The Leaflet — June 2011

Casey Trees News

leaflet

the

June 2011

In this issue...

2 Casey Trees Materials Now Online

Citizen Forester spotlight: Suzanne Theberge.

3 Community Tree Planting Recap

Spring season was full of records.

4 Casey Trees’ Tree Report Card 5 Wisconsin Avenue Development

How will it affect the area’s tree canopy?

6 High School Summer Crew

Hundreds applied, only 10 were chosen.

8 3030 Rain Garden Installation

Hundreds of plants added to enhance treescape.

9 Programs & Classes 10 Kids Corner

Helpful tips to keep trees healthy in summer

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ast month we kicked off our annual 25 to Stay Alive watering campaign.

Each week until September, Casey Trees will post alerts on our website’s main page and on Facebook and Twitter. Though we have had some hot, humid weather already, the official first day of summer is not until June 21.

On that day, Casey Trees will release its Summer Almanac. While June 21 is still a few weeks away, you can start prepping your trees by following these steps: •

•

Practice 25 to Stay Alive. Trees, especially those that have been in the ground less than three years, need 25 gallons of water (around 1.5 inches of rainfall) per week in the spring, summer and fall to survive and thrive.

Weed. Remove summer grasses from around the trunk.

•

•

•

Check Trunk Guards. Weed whackers and lawn mowers can cause severe damage to a tree’s circulation system. Add tree guards to the base of the tree if landscaping equipment is used around the tree. Check installed tree guards to make sure they are installed properly.

Check Arbor Ties. Your tree started growing in height and girth in the spring and will continue to do so this summer. If your tree is still anchored by stakes and arbor ties, check the ties. Remove them if they are too tight or girdling the tree trunk. Anticipate your tree will put on some new girth.

Mulch. Mulching helps keep the soil moist and controls weeds. If you did not mulch in spring, now would be a good time. Apply using the “3-3-3 Rule” — three inches of mulch in a three-foot ring with a three-inch space around the tree trunk to prevent decay.

Fall CTP Deadline June 15 is the last day for your neighborhood association, place of worship, local park, school campus or housing complex to apply for a spot on the fall 2011 Community Tree Planting (CTP) program schedule (Oct.-Dec.).

Visit our CTP page for requirements and the application. They can be sent by fax, mail or email.

June Weather Forecast To help you get an idea of the kind of weather you may encounter this month, Casey Trees took a look at The Old Farmer’s Almanac’s 2011 long-range forecast for the D.C. area. June is expected have slightly below-average precipitation, so make sure you practice 25 to Stay Alive and water your trees as needed. As for temperatures, the average high for the month is 85 degrees.

Citizen Forester Spotlight

Print materials now available online

L

ast month, Casey Trees unveiled a new designs for its blog, Tree Speak. This month, Casey Trees debuted its new brochures and posted new press materials on its website.

BROCHURES New program brochures for an introduction to Casey Trees, volunteer and donation opportunities, and the American Elm Restoration and High School Summer Crew programs are now available for download on the Casey Trees website. Download them for your personal use and to share with friends and potentially interested groups.

Our guides for the Community Tree Planting and RiverSmart Homes programs have also been redesigned and are available for download on the Tree Planting page.

MEDIA KITS The media kit page in Casey Trees’ online newsroom has been updated as well. Electronic versions of print materials — photos, media coverage, press releases and program guides — are now individually available in a categorized format and can also be downloaded as one large file.

Theberge's love of trees is permanent

J

ust before moving to the District, Lead Citizen Forester Suzanne Theberge came across Casey Trees while reading local blogs for information on the city.

“It sounded like fun,” she said. “It was a chance to get to know the city and meet some new, interesting people.”

Theberge signed up for a Citizen Forester (CF) training course during her first spring in D.C. She grew up in a rural area and despite being in the District for a short time, found herself missing her former connection to the outdoors.

Planting trees presented her an opportunity to have a small piece of that feeling again in a new city, she said.

Like many Washingtonians, Theberge spends most of her work day at a desk and on a computer, so “it’s really satisfying to go to a planting, spend time outside, and have something concrete to show your efforts immediately afterwards.”

“I love that at the end of a planting there’s a tree — or two or six — that I helped put in the ground,” she said.

“It’s making D.C. a nicer place to live.”

Since her first Community Tree Planting event at Oxon Run in March 2010, Theberge has participated in more than 15 plantings. She looks forward to more, especially in corners of the District she has yet to explore. She said the Casey Trees community is another rewarding aspect of being a CF, having only the best to say of other CFs, volunteers and the Casey Trees staff.

“I always have interesting conversations at plantings and have gotten a chance to meet people I otherwise would not have met,” she said.

Theberge’s love of trees is quite profound, and one could say it’s a bit more than “skin deep.” She and her brother actually share matching tattoos of a crab apple tree branch.

Now that’s a love of trees!

June 9

Certified Arborists:

Why you want one & Where to find one Do your trees — or your questions — need tending to? This month’s episode of Tree Talk Thursdays, Casey Trees’ online chat forum, will feature Todd Nedorostek, president of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter, International Society Arboriculture.

Time: 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m.

Pre-register and receive a reminder for the session. Email questions in advance to treedc@caseytrees.org or submit them during the chat session.

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June 2011 | theleaflet

The Fruits of Spring Casey Trees added a record 749 trees to the District’s canopy during the spring 2011 Community Tree Planting season.

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asey Trees staff and nearly 1,900 adult and youth volunteers planted 749 trees this spring at 43 Community Tree Planting (CTP) events, all records for a single planting season.

The season featured 21 school plantings, another Casey Trees record. The National Cherry Blossom Festival sponsored 37 cherry trees at eight sites, one in each Ward.

Casey Trees planted 55 cherry trees in total this season. The other most-planted species were sweetgum (54), black gum (46), river birch (46), serviceberry (44) and swamp white oak (42).

Other highlights of the season include groves of fruit trees planted at THEARC, The Farm at Walker Jones and along the Metropolitan Branch Trail; the WoodlandNormanstone neighborhood celebrating its centennial with its 100th tree planted; and the Tudor Place Foundation planting sponsored by the Nussbaum Family in celebration of the birth of their daughter, Sophia. Overall, adult theleaflet | June 2011

volunteers donated more than 3,900 hours of service, valued at $128,963 or $32.74 per hour, according to The Association of Charitable Organizations and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

All newly planted trees — and those from past seasons — can be found on the interactive online Casey Trees Map. Individuals can search the map by tree species, event name or planting location.

Since the CTP program was established in 2005, Casey Trees staff and volunteers have planted more than 4,000 trees across D.C. Applications for the fall 2011 CTP schedule, which runs from October to December, will be accepted until June 15.

Plantings by Ward

Each tree represents a planting site from the spring season.

Ward 1: Ward 2: Ward 3: Ward 4:

2 4 4 6

Total:

43

Ward 5: Ward 6: Ward 7: Ward 8:

8 8 4 7

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Casey Trees’ Third Annual

TREE REPORT CARD

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The only independent evaluation of the District’s trees.

Overall Grade

4

for

2010

Tree Metrics Awareness......... A+

A measure of the general level of participation in, and knowledge of, tree-related issues.

Coverage........... B+

A measure of how much tree canopy cover there is within the 69 miles of land that make up D.C.

Health. ............. B-

A measure of the percentage of the total population of trees in Excellent or Good condition.

Planting............ A+

A measure of how many trees are planted each year.

Protection......... F

A measure of the effectiveness of the Urban Forest Preservation Act of 2002.

June 2011 | theleaflet

A GIANT IMPACT

Cathedral Commons development project will remove 17 mature street trees

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fter five years of planning, construction for a large mixed-use project on Wisconsin Avenue is set to begin at the end of summer 2011. The project, named Cathedral Commons, will include a new 56,000-square-foot Giant supermarket, 150 new condo apartments and more than 500 parking spaces in the triangular area between Wisconsin Avenue, Idaho Avenue and Macomb Street NW. Through an internal development tracking tool, Casey Trees’ Planning & Design (P+D) department has been monitoring projects such as Cathedral Commons to ensure that District development projects do not come at the expense of the urban forest. Using the tracker, the P+D team has compiled data from developers and community meetings and assessed the effects each development will have on the area’s tree canopy.

To help regulate the expected increase of traffic at Cathedral Commons, the District Department

theleaflet | June 2011

Tree Benefits at Cathedral Commons Development INITIAL BENEFITS IMPACT

FUTURE CANOPY IMPACT

The site’s average oak tree provides stormwater runoff reduction, air quality improvement and other benefits, adding up to a monetary value.

The percentage of tree canopy will increase by more than 5% if all new trees remain healthy as they mature.

CURRENT

AFTER REMOVAL

CURRENT

IN 25-50 YEARS

$88

$11-16

18.4%

23.95%

REDUCES CO2 BY 735 LBS./YR.

REDUCES CO2 BY 196-241 LBS./YR.

of Transportation (DDOT) plans to widen Idaho Avenue NW by two feet. At least 17 street trees in good or excellent condition will be removed during the process. Among the trees approved for removal are four special trees — trees with a circumference of at least 55 inches.

The Urban Forest Preservation Act (UFPA) of 2002 requires that anyone planning to remove a special tree must pay $35 per circumference inch or plant enough new trees to replace the total number of circumference inches lost. Developers have agreed to pay the $35 fee for every circumference inch

Source: Casey Trees’ Tree Benefits Calculator

in addition to planting 50 new trees.

Many of the trees approved for removal are oak trees located along Newark Street NW, which bisects the development area. All street trees in the area can be found on the Casey Trees DC Street Tree Map. Giant plans to compensate for the removed trees with 50 new shade trees with a diameter at breast height (DBH) of eight inches. Most of the new trees will be swamp white oak, willow oak or zelkova trees and will be planted both on site and as street trees.

The Cathedral Commons development’s tree compensation plan must be executed to ensure that the area’s overall tree canopy does not suffer from the project.

Help ensure the replacement trees are planted at Cathedral Commons and attend one of ANC 3C’s public meetings to stand up for trees.

Meetings are held the third Monday of every month at 7:30 p.m. at the Second District Police Station, located at 3320 Idaho Avenue NW. 5

h g i H ’ s e e r T y e Cas

School

Participants in the May 21 field day tryout were evaluated on their performance in a variety of tasks that would be assigned to them as Summer Crew members.

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June 2011 | theleaflet

CREW

Washington, D.C.-area students compete to make the cut for Casey Trees’ 2011 High School Summer Crew.

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n Saturday, May 21, D.C.-area high school students participated in a field day tryout at Turkey Thicket Park in Brookland to become one of ten High School Summer Crew members.

More than 100 students from the Washington Metro area applied this year for the 10 available spots. Fifty were interviewed and 37 of those were invited to the tryout.

The field day tryout consisted of four events designed to simulate tasks they will be required to perform on the job as Summer Crew members.

You can find photos from the event on Casey Trees’ Flickr account.

While performance at the field day tryouts played a decisive role in the selection of crew members, students were evaluated on their previous employment, volunteer experience and a personal essay helped determine which applicants were best suited to care for D.C.’s trees.

General responsibilities of the Summer Crew will include mulching, weeding, tracking tree conditions, and watering trees across the city. theleaflet | June 2011

When crew members reach tree care goals. They will earn a career development day, which allows Summer Crew members to take a break from caring for D.C.’s trees to participate in some “green” career development activities. Throughout the eight-week program, there are plans for four Career Development Days: American elm planting, tree inventories with GIS, treescape design and tree climbing.

Summer Crew members will work June 20 to August 12, Monday through Friday, travelling to all eight Wards in D.C. to water and care for trees planted in the last three years.

Four crew members will travel by bike with two crew chiefs as part of the Water By-Cycle program. Two bike crews will ride to high-traffic, hard-toreach areas and tap into fire hydrants to water the site’s trees.

Each crew member will post entries and photos to the Casey Trees blog, Tree Speak, highlighting their tree care activities. Photos from the season will be added to Flickr and weekly Water By-Cycle routes will be posted online.

Casey Trees’ 2011 Summer Crew members are: •

Claire Carter (Md., Bethesda Chevy Chase High School)

•

Zana Holden-Gatling (D.C., Washington Latin PCS)

•

Mitchell Holmes (D.C., McKinley Technology High School)

•

Leviticus March (D.C., Cesar Chavez DCPCS-Capitol Hill Campus)

•

Grace Pooley (Md., Elizabeth Seton High School)

•

Amina Shannon (D.C., Cardozo Senior High School)

•

Na’Quesha Taylor (D.C., Theodore Roosevelt Senior High School)

•

Ann Trafford (D.C., School Without Walls)

•

Sarah Turner (D.C., St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School in Va.)

•

Zakara Wardlow (D.C., Massanutten Military Academy in Va.) 7

WAT E R C O L L E C TO R C

asey Trees recently completed a large bioretention garden that encompasses the main entryway of our new headquarters. There are numerous large-canopy trees, including a Jefferson American elm, a blackgum, a bald cypress. Other trees include river birch, pawpaw and persimmon. The 1,700-squarefoot bioretention area can capture up to five inches of rain in a storm, managing water from our parking lot and from our vegetated and cool roofs. Some of this water is collected in a 1,500-gallon cistern that allows us to reuse water for irrigation. The garden also has many understory plants and ground cover, adding seasonal interest, helping to stabilize the slope and mitigating stormwater runoff from the impervious surfaces on our site.

To reach the main door of the Casey Trees office, you pass along a curved, sloped walkway suspended over the main garden. In time these young trees will become tall shade trees that will help absorb runoff water and shade the building.

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June 2011 | theleaflet

Summer Programs and classes Visit Casey Trees' Calendar of Events webpage to sign up for the following events. All classes and workshops are free unless noted. Advance registration is required for all events; space is limited.

ALL CLASSES ARE

FREE

Have questions? Email Urban Forestry Instructor Shawn Walker or call him at 202.828.4132.

Classes Casey Trees will offer five classes this summer. Three of them qualify attendees to become a Citizen Forester.

CSI for Bugs

Trees 101

*Trees 201: ID and Selection

Learn how to analyze the signs and symptoms of tree damage caused by insects that have since disappeared. Use your new skills in a group field activity.

This course provides a foundation in tree anatomy, identification and benefits, culminating with a street tree identification walk.

Get to know the year-round characteristics of the District’s trees. What are its limitations or tolerances in urban conditions and societal contexts? Classroom and field sessions will be combined.

Stand Up For Trees

Casey Trees Staff Date and Location TBD Citizen Forester Qualifying Course

Michael J. Raupp, University of Maryland at College Park Wed., June 15, 6:30 p.m.-9:00 p.m.

Fort Dupont Activity Center Fort Dupont Dr. SE

Casey Trees Staff Sat., July 30, 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Casey Trees Headquarters 3030 12th St. NE Citizen Forester Qualifying Course

Learn what advocacy tools are available through the District’s municipal services, hear success stories and receive advice from community leaders.

Casey Trees Staff Sat., June 25, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Casey Trees Headquarters 3030 12th St. NE Citizen Forester Qualifying Course

Tree Planting

Learn how to select and prepare a tree planting site, choose appropriate species and properly plant a tree to ensure its survival.

A field component follows.

Pruning Events Attention Citizen Foresters! Develop your pruning skills and put them to good use at one of the pruning events listed below. Attend 3 out of 4 events and receive a free set of pruners!

NOTE: This event is for Citizen Foresters only and online registration is not available. If interested, email Shawn Walker or call at 202.828.4132.

Murch Elementary School

Simon Elementary School

Casey Trees Staff Sat., June 11, 8:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

3600 block of Ellicott St. NW Meet by playground

Casey Trees Staff Sat., July 9, 8:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Wayne Pl. & 4th St. SE Meet at ball field

Lafayette Elementary School

Massachusetts Avenue Memorial Garden

Casey Trees Staff Sat., Aug. 20, 8:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Patterson St. & 33rd St. NW Meet at ball field

theleaflet | June 2011

Casey Trees Staff Sat., Sept. 17, 8:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Fulton St. & 35th St. NW Meet at park by the intersection

Casey Trees Staff Sat., July 16, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Casey Trees Headquarters 3030 12th St. NE

Tree Walks National Mall Bike Tour

Melanie Choukas-Bradley Sat., June 4, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

50 Massachusetts Ave. NE

Ride along the National Mall and admire its diverse tree specimens.

The tour ends with a look at the impressive collection on the Capitol Grounds. Bikes are not provided.

Tudor Place

Suzanne Bouchard, Director of Gardens and Grounds, Tudor Place Sat., July 23, 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.

1644 31st St. NW

Tour the historic Tudor Place grounds, which include a 135-year-old pecan tree, two 18th-century white oaks and a tulip poplar designated The Millennium Tree. *NOTE: Trees 201 is more suited for current Citizen Foresters, CTP Project Organizers and others interested in tree ID. There will be a prepatory assignment. Registration will close on July 12.

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Kids Corner What kind of benefits do trees provide? Follow the scavenger hunt below to find out. Visit the Casey Trees Arbor Kids page for more downloadable activities.

Be an adventurer at home and in your neighborhood.

Challenge yourself and your friends to find all the listed items in the shortest amount of time.

fits 1

2 3

er

A tree with leaves Trees use their leaves for photosynthesis, the process by which the tree makes its own food.

Through photosynthesis, trees give off oxygen we can breathe. Trees take in carbon dioxide and other gases, clean our air and reduce greenhouse gases.

The biggest tree on your street or at

your local park

Trees with large canopies like maple or oak provide the most shade, cooling sidewalks, pavement, houses, parks, benches and of course, people!

Something living in a tree Animals such as small mammals, reptiles, birds and insects use trees for shelter, food and protection from predators.

4 5 6 7 8

Something in your house that came from a tree Many products we use come from different parts of trees: the bark, the sap, the leaves and the fruits.

A tree shading a building Buildings shaded by trees remain cooler inside and require less energy to run amenities such as air conditioning.

A tree that creates a screen Trees can provide privacy between houses and yards and from the street.

A tree near a storm drain Trees capture water during rain storms and help filter it into the soil, replenishing the groundwater. This process diverts pollution from the streets and sidewalks from flowing into storm drains and ultimately rivers.

The house on your street with the most trees Now that you know all the benefits trees provide, find the house on your block with the most trees.

scavenger hunt 10

June 2011 | theleaflet