The Leaflet — April 2014

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APRIL 2014

A Season to Learn See the many ways hard work and education bear fruit. theleaflet

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CASEY TREES NEWS IN BRIEF

CASEY TREES MARKS 40 YEAR ANNIVERSERY OF NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK As an organization that couldn’t exist without its incredible volunteers, Casey Trees is proud to both acknowledge and participate in National Volunteer Week. The week — April 6 through 12 — is intended to inspire and encourage others to engage in their communities and form bonds over meeting challenges all across the nation.

No stranger to hard work and volunteerism, Casey Trees will be holding three events during the week:

• On April 8, a prominent event will feature volunteers from Conservation International and the Corporate Executive Board participating in a Tree Care event at Marie Reed Community Center which is followed by a Branch Out Happy Hour. Both events are generously sponsored by the Great Lakes Brewing Company.

• The April 9 Congressional Cemetery Tree Care event will benefit from the help of volunteers from the Virginia Tech student chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects and the Advisory Board Company.

• A Tree Care Event that will also commemorate the Global Youth Day of Service. The April 11 Tree Care at the Takoma Recreation Center will host volunteers from Legacy of Health and National Geographic as well as students from Capital City Public Charter School.

CASEY TREES NEWS ARBOR DAY SIGNALS RELEASE OF SIXTH ANNUAL TREE REPORT CARD | Arbor Day, April 25, will once again be marked with the release of the annual Casey Trees’ Tree Report Card. The 2013 edition will be the sixth annual release, with each edition measuring the quantity and quality of the tree canopy and expansion and sustainability efforts of the previous year within Washington, D.C. Casey Trees’ Tree Report Card is the only independent tree canopy assessment of a major U.S. city.

NEW COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING ASSOCIATE WELCOMED TO CASEY TREES | The Communications and Development team is proud to announce the addition of a new team member. Casey Manning has joined the group as the new Communications and Marketing Associate who will contribute to the organizations event planning, marketing and media related efforts. Manning brings notable design and promotion experience to Casey Trees after graduating from the University of Vermont with a B.S. in Public Communication and most recently working as an Email & Social Media Specialist for Fishbowl, Inc. 2

WORK WITH CASEY TREES | Spring is a time of new beginnings and change is stirring at Casey Trees. The Communications and Development team is now hiring for two positions, a Development Associate as well as a CRM Administrator are sought to join the team behind Casey Trees’ promotion and fundraising efforts. To learn more, please contact Jared Powell, Director of Communications and Development, at jobs@caseytrees.org. For high school students in the area, Casey Trees is now accepting applications for its annual High School Summer Crew, a youth jobs program in which high school students serve as caretakers for D.C.’s trees in the summer. The Summer Crew application period will run until mid-May.

COMMUNITY TREE PLANTING PROGRAM APPLICATIONS DUE MAY 1 | Community groups interested in hosting a Community Tree Planting (CTP) event are encouraged to submit an application by May 1 to be considered for the fall 2014 and spring 2015 planting seasons. Groups must have locations for 10 or more trees on their private or public property. To learn more about the CTP requirements and apply to the program just visit the application page.

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URBAN FORESTRY NEWS U. S. NATIONAL ARBORETUM TO HOST TREE CLIMBING CHAMPIONSHIP | A local landmark, the U.S. National Arboretum will play host to the 2014 MAC-ISA Tree Climbing Championship on April 5, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The annual competition, which is free and open to the public, will feature climbing events, forestry challenges, family friendly tree activities and opportunities to picnic as well as try out a variety of food trucks. Casey Trees staff will be on hand at the event to lead children’s activities and answering tree questions.

HUNDREDS OF TREES VANDALIZED IN D.C. NEIGHBORHOODS | Not all urban forestry developments are for the best. In mid-March, an arrest was made in the case of a vandal who carved extremely damaging, deep carved-circles into local trees throughout the Bloomingdale and Truxton Circle neighborhoods of Washington, D.C. The heartbreaking crime is estimated to have affected up to 800 trees.

The raw carving destroyed tree barks while leaving the trees open to infection and dramatically reducing their life expectancy.

REGISTRATION CONTINUES FOR 2014 STIHL TOUR DES TREES | The annual 500-mile cycling tour will continue in 2014 by setting its sights on the roads of Wisconsin from July 27 to August 2.

The cycling tour aims to raise money to fund research focused on improving the health of urban forests, invest in education programs aimed at connecting young people with the environment, and raise awareness in communities about the importance of trees to the quality of urban life. In 2012, Casey Trees’ employee Neil Irvin and former Arborist Sara Turner raised more than $3,500 to cycle 585 miles across Oregon.

IN THIS ISSUE...

SPOTLIGHT: VOLUNTEER REAFFRIMS TREE PASSION............................................................................ 6 RIVERSMART HOMES DOES ITS PART TO PROTECT WATERSHEDS.................................................... 7 BROOKLAND GREEN SAVED..................................................................................................................... 8-9 TOURING THE BEAUTY OF GREAT FALLS........................................................................................... 10-11 BUDS STORY TIME DEBUTS AT U.S. NATIONAL ARBORETUM............................................................. 12 APRIL AND MAY EVENTS, CLASSES AND VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES..................................... 14-15 ARBOR KIDS: SPRING FOREST FLOOR I-SPY......................................................................................... 16

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HONOR. SUPPORT. CELEBRATE. SUPPORT CASEY TREES AT THE CANOPY AWARDS AND EXPERIENCE A NIGHT TO REMEMBER.

TRAVEL

LISTEN

Travel in style to the Canopy Awards through a special Uber Promotion.

Just download the app and enter

promo code:

CASEYTREES

BUMPER JACKSONS

to receive a free first ride up to $25.

Metro: Five minute walk from the NoMa Gallaudet U station on the Red Line.

Bus: Use the U St-Garfield Metrobus lines (90, 92, 93).

Park: Free parking is available in the lot directly in front of Union Market or on the street.

ANDREW LIPKE AND THE AZRAEL STRING QUARTET

SPONSORED BY

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4.24.14 6:30 - 10:00 PM 1509 5TH ST NE, W DC

PLAY

WIN Take a peak at some of the items featured in the night’s Silent Auction.

Shuffleboard

Phillips Collection Membership

Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (CHAW) Class Gift Certificate

Giant Checkers

Tudor Place Private Tour Bocce Ball ...and more, including Putt Putt golf, Giant Jenga, and Giant Connect 4.

®

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Four Diamond Club Tickets to Washington Nationals

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Spotlight Team Leader Lina Cortas rediscovers passion for trees

By Max Lopatnikov, Communications Intern, Casey Trees | “Variety,” says Lina Cortas, as she

considers her favorite thing about being involved with Casey Trees.

Long before she became a dear friend of Casey Trees, Cortas recalls walking through a colored Pennsylvania fall for the first time after arriving from her birthplace of Beirut, Lebanon. The shock of seeing the vivid peak color laid the roots for a love of trees lasting well into adulthood.

Having an educational background in agriculture and work experience in ornamental horticulture led Cortas to volunteer for Restore Mass Ave, an organization that plants and cares for trees in D.C. When she wanted to learn more about tree care and foster a deeper connection to the region’s trees, she stumbled upon Casey Trees and took her first classes, after which — as often happens — a whole window of opportunity opened up to learn and engage with trees in endless ways. She soon realized how much more there was to learn.

“The knowledge shared through classes and interactions with both staff and volunteers reconnected me with the science of plants. I also learned how I could make a difference in a tangible way,” Cortas said.

had become a Citizen Forester and a motivating Team Leader.

Cortas likes being able to actively participate and get things done and having a chance to think and contribute ideas, while always leaving time to learn more. She does — by planting, pruning, and caring for trees. She thinks — by helping the Volunteer Engagement Steering Team (VEST) develop new activities for volunteers to further engage with Casey Trees’ mission. She learns — by continuing with classes and forming relationships within the Casey Trees’ community.

While consulting for other nonprofits professionally, Cortas is fortunate enough to meet people who are passionate about causes. For her, Casey Trees has been an avenue to only build on that passion.

“I love trees. I always have. I love this city because of the trees. I interrupt my conversations with friends to point out aspects of trees,” Cortas says.

At Casey Trees, we are ecstatic to help others discover and rediscover their natural appreciation for trees.

Diverse volunteers like Lena Cortas only help reaffirm our own commitment.

Follow Casey Trees to read more about all the great programs to get involved that are helping increase the canopy of D.C.

Variety is what kept her coming back. Cortas started attending tree plantings and before she knew it, she

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Tree Planting RiverSmart Homes: a needed friend of local watersheds

By Marty Frye, Arborist, Casey Trees | It’s snowing outside right now and salt covers the roads. A creaky truck rolls down the street, leaking a slow drip of oil. Soon the steady melt of the snow and coming rains will flush all of this down the street and, with nowhere else to go, into our storm-water drains.

Through that system, the polluted water will either go directly to our rivers and streams, or take a trip to the Blue Plains water treatment plant where it will undergo an energy-intensive process to make it clean. In the heaviest of storms, the storm-water will overflow our sewage system and lead to further impacts on our rivers and streams, including exposure to toxins, raised salinity, and excess nutrient load.

Meanwhile, up in Ft. Bunker Hill Park — just a few blocks from Casey Trees’ headquarters — the trees and developed forest soils are steadily absorbing the water and keeping it and any pollutants carried with it out of our rivers. Water works at a huge scale and to replace nature’s systems of water management is an epic task, often doomed to failure.

The natural, self-regenerating capacity of forests to absorb storm-water and filter it cannot be matched, and only the most expensive conventional storm-water management efforts (try billions of dollars, with a B) come close. The forest that existed in D.C. was once free — all it needed was a little respect and it would continue to do its work for us.

Today, the urban forest has dwindled from its previous

glory and the Anacostia, Potomac, Rock Creek, and tributary streams of this great city are suffering as a result.

Yet all is not lost.

The emergence of well-informed urban forestry efforts seeks to turn this tide and restore our city’s forest.

Casey Trees’ partnership with the District Department of Environment through the River Smart Homes program seeks to tackle this problem head on and with a motivating goal in mind: healthy rivers and streams.

Residential yards are some of the most abundant plant-able spaces in the city. Parks like Ft. Bunker Hill are limited in the city and can’t handle all of the water flowing through our urban watershed, but by reforesting house by house we can drastically increase the tree canopy in the city.

Vital to this effort are homeowners who are willing and excited to care for trees. Even in the city, we live in a complex watershed with natural processes at play. By cooperating with these processes, we can make life easier for ourselves and for our rivers and streams.

Submit a request online to get started with the RiverSmart Homes program today.

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Advocacy Mayor Gray Swaps Land to Preserve the Brookland Green

By Maisie Hughes, Director of Planning & Design, Casey Trees | On Tuesday, March 18, Mayor Vincent C. Gray and Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie announced a “plan for the District’s Department of General Services (DGS) to swap unused parcels of land in exchange for the Brookland Green site,” owned by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA).

This move was in response to overwhelming community support to save the “Brookland Green,” a parcel of land that is home more than 20 mature trees and located

adjacent to the Brookland-CUA Metro Stations Kissand-Ride drop off.

While many residents and businesses were open to portions of the area being developed, they were also concerned that too rapid of development in the neighborhood would come at the expense of green space, trees and goals for their neighborhood.

Councilmember McDuffie, the Brookland Neighborhood Civic Association and Casey Trees have stood together in support of preserving the Brookland Green and its trees. Doing so helps the District achieve the goals embodied in Mayor Gray’s Sustainable DC Plan, which set a 40 percent tree canopy goal and aims to have parks and natural spaces within a ten-minute walk of all residents.

Through Casey Trees’ advocacy efforts, almost 300 letters of support to preserve the Green were collected and sent to WMATA’s Board of Directors and Mr. Stan Wall, WMATA’s Director of Real Estate/Station Planning.

Additionally, the Brookland Neighborhood Civic Association collected 374 petition signatures in support of preserving the Brookland Green.

These trees of the Brookland Green will live to see another day.

Photo credit: Brookland Bridge

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Overhead view of Brookland territory and the tree canopy being spared from development.

While this is great news for the Brookland community, it is important that the land swap does not ultimately end in tree canopy loss for another neighborhood.

Our advocacy team will closely monitor the pledge to preserve the Brookland Green and ensure that the proposed land swap sites are held to the same standards as the Brookland Green.

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Casey Trees believes this project can create a model for a sustainable, mixed-use and transit-oriented development - a development that can help us achieve a 40 percent tree canopy cover District-wide.

Take action for trees today and join our advocacy efforts.

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Education Touring the beauty of the Potomac GorgeNANCE FUNCTION

By Stephanie Juchs, Community

Education Coordinator, Casey Trees | When most people travel to Great Falls, Maryland, part of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, they immediately head for the scenic Great Falls overlook or gear up for a strenuous hike on a section of the Billy Goat trail that follows the Potomac’s edge. Few people get off the well-known routes in favor of trails on the other side of the tow path that meander through some of the oldest still-intact forests in Maryland, offering breathtaking vistas.

On a a recent blustery Sunday morning, several adventurers joined Carole Bergmann, Forest Ecologist for the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), and Casey Trees to explore this exceptional forest habitat.

This well-educated Tree Tour group is all The 528 acre “Gold Mine smiles.

Tract” is one of the largest contiguous piedmont forests in Maryland and was the first forest in the state to be inducted into the Old Growth Forest Network. While the forest is a an example of a still evolving Eastern Hardwood Old Growth Forest, the trees are some of the oldest and largest in the area and create a cathedrallike canopy dominated by towering tulip trees and large American beech.

While taking in the towering majestic trees, Carole started the tree tour with an overview of the Gold Mine area and how the forest has changed over time due to changing species composition and evolving land

Participants listen as Carole Bergmann explores details during the tour.

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April 2014 | theleaflet

use. The Gold Mine Tract and the surrounding trails get their name from the traces of gold mine ruins that were constructed following the Civil War. Following the closing of the mines, the popularity of the area demanded the addition of a trolley line in 1913 to transport individuals. While remnants of the trolley are now long gone, its history can be seen in the topography surrounding the trail.

While the Gold Mine Tract area is safeguarded for future enjoyment, it is not immune to human impacts, including the introduction of invasive species. While the tour focused on trees, Carole, who spends a great deal of her professional time on invasive removal, pointed out invasive species that are starting to take hold in the park, including garlic mustard and bush honeysuckle.

However, when compared with areas of Rock Creek Park and the MNCPPC parks in Montgomery County, the Gold Mine area is relatively pristine with, very few invasive species present.

As our group continued along the trail, Carole highlighted the identifying features of native white oak and the handiwork of a pileated woodpecker on a snag. On the ridge above the towpath, the group was gifted a stunning view of Great Falls and a wide swath of the Potomac Gorge. This viewpoint offered a stark comparison to the tree species found on the edge of the Potomac below, mostly American sycamore, with the upland species like Chestnut oak that surrounded our group.

Additional information about online, classroom and outdoor educational opportunities can be accessed on the website.

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Education Buds story time at the National Arboretum to debut May 31

By Lacey S. Brown, Family Programming Contributor | As a former Casey Trees staff member, I am thrilled to be partnering with Casey Trees for a second year to provide family programming to children and their parents and caregivers.

Buds story time dates:

BUDS

For the second year, I will be offering Tree Detectives, a series of family-focused tree tours styled as scavenger hunts where kids hunt for clues to identify different trees. Tree Detectives is aimed toward children ages 6 to 10.

New this year, Buds is tree-focused story time created to entertain and teach audiences of toddlers and preschoolers, 18 months to 5 years, and is hosted at the U.S. National Arboretum.

Each session of Buds will feature three to four tree and environment focused books interspersed with songs about trees, their parts and the animals who depend on them.

May 31, June 14, July 19, August 16, September 13, October 25, November 8, December 13

TREE DETECTIVES

Participants receive a “detective’s notebook” for each walk, which will be a take-away guide to the trees on the walk. These walks will take place on Saturday mornings in April to June and September through November.

In July and August, twilight walks will take place on weekday evenings to take advantage of the drop in temperature as the sun goes down.

Tree Detectives dates:

May 3: Lacey Woods Park Children will create a pair of “binoculars” during the craft portion of the story time and leave with a list of seasonally appropriate “scavenger hunt” items.

Following story time, children and families can use their “binoculars” to hunt for items from the list, like star shaped leaves and seeds with wings, as they explore the Arboretum on their own.

June 7: Lincoln Park July 9: Garfield Park August 13: Stoddert School in Northwest September 20: Azalea trail at the National Arboretu October 4: TBD November 8: TBD Find out more about Casey Trees’ youth educational programs online.

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ww

Thank you to everyone who has...

Planted Cared Pruned Advocated Donated Celebrate National Volunteer Week April 6-12 Save the Date: Spring Wrap Up Party May 17 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Details forthcoming theleaflet

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Events Tree tours and classes to see through the planting season April and May are full of classes, tree tours and planting events to participate in. Become a Casey Trees Member to receive exclusive benefits, such as advance registration to events like those below!

SUNDAY, APRIL 6 Tree Tour: Cherry Blossom Walk 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Location determined upon registration Join Washington Walks and Casey Trees for a walking tour recounting how Japanese cherry trees came to be planted in the District and the different varieties found in the area.

The walk will also include up-close looks at other notable trees along the National Mall.

Cost: $20 **In partnership with Washington Walks. Register for this event on the Washington Walks website.

All proceeds from the walk will be donated to Casey Trees.

TUESDAY, APRIL 8 Social: Branch Out Happy Hour 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Solly’s 1942 11th St NW It is National Volunteer Week and we want you to celebrate our volunteers with us and the Great Lakes Brewing Company at Solly’s for our monthly social happy hour!

Cost: Free **No registration required

SATURDAY, APRIL 12 Tree Tour: Frederick Douglass National Historic Site 9:00a.m. to 12:00p.m Frederick Douglass National Historic Site 1411 W Street SE Celebrate the District’s Emancipation Day a few days early with a tour of Frederick Douglass’ home and the surrounding grounds!

A morning tour of Cedar Hill, the former home of Frederick Douglass, will be followed by a tree tour led

by City of Trees author Melanie Choukas-Bradley.

Cost: Free, SOLD OUT

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23 Class: Non-Native Invasive Plant Removal 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Casey Trees Headquarters This course looks at non-native, invasive plants and how they threaten native landscapes.

Participants will learn how to identify and control invasives found in the D.C. area. The course consists of two parts on two different days: a 2.5 hour classroom session at the Casey Trees headquarters (April 23rd) followed by a 3 hour field session (April 26th) in Rock Creek Park.

SATURDAY, APRIL 26 Class: Non-Native Invasive Plant Removal Field Session 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Rock Creek Park Field session for “Non-Native Invasive Plant Removal” class. The course consists of two parts on two different days: a 2.5 hour classroom session at the Casey Trees headquarters (April 23rd) followed by a 3 hour field session (April 26th) in Rock Creek Park.

Cost: Free, SOLD OUT

SATURDAY, MAY 3 Family Program: Tree Detectives at Lacey Woods Park 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Lacey Woods Park 1200 N. George Mason Drive Arlington, VA Bring the whole family to Tree Detectives, a family-focused tree tour where you’ll hunt for clues including leaves, flowers and fruit to help identify different trees.

Cost: Free

Cost: $20, SOLD OUT

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Volunteer

WEDNESDAY, MAY 14 Tree Tour: Riparian Forests Paddling Outing 5:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Kenilworth Park Deane Avenue NE Join Casey Trees and Anacostia Watershed Society for a paddle night on the Anacostia River while learning about the ecology of the surrounding wetlands and forests

Volunteer opportunities are in blue. Citizen Forester-only plantings or trainings are in green.

Schools and special planting events are not open to outside volunteers. Advance registration for volunteer events is required and many events have already filled up.

APRIL

Cost: Free

**Early access to this event is only available to current Casey Trees Members. Receive benefits like advanced registration, invitations to special events, and discounted tickets by becoming a member today!

SATURDAY, MAY 31 Family Program: Buds Story Time at the U.S. National Arboretum 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

U.S. National Arboretum 24th Street Northeast & R Street NE Join us for our new family program, Buds, a tree-focused story time aimed toward an audience of toddlers and preschoolers.

DATE

DAY

TIME

LOCATION/GROUP

Thursday Saturday Saturday Thursday Friday Saturday Saturday Saturday Friday Tuesday Saturday

9:00 a.m.

9:00 a.m.

9:00 a.m.

10:00 a.m.

10:00 a.m.

9:00 a.m.

9:00 a.m.

9:00 a.m.

9:00 a.m.

9:00 a.m.

9:00 a.m.

Garrison Elementary School St. Joseph’s Seminary Shepherd Park Robert Goddard Montessori School (Md.) Armed Forces Retirement Home Quincy Street Neighbors Edgewood Neighborhood Fair Haven Community Center (Va.) Knox Terrace Imagine Hope - Lamond PCS Langdon Park

3 5 5 10 11 12 12 19 19 22 26

MAY

3 3

Saturday Saturday

9:00 a.m.

9:00 a.m.

Lansburgh Park Rosedale Conservancy

Cost: Free

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Arbor Kids

I Spy: Spring Forest Floor Spring rains and fading snowmelts give way to the vibrancy of an emering spring forest. Just look down —spot all the tree pieces and leaves below!

Magnolia Leaf American Holly leaves

Tulip Poplar Seeds

Snowdrop flowers

Dried Redbud leaf Beach leaf How many other types of dried leaves can you find?

Fern 16

Piece of tree bark April 2014 | theleaflet