in creating meaningful mission engagement opportunities in neighborhoods like Shreveport.
We are fostering these opportunities from Boston to Boise, from Los Angeles to Lake Charles. You’ll read stories of this work in Hawaii and New Jersey in the following pages. And it is only possible thanks to our strong network of community planting partners and our dedicated members and donors. Thank you for your ongoing support of this important work.
Now more than ever, we must be ready to restore trees in the wake of disaster. Together, we are positioned to do just that.
ARBOR DAY JOURNAL
ARBOR DAY FOUNDATION
EXECUTIVE, Dan Lambe
The new trees were a welcome sight and the start of a greener tomorrow for Shreveport.
Canopy Recovery on the Big Island
After natural disaster, people in Hawaii are eagerly restoring their trees.
ASK MOST PEOPLE to list the kinds of natural disasters and you’ll likely be met with answers that include hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, wildfires, and floods. But for residents of Hawaii, another answer can enter the fray: volcanic eruptions.
On the eastside of the Big Island, Hawaii, lava flows are a regular part of life. Normally, the eruptions from Kilauea — a volcano tucked into Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island — primarily affect the landscape of the national park. On May 3, 2018, however, that changed when a cinder cone popped out in the backyard of a residence in a nearby subdivision. This pile of volcanic material formed a vent that opened in the earth and sent lava shooting as much as 300 feet in the air.
The lava actively flowed throughout the summer, finally subsiding in August. When it was over, more than 13 miles of land were covered by cooled lava, 700 homes were destroyed, and 2,000 people had been evacuated.
Restoring the Lush Landscape
People had lost so much, and trees were one of the many things in need of restoration. This is where the Arbor Day Foundation stepped in to help, working with local partner The Outdoor Circle. The organization is on a mission to keep Hawaii clean, green, and beautiful by preserving, protecting, and enhancing the environment.
An initial tree distribution was held in 2019 in the city of Hilo, with almost 1,000 trees handed out to East Hawaii residents. The second year saw a drive-thru tree distribution set up, with people lining up early for a free tree. Each year, the annual event continues to draw more interest. As it grows, the Arbor Day Foundation is committed to supporting The Outdoor Circle and the community to continue replacing and caring for the trees well into the future.
Part of that community support extends beyond the shade of the tree canopy. This work is helping to ease the struggle of food insecurity prevalent on the island.
“Because of food insecurity issues, we switched to strictly fruit- and food-producing trees in 2020,” said Myles Ritchie, programs director with The Outdoor Circle. “The banana trees we had were over 8 feet tall, and it was always fun when somebody pulled up in a little car and then drove away with this huge banana tree sticking out.”
To date, nearly 4,000 trees have been distributed to the residents of East Hawaii and other nearby communities on the Big Island. Another 600 are scheduled for this fall. Each tree planted is a sign of hope, a return to the landscape they know and love. And all of it has been made possible thanks to the generosity of Foundation members and supporters.
Destructive lava flows significantly altered the landscape in East Hawaii.
From left, The Outdoor Circle executive director Winston Welch and board members Joan Gossett and Jonathan Sudler distribute trees at an event.
A 12-Year Journey to Restore Community Trees
In New Jersey, a statewide effort is helping residents revitalize their neighborhoods.
Superstorm Sandy. Most everyone remembers that hurricane, particularly along the East Coast. The largest Atlantic hurricane on record, it dominated news headlines as it carved a path through the Caribbean and the coastal Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. in the fall of 2012. It made landfall on the southern shores of New Jersey on October 29. Once the storm passed, the devastation was clear. In this state alone, 37 lives were lost, nearly 350,000 homes were damaged or destroyed, and 2 million residents were without power.
And before Sandy, there was Irene. This lesser-known hurricane worked its way up the coast and made landfall in New Jersey on August 28, 2011, as a tropical storm. It pushed inland over the northern portion of the state and dumped a massive amount of freezing rain amid 70-75 mph winds. The devastation left in Irene’s wake was also immense: seven lives lost, widespread flooding, and more than $1 billion in structural damage.
The combination of the two storms in barely more than a year’s time left the region in a state of disaster. But with true New Jersey tenacity, the state’s residents began to rally their comeback almost immediately.
A Long-term Commitment to Restoration
As the efforts to rebuild roads, boardwalks, and homes began, so did the effort to restore the trees. The Arbor Day Foundation began working with New Jersey Forest Service to plant and distribute trees all across the Garden State.
New Jersey Tree Recovery by the Numbers
791,411 trees distributed
1,274 events held 12 years of community tree recovery
So how do you go about helping 565 municipalities and more than 3,000 hamlets (unincorporated settlements) spread across an entire state restore their tree canopy? The answer is lots of trees, lots of local events, and 12 years of focused effort. This kind of recovery doesn’t come quickly, and the Arbor Day Foundation, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, and corporate partner FedEx were committed to working with local organizations and residents for as long as it took to help their tree canopy feel whole again.
The plan for recovery was straightforward. A mix of tree species were grown at state-owned nurseries and prepped for distribution as either tubed or bare-root seedlings. Then communities planned their own events and submitted applications to receive free trees courtesy of Foundation funding.
Events Tailored to Each of the Communities
Because local organizations or municipalities were in charge of running their own events, each looked a bit different. Trees were given out in a variety of ways. According to Alec McCartney, a forester with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, he’s seen everything from drive-up windows to farmers markets to community cleanup days to citywide celebrations.
“I’d say no community did it the same. In Hawthorne, the used car dealership would shut the entire lot down every year to convert it to a tree distribution spot,” said McCartney. “In Folsom, teachers would set everything up and schoolchildren would give the trees out. Sometimes they (the children) were handing the trees out with the roots up. It was pretty funny!”
Regardless of how the events were run, one common thread ran through them all: excitement for the trees. Residents across the state lined up for the opportunity to restore the trees they lost.
This End Is Only the Beginning
While the 12-year program has come to an end, the trees that have been planted in this time will continue to grow and provide many of the benefits communities need to thrive. Cities, towns, and hamlets across the state will once again have the trees that have always been so vital to everyday life.
Has your community lost trees in a natural disaster?
If the tree canopy where you live has been affected by wildfire, hurricane, tornado, derecho, or insect damage, you can take action. Reach out to your community forester to discuss options for replacing trees in both public spaces and people’s yards.
This project is one example of the dedication needed to restore community trees in the wake of natural disasters. The Arbor Day Foundation is committed to making sure this work is done right, even if it takes more than a decade. And Foundation members and supporters make that level of dedication possible.
Each community managed their own tree distribution events, allowing them to engage with residents in different ways.
Helping Families Protect Longleaf Pine Forests
Restoring this struggling ecosystem has been the work of generations.
SOMETIMES, THE THINGS PASSED DOWN through generations aren’t things. In the American Southeast, one of the most treasured gifts parents and grandparents share with the younger members of the family is a love of the forest.
This long-fostered connection to nature is helping to drive the restoration and preservation of the longleaf pine ecosystem, a landscape found predominantly on family-owned private lands from Florida to Texas. Through tree planting efforts, the Arbor Day Foundation has had the privilege of working with these landowners — hearing the stories that have collected through the years and seeing firsthand their dedication to the longleaf pine.
Burke Hayes, a forest owner in Florida, doesn’t remember a time when he wasn’t in or near a forest. Stelling Nelson’s Georgia forestland has been in the family for four generations. After retiring from teaching, Annie Dawson bought land near where her parents once lived, taking care of her forest just as her father had.
Take a moment to meet these passionate folks, to hear the story of their legacy told through the trees. Read the full story at arborday.org/longleaf.
IRA Distributions: A Tax-Free Way to Care for the Earth
CURRENT TAX LAWS make it easy for you to support conservation through an IRA. If you’re 73 or older, you can leverage an IRA to make tax-free contributions up to $105,000 per year through a Qualified Charitable Distribution. Simply direct your required minimum distribution to the Arbor Day Foundation, and your distribution will not be subject to income tax.
Due to strong market performance in 2023, required minimum distributions have risen this year. If you do not need the additional income from your required minimum distributions, you want to give more than the deduction limit, or you live in a state with no charitable income tax deduction, a charitable donation is a great tax planning solution. Not only do you avoid paying income tax on this distribution, you have the satisfaction of knowing you made a lasting contribution to our environment.
You can still use this giving strategy even if you are under 73 years old without the tax-free benefit. Simply use your IRA distribution to make a charitable donation after taxes.
For more details, please consult your professional financial advisor, visit arborday.org/plannedgiving, or email development@arborday.org
Left to right: Burke Hayes’ son Brooks, Burke Hayes, and their forestry consultant, Will Leonard of Timberland Solutions.
TREE BASICS
The Mystery and Magic of Beautiful Autumn Colors Revealed
THE BEAUTIFUL NATURAL PHENOMENON of reds, oranges, and yellows happens on deciduous trees every year, but not everyone understands why. That’s where Ben Heusinkvelt, orchard and grounds manager and certified arborist at Arbor Day Farm, comes in. Ben has taken the time to answer some questions that will help you understand the wonders of fall leaves.
Why do leaves change color in the fall?
During the growing season, leaves get their green color from photosynthesis-generating pigment called chlorophyll. In the fall, lower temperatures and shorter periods of daylight trigger a response from trees that winter is coming, and they need to prepare for dormancy. They stop making chlorophyll in the leaves, which allows the other pigments to shine.
What determines which color the leaves turn?
The color depends on which pigment is most present in the leaves after chlorophyll production has stopped. Red and purple colors come from pigments called anthocyanins, while carotenoids yield oranges and yellows. How much of each pigment, and therefore the color of the fall leaf, depends on the tree variety and its location.
Some years, the fall colors are better than others. Why is that?
The weather throughout the year and just leading up to fall plays a tremendous role in the fall colors. Sunlight, water, and temperature all determine the brightness of leaves as they change. This is because certain conditions allow for creation of more of the secondary pigments and a longer color change. Rainy, cool springs followed by mild summers and cold fall nights tend to be the best recipe for fall colors.
Get Out and Experience it for Yourself!
Autumn is a great time to immerse yourself in the beauty of nature. If you need some tips about the best leaf-peeping locations, check out our post at facebook.com/arborday
Exciting News: A Fresh Look Coming Soon
THE ARBOR DAY FOUNDATION is passionate about the vibrant community of tree planters and members that make its work so impactful. As part of an ongoing commitment to the mission of inspiring people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees, the Foundation has been working behind the scenes to sharpen the newsletter and other materials with a new look.
The refined Arbor Day Foundation look will be shared with members and supporters in the coming months. At first, you may see updated pieces mixed with existing materials. Our goal in this transition is to ensure we’re stewarding donor dollars responsibly, which means using up existing printed materials. Thank you for your continued dedication to the health of forests and communities.
Pecan
Carya illinoinensis
THIS SPECIES is known as a tree for all uses. It serves as the nation’s most important commercial nut producer, provides great shade, and displays an amazing woodgrain that makes it highly prized for furniture and flooring. The pecan is also a long-lived tree, with a lifespan of 300 years or more. Texans have such an affinity for this tree that they declared it their state tree in 1919.
If you are hoping for a good nut harvest, plant multiple trees to ensure pollination. They will begin to bear nuts in six to 10 years, producing an average of 70–150 pounds per year per tree.
LEAVES: Compound leaves up to 20 inches in length, consisting of nine to 17 spearhead-shaped leaflets that are 4–8 inches long. The leaflets are slightly toothed.
NUTS: Grown in clusters of three to six. Oblong in shape, 1½–2 inches long, light brown to reddish brown shell with a pointed tip and rounded base. Covered by husks that turn from yellow-green to brown and split open as the nuts ripen. The kernel is sweet.
BARK: Brown and gray, forming long, flat ridges with shallow furrows.
FORM: Grows to a height of 70–100 feet with a spread of 40–75 feet. The crown takes on a broad oval shape.
WILDLIFE VALUE: The nuts are favored by squirrels, deer, raccoons, foxes, wild turkeys, wood ducks, crows, blue jays, and several other bird species.
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!
If you do not want your name included, just write, email us at privacy@arborday.org, or call
PLANTING: Grows in acidic, alkaline, loamy, moist, rich, sandy, silty loam, well-drained, wet, and clay soils. Full sun is preferred. Develops a deep tap root. Suitable for hardiness zones 6–9.
To purchase or learn more about this tree and others, visit arborday.org/pecan or scan this QR code.
