The Leaflet — March 2011

Casey Trees News

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Community Tree Planting program begins record-breaking spring season

March 2011

In this issue...

2 Casey Trees’ new web media projects

Staff changes and spring tree care tips, too.

3 Letter from the Executive Director 4 Planning & Design at Casey Trees

Program highlights and new projects.

5 Shade trees being replaced

By smaller trees and for solar panel installation.

6 Smithsonian Institution inventory

Winter pruning update.

7 Spring CTP schedule 8 Programs, classes and events 9 Kids Corner

1,000th Citizen Forester

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asey Trees will plant nearly 750 trees at 46 events — both records for one season — this spring through its Community Tree Planting (CTP) program. Plantings will run from March 5 to May 7, 2011.

Sixteen groups are signed on for repeat plantings and 21 schools — another record — will host events.

This spring also marks the start of Casey Trees’ partnership with the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

With funding from ING and The Home Depot, the Festival is underwriting the planting of 35 cherry trees spread across eight CTP sites, one site in each Ward. All additional trees at these sites will be paid for by Casey Trees.

Another highlight is the inclusion of fruit trees in three projects, including

The Walker-Jones Education Campus and its urban farm (Ward 6); THEARC, a collaborative, communitybuilding organization (Ward 8) and the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC)-sponsored planting along the Metropolitan Branch Trail (Ward 5). The RTC planting is the second and final planting in conjunction with a grant funded by The Coca-Cola Foundation.

Another sponsored CTP event is the Tudor Place Foundation on April 7.

The Nussbaum Family is underwriting the planting in celebration of the birth of their daughter, Sophia.

Casey Trees invites volunteers of all ages and skill levels to help plant trees at the upcoming CTP events.

Schedule on page 7.

Casey Trees celebrated its 1,000th Citizen Forester on February 12 at the “Trees 101” class. This is a milestone for the program, which started in 2002.

Vote Casey Trees The Best Help make Casey Trees the City Paper’s “Best Place to Volunteer” two years in a row by casting your vote online.

Voting ends March 15.

WASHINGTON CITY PAPER

2011

Keep your eye out for buds, bugs and weeds, and Casey Trees' Spring Almanac

Casey Trees' unveiling new web projects

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asey Trees has launched a new online feature and is refreshing its blogs.

Flickr

Look out for high quality photos of tree plantings and more this spring on Flickr. We will post photos from all events as we currently do on Facebook and we will feature other tree-related photography from across the District. Add us as a contact, upload your own photos and leave a comment on your favorite photo.

Tree Speak

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fter a cold January and February, trees are starting to come out of hibernation.

Tree buds are starting to show life and some trees, including red maples and redbuds, bloom before they leaf out. Take some time and observe this spectacular metamorphosis.

Spring is a great time to help prepare your trees for a robust growing season. Make sure to do the following: Prune out wood damaged or destroyed by winter storms and frost.

Remove winter weeds around the base of young trees.

Put a gypsy moth reminder on your calendar for late April. Gypsy moths are non-native, invasive pests that feed on the foliage of trees. The larvae usually emerge in early May. If you see larvae or egg masses, click here to find out how to get rid of them.

The full Spring Almanac will be released on March 21, following the first day of spring. Look for it on our website and in your email inbox.

Bidding farewell and wishing good luck

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he Urban Forestry Manager position at Casey Trees has undergone a staff change.

Former manager David DiPietro’s last day was Feb. 14. He and his wife moved to Colorado.

Taking David’s place is Sara Turner, who came to Casey Trees in February 2010 to 2

March 2011 | theleaflet

manage the RiverSmart Homes (RSH) Shade Tree program. Last year with RSH, Sara designed residents’ treescapes and coordinated the planting of more than 650 trees.

We’re glad to have Sara in this new role as we begin the spring Community Tree Planting season.

A redesign for our blog, Tree Speak, will launch March 21. It will have a new face but the same great content about trees in D.C. You can learn about challenges to trees in the city, read stories from our expert staff, discover the tree of the month or catch up on the week’s volunteer activity. Subscribe here.

Trees in Cities We are re-launching our Urban Tree Canopy news blog as “Trees in Cities.” The blog covers a broad range of international news about trees in urban environments.

Remember to follow us on Twitter, which has an updated look as well, and like us on Facebook to keep up with the latest on Casey Trees.

Join the Summer Crew!

Applications are still being accepted for our High School Summer Jobs program, with May 1 as the due date. D.C.-area students 16 years and older can apply. The 2011 session runs from June 20 to Aug. 12.

Crew members earn $9 an hour and work 35 hours per week, Monday to Friday.

Volunteers are key to our success C

asey Trees has received many accolades over the years, but the one we cherish the most is one we received last year from the Washington City Paper – the “Best Place to Volunteer.” Volunteers are essential to our work, and at every event, class and tree planting, we remind participants that we are a small organization doing our best to fill a large and ever-increasing demand. And how big has that demand become?

I encourage you to find out how fulfilling volunteering at Casey Trees can be by signing up to become a Citizen Forester or taking a free class and learn about trees in the District and why they are so important. Not only will you learn about trees and their benefits, you will make new friends, connect with old friends and make a difference that will benefit District residents for generations to come. I know you will have a great time.

In 2006, we planted about 500 trees.

By contrast, in 2010 we planted nearly 2,000 trees and held 120 events, including tree plantings, tree watering and care, invasive plant removal, adult education classes, tree walks and other initiatives. To do this we engaged more than 3,000 volunteers and dozens of Citizen Foresters – “super volunteers” who have received training and give their time to lead plantings, help with logistics and act as ambassadors so we can better connect with the communities we serve. This spring alone we have almost 50 Community Tree Planting events scheduled, with 20 of those located at D.C. schools.

With such great work happening so early in the year, 2011 should be one of our best yet!

Please help us in our quest to win the “Best Place to Volunteer” award for a second straight year by voting for Casey Trees!

Mark Buscaino Executive Director

Yours in Trees,

Mark Buscaino Executive Director

All this work speaks to why we appreciate the “Best Place to Volunteer” award. With a staff of 25 people we simply cannot do all this work ourselves — it takes a lot of effort to move a 200 pound tree from the nursery to its new home! Our volunteers give up their time and resources to help Casey Trees extend its reach, plant more trees, educate more residents, and make our city as green as it can be. Knowing that, we do everything we can to make their experience as enjoyable as possible, and receipt of this award tells us that we’re on the right track. theleaflet | March 2011

There are many ways to volunteer at Casey Trees.

These volunteers helped with a neighborhood inventory in Crestwood last summer.

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WE KEEP+DC GREEN

New staff, new projects and greater exposure in the District hasn't altered the Planning & Design department's goal of advocating for trees in the city's new developments.

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lanning & Design (P+D) at Casey Trees engages and collaborates with elected officials and professionals to encourage trees be added and protected in development projects in the District.

To do so, P+D offers: • Lunch-and-Learns P+D staff give presentations highlighting Casey Trees programs and resources available to designers and developers. Request one.

• Design Resources From the “Right Tree, Right Place” tree-planting guide to the “Tree Space Design” report, P+D has created great tools to help people include treescapes on their property.

“With great resources and innovative practices, our department is committed to increasing the District’s tree canopy through sustainable design and effective advocacy.”

— Maisie Hughes, Director of Planning & Design

• Advocacy Tools P+D engages policymakers and advocates to encourage treefriendly plans and policies. P+D strives to maintain a presence at planning commission and ANC meetings and helps citizens advocate for tree protection in development projects in their neighborhoods.

This year, P+D has many projects in the works, but one internal tool stands out: the development of an interactive map to help track development projects.

Development Tracking To better track major development projects in the District and evaluate their impact on the tree canopy, P+D has created a map project tool based on the Google Earth platform.

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The map contains locations of various D.C. developments with pop-up icons that contain project information.

Windows also provide hyperlinks to websites and network folders containing additional information and documents on that project, such as development plans, public comments, photos, etc.

This will also allow P+D to tie information from the tracking tool to pre-development tree canopy by using GIS (geographic information system) to see what the impacts will be.

March 2011 | theleaflet

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gh S u o n

Some area residents are removing large shade trees on their properties, citing hindered views or opting for solar panels. By doing this, they may be costing themselves — and the city — more money and hassle in the long run.

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arge shade trees provide many benefits, such as lower energy costs, increased property values and cleaner air and water. Despite these, shade trees are being replaced with smaller, ornamental trees or removed altogether to accommodate solar panels or create vistas. This trend could deter us from achieving the District’s Urban Tree Canopy Goal of 40 percent by 2035.

Interrupted Views The National Capital Planning Commission recently decided in favor of Watergate residents who wanted to replace newly planted sycamores along Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway with a shorter species.

Residents say the sycamores, which will not reach mature height for another 20 to 30 years, would impede their views. Per the conditions of the ruling, residents will pay for removal and the planting of smaller species, most likely London planetrees, which have smaller heights and canopies and take in less stormwater runoff. theleaflet | March 2011

Sun, Not Shade

In January, The Washington Post published a story about a Takoma Park, Md., resident who wanted to remove a 50-foot silver maple in his yard to create an opening in his yard for solar energy. Opening up dense canopy to harness sunlight could become a trend as people shift from traditional energy sources to alternative ones. Additionally, the proximity of this issue will surely impact the District’s urban forest.

Future Considerations “While the effect here is not critical, it is a death-by-a-thousand-cuts effect as shade trees are replaced by ornamental trees for other amenities,” said Mike Galvin, deputy director of Casey Trees. “The irony here is that the aggregate effect will require the District to invest millions of dollars in improvements to replace the lost stormwater management capacity.”

Before you remove a large shade tree on your property, consider the benefits they provide: • Cooling Shade. Shade trees save us more than $2.4 million in air conditioning costs per year.

• Increased Property Values.

Homes with trees sell for an average of 10 to 20 percent more.

• Healthy Air. D.C.’s trees filter 540 tons of harmful, healththreatening pollutants from the air each year.

• Clean Water. Trees reduce stormwater runoff, a major cause of stream pollution.

• Less Crime. Trees draw neighbors outside. More eyes on the street deter criminal activity.

Shade trees enhance communities, and provide numerous economic, social and environmental benefits.

Instead of removing shade trees, think about adding new or protecting existing ones.

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Inventory shows Smithsonian Institution trees in relatively good tree health

March Arbor Day Dates Arizona Friday, March 18 State Tree: Paloverde Arkansas Monday, March 21 State Tree: Pine California The week of March 7 State Tree: California redwood North Carolina Friday, March 18 State Tree: Pine

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esults from the Smithsonian Institution (SI) Tree Management Plan are complete. Casey Trees, with the help of a GIS (geographic information system) intern and Citizen Foresters, inventoried 1,344 trees last year, identifying 504 as needing further inspection.

The amenity value — what trees are worth as real property — of SI’s trees is $3 million and they store 290,000 kg of carbon.

Most of the trees require no immediate tree care. Only three percent — 38 trees — need critical tree care, while almost a quarter need non-critical maintenance. The most common issues were trunk defects, problems with the roots and root flares, and storm damage. About 13 percent of the trees SI maintains are street trees.

You can view a summary of the inventory on our website and find the SI-inventoried trees on the Casey Trees Map.

New Mexico Friday, March 11 State Tree: Piñon Oklahoma The week of March 21 State Tree: Eastern redbud

Mike Galvin, deputy director of Casey Trees, presented the results at an SI in-service training on Feb. 16.

In addition to the SI tree inventory, Casey Trees has performed eight inventories for six neighborhood groups. All the reports are available on our Geographic Resources page.

Tennessee Friday, March 4 State Tree: Tulip poplar If your community group would like Casey Trees to inventory your neighborhood trees, visit our website to apply. Applications are accepted year round.

Elm pruning update

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n January, our tree planting department visited Daingerfield Island for pruning instruction and practice with Barry Stahl of the National Park Service.

Over a span of three weeks in February, the crew inspected and pruned 370 American elms planted between 2003 and 2008 in Wards 2-7. The main pruning corridors were Kansas Avenue NW, Piney Branch Avenue NW and East Capitol Street.

When the pruning was complete, a brush pile 10 feet tall by 40 feet wide was left behind.

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March 2011 | theleaflet

Spring 2011 CTP Schedule

If you are interested in volunteering, sign up here. Interested groups of five or more people should contact the Carol Herwig, volunteer coordinator, by email or at 202.349.1907. School plantings are not open to the public. Events highlighted in pink are sponsored by the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

March Date Time

Group

Registration Location

Ward

2 8A - 11A SEED Public Charter School 4300 C Street SE 3 9A - 1P Hyde Leadership Public Charter School 1800 Perry Street NE 3 9A - 1P Friendship Public Charter School 2959 Carlton Avenue NE 4 9A - 1P Kennedy Street NW - ANC 4D Kennedy Street/2nd Street/ Missouri Avenue NW 5 9A - 4P The Catholic University of America McCormack Drive & Taylor Street NE 9 9A - 1P Columbia Heights Education Campus 3101 16th Street NW 9 9A - 1P St. Columba’s Nursery School 4201 Albemarle Street NW 10 9A - 1P JC Nalle Elementary School 219 50th Street SE 12 9A - 1P Fort Mahan Park 42nd & Hayes Street NE 16 9A - 1P Leckie Elementary School 4201 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SW 17 9A - 1P Johnson Middle School 1400 Bruce Place SE 17 9A - 1P Garfield Elementary School 2435 Alabama Avenue SE 18 9A - 1P Restore Mass Ave 2020 Massachusetts Avenue NW 19 9A - 1P Tait Triangle Park 48th Street/Ellicott Street/ Western Avenue NW 19 9A - 1P Friends of 16th Street Heights Park - 1340 Hamilton Street NW

Hamilton Recreation Center 22 1P - 3P St. Colleta of Greater Washington 1901 Independence Avenue SE 23 10A - 12P St. Colleta of Greater Washington 1901 Independence Avenue SE 23 12:30P - 3:30P The Farm at Walker Jones 1125 New Jersey Avenue NW 24 9A - 1P Two Rivers Public Charter School 1234 4th Street NE 24 9A - 1P J.O. Wilson Elementary School 660 K Street NE 26 9A - 1P Congressional Cemetery 1801 E Street SE 26 9A - 1P Fund of Sherwood Park, Inc. 640 10th Street NE 30 9:30A - 12:30P C. Melvin Sharpe Health School 4300 13th Street NW 30 9A - 1P Powell Elementary School 1350 Upshur Street NW 31 9A - 1P Brightwood Education Campus 1300 Nicholson Street NW

7 5 5 4

Trees 12 15 14 35

5 25 1 14 3 12 7 15 7 30 8 16 8 14 8 13 2 15 2 15 4

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6 6 6 6 6 6 6 4 4 4

10 10 15 6 12 28 20 10 13 15

5 3

10 30

2 8 8 2 2 1 1 2

3 10 10 8 10 30 10 12

April 1 9A - 1P The Catholic University of America 7th Street & Michigan Avenue NE 2 9A - 1P Woodland-Normanstone Neighborhood 3200 block of Woodland Drive NW

Association Centennial 4 10A - 2P Golden Triangle BID Foggy Bottom Metro Station 6 1P - 4P Bishop John T. Walker School for Boys 3640 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE 6 1P - 4P THEARC 1901 Mississippi Avenue SE 7 10A - 1P Calvary Baptist Church 755 8th Street NW 7 9A - 1P Tudor Place Foundation 1644 31st Street NW 9 9A - 1P Columbia Heights Village Tenants Association 2800 14th Street NW 9 9A - 1P Latin American Youth Center, Inc. 3035 15th Street NW 13 12P - 3P Georgetown Visitation Prep School 1524 35th Street NW

Continued on page 8. theleaflet | March 2011

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April (continued)

Date Time

Group

Registration Location

Ward

Trees

16 9A - 1P Turkey Thicket Recreation Center 10th Street & Michigan Avenue NE 5 16 9A - 1P Michigan Park Citizens Association 18th Street/Michigan Avenue/ 5

Bunker Hill Road 20 9A - 1P St. Paul’s at Rock Creek Church Parish Webster Street & Rock Creek Road NW 4 21 3P - 6P Metropolitan Branch Trail 3rd & R Streets NE 5 22 9A - 1P David M. Stemper Memorial Rain Garden Half and L Streets SE 6 22 4P - 6P 13th & C Street SE Community Park & Garden 13th & C Streets SE 6 23 9A - 1P Crestwood Citizens Association 18th & Shepherd Streets NW 4 30 9A - 1P Orr Elementary School 2200 Minnesota Avenue SE 7 30 9A - 1P Congress Heights Community Park Malcolm X Avenue & Parkland Place SE 8 30 9A - 1P Ballou Senior High School 3401 4th Street SE 8

21 15 25 25 20 6 35 15 10 14

May 7

9A - 1P

Alice Deal Middle School

3815 Fort Drive SW

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Programs, classes and events

Four spring classes still have room. Register on the Casey Trees Calendar of Events page. Advance registration is required; space is limited.

All classes are held at Casey Trees' headquarters at 3030 12th Street NE in Brookland unless otherwise noted.

All Classes Are

FREE!

Visiting Educators Designing Trees in the Environment Andrew Wilson, Director of Garden Design Studies at the London College of Garden Design -and- Andrew Fisher Tomlin, Landscape Designer in the United Kingdom.

Wed., March 2, 6:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m.

S S A CL

L L U IS F

From a distinctly European perspective, our guest lecturers will look at the pressures of incorporating trees in our urban environments, including gardens and public spaces; what we should be planting and how we can meet the needs of trees in the future.

Citizen Forester-Qualifying Course It’s your final opportunity to become a Citizen Forester this spring by taking the last remaining Citizen Forester-qualifying class.

Tree Planting Casey Trees Staff Sat., March 5, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., Location: Raymond A. DuFour Center, The Catholic University of America (At the intersection of Taylor Street, NE and John McCormack Road, NE) Learn how to select and prepare a tree planting site, choose appropriate species and properly plant the tree to ensure its survival. A field component follows the classroom instruction.

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Tree Walks Lincoln Cottage and Rock Creek Cemetery Melanie Choukas-Bradley Sat., April 16, 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Intersection of Rock Creek Church Road NW and Upshur Street NW Choukas-Bradley will lead a walk at President Lincoln's Civil War-era summer home and then explore historic trees at Rock Creek Cemetery.

Ornamental Trees Casey Trees Staff Sat., April 23, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

U.S. National Arboretum Take a walk through the Arboretum’s dogwood, magnolia and Asian tree collections to see what flowering options are offered.

Shade Trees of D.C. Casey Trees Staff Sat., May 14, 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.

U.S. National Arboretum Get to know some of the key representatives of D.C.’s urban forest. We will focus on larger trees found in our parks, streets and home landscapes.

March 2011 | theleaflet

Kids Corner

Casey Trees

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Website Scavenger Hunt

Forage through the Casey Trees website and explore the great resources from all of our programs, then use what you find to answer the following questions.

1.

Washington, D.C. currently has an urban tree canopy (UTC) of 35 percent. What does Casey Trees want D.C.’s UTC percentage to be by 2035? (Hint: Check out the Geographic Resources page)

2. How many American elm trees has Casey Trees planted and cared for in D.C. since 2003?

(Hint: Check out the Tree Planting page) 3.

Through the ________ program, Casey Trees staff travel across the District by bike to water trees during the summer. (Hint: Check out the Tree Planting page)

4. Newly planted trees need ___ gallons of water a week in order to grow healthy and strong.

(Hint: Check out the tips for residents on the Planning & Design page) 5.

What cumulative grade did Casey Trees give D.C. in its Second Annual Tree Report Card (2009)?

(Hint: Check out the Geographic Resources page)

6.

Who is Casey Trees named after? (Hint: Check out the About Us page)

7. How many Citizen Foresters has Casey Trees graduated since 2002?

(Hint: Check out the Education page) 8.

What are the 3 categories of trees in “Trees of Note?” (Hint: Check out the Education page)

9. The District’s trees filter ___ tons of harmful, health-threatening pollutants from the air each year.

(Hint: Check out the Tree Planting page) 10.

What is the 3-3-3 Rule? (Hint: Check out the Tree Planting page)

Find the correct answers here. theleaflet | March 2011

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