The Leaflet — November 2012

leaflet

the

November 2012

Fall Frenzy

How is Casey Trees gearing up for a fast fall finish — and winter’s imminent arrival?

Casey Trees News in Brief

Casey Trees Fall Fête gives donors the chance to mingle, celebrate On Oct. 18, more than one hundred Casey Trees friends and donors came out in force to the Fall Fête at the Hillyer Art Space in Dupont Circle. The evening brought out some of our most dedicated donors and friends who were treated to the inspiring artwork from the St. John’s Community Services, a community-based nonprofit that supports children and adults with intellectual, developmental and physical disabilities.

Executive Director Mark Buscaino and Board President Eric Price provided remarks while guests feasted on delicious food and drank local brews from a Casey Trees favorite — DC Brau.

And while tickets to the limited-space event were $50 a person, donors were offered two complimentary tickets, part of Casey Trees’ new donor benefits program.

If you would like to support Casey Trees’ work and be invited to special events such as the Fall Fête, consider becoming a donor this fall. Donations can be made online, mailed or over the phone.

Casey Trees News Casey Trees’ New Hires | Emily Oaksford started as the new Planning Associate for the Casey Trees’ Planning & Design Department. She received her masters in city planning and urban design at the University of Pennsylvania and her undergraduate degree at the University of Florida.

She returns to the east coast from Santa Fe, N.M., where she worked on regional public parks, trails and school landscape projects. Emily is an avid gardener, hiker and biker. She is excited to be working with local agencies and communities to protect and enhance tree cover in the District.

Karin Hong recently started as Business Associate. She received her bachelors in business administration at Georgia State University and is a new transplant to the D.C. area after living in Atlanta for 15 years and growing up in Massachusetts. Karin enjoys Bikram hot yoga, hiking and cooking vegan food. She is excited to be working at Casey Trees and looks forward

2

to helping manage the day-to-day business operations.

National Philanthropy Day | Nov. 15 is National Philanthropy Day, a country-wide celebration highlighting the importance of the generosity of people like you who make it possible for organizations like Casey Trees to continue constantly working for a stronger community and a healthier planet for everyone. So please consider making your own philanthropic contribution in support of Casey Trees’ work and canopy restoration efforts.

Casey Trees to participate in firstever #Givingtuesday campaign | Mark your calendars. On Nov. 27, Casey Trees will be taking part in #GivingTuesday™ — a campaign to create a national day of giving at the start of the annual holiday season. Celebrate Casey Trees’ work and make a charitable donation on #GivingTuesday™ this year.

November 2012 | theleaflet

Urban Forestry News Urban Forestry Administration kicks off largest tree planting season on record | Last month, D.C.’s Urban Forestry Administration (UFA) planted the first of 6,400 trees, the largest single season planting effort UFA has undertaken. Plantings will take place through the fall and winter and into late spring 2013. The agency is providing proposed locations — largely chosen based on resident requests made last year, tree species and neighborhood planting schedules online.

new research forecasts growing urban population, opportunity for greener cities | Results from a study by the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity suggest the world’s urban population is expected to rise from a little more than 3.5 billion today to 4.9 billion by 2030. At the same time, the area to be covered by cities will expand by 150 percent. The findings present an opportunity to implement more greening efforts — especially urban reforestation initiatives — in cities. Washington, D.C. is among the leader in promoting sustainability and green practices, recently unveiling Mayor Vincent Gray’s Vision for a Sustainable DC, included within is an urban tree canopy goal of 40 percent.

In this issue...

From the Desk: Tree Canopy Symposium Next Steps................................................................ 4 Spotlight: Green Advocates Gwen Coats and steve saari..................................................... 5 Giving: TD Tree Day Recap...................................................................................................................... 6 Casey Trees unveils new tree species library........................................................................... 7 Resources abound for residents with storm-related tree damage.............................. 8 Fallen Tree Leaves are good for property owners................................................................. 9 Casey Tree Farm Staff Harvest 300 Trees for D.C. Planting Programs................... 10-11 Citizen Foresters encouraged to celebrate with casey trees........................................ 12 Fall 2012 Community Tree PLanting schedule........................................................................... 13 Upcoming Casey Trees events.......................................................................................................... 14 Regional Tree Canopy Imagery shows promise........................................................................ 16 Arbor Kids: Kaleidoscope of Autumn Leaves............................................................................. 17

theleaflet | November 2012

3

From the Desk Tree Canopy Symposium: A constituency for change I hope you were able to join Casey Trees last month at the Tree Canopy Symposium, attended by more than 200 people representing federal and state government, nonprofits, community groups, businesses, industry professionals and concerned citizens. Special remarks provided by D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray and former D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams were inspirational, touching upon their personal connection to trees and why they are so important to the nation’s capital.

Mark Buscaino

One of the highlights of the day was Dr. Executive Director William Sullivan’s presentation showing how trees and green spaces reduce stress levels and encourage community interconnectedness. For me, Dr. Sullivan’s ground-breaking studies affirm, with hard data, what we have for years understood to be true by observation: trees and greenery pull people outdoors and encourage greater community interaction, with the added benefit of lowering crime because more eyes are on the street.

On a more sobering note, the refined analysis of D.C.’s tree canopy conducted by the University of Vermont’s Spatial Analysis Lab and the U.S. Forest Service documenting its decline from 2006 to 2011 by two percentage points was discouraging.

Casey Trees’ own analysis of select areas of the 1950s showing an even more precipitous tree

4

canopy decline was likewise concerning. Despite these setbacks, I took some comfort when Mayor Gray emphasized his administration’s Sustainability Vision Plan and its goal of increasing D.C.’s overall tree canopy from the current 36 percent to 40 percent by the year 2032. We look to Mayor Gray’s leadership to ensure that the canopy goal becomes an integral part of DC’s policies and codes in the coming years.

Casey Trees wrapped up the Tree Canopy Symposium by asking participants if they would like to explore potential regional cooperation efforts to learn from each other’s work and possibly attract more funding and resources to each organization’s efforts. More than 80 percent of the respondents answered yes, and Casey Trees has therefore begun planning for that effort.

Once again thank you to everyone who was able to join us — and stay tuned for next steps.

Regards,

Mark Buscaino Executive Director

November 2012 | theleaflet

Spotlight Tree-loving couple works to make D.C. a greener place The District’s trees captivated Citizen Forester Gwen Coat when she moved to D.C. nine years ago.

Since then, Coat has helped enhance the city’s tree canopy through volunteering.

“I truly feel a connection with the city and its environment,” she said. “We are lucky to live in such a beautiful city, with so many trees.”

Steve Saari, Coat’s husband and a District Department of the Environment (DDOE) employee, has a full-time job of making D.C. a more sustainable place to live and work.

“I think we both do this work professionally and for fun because it is what we love,” Saari said. “We get so much satisfaction knowing that what we do helps make the city a better place. It is wonderful to go around the city and point to trees that we’ve helped plant and stormwater projects that I’ve helped install.”

The couple enjoys discussing the benefits of green infrastructure with their friends and colleagues, especially the role trees play in stormwater runoff mitigation — something of particular interest to Saari, who is Watershed Protection Specialist at DDOE.

theleaflet | November 2012

“Planting trees features strongly in DDOE efforts because trees help the city achieve many of its environmental goals including,” he said, noting benefits such as rainwater capture, cooling shade, carbon sequestration and improved quality of health.

Coat, who grew up in France and worked on her uncle and aunt’s farm as a child, likens tree plantings with the tasks she performed while in the fields.

“Getting my hands dirty with Casey Trees reminds me of where I come from,” she said.

“Even if I am displaced from where I grew up, I still feel like I belong to a community while volunteering with Casey trees.”

Caring for the trees they help plant offers Coat and Saari an opportunity to connect with each other.

“Gwen and I get to spend quiet time together in a park as we water,” Saari said, “which is something we don’t do enough, so it is nice to have the excuse of caring for our trees.”

Find out more about ways you can get involved through Casey Trees’ Citizen Forester volunteer program.

5

Giving Casey Trees, TD Bank and ACTrees team up for TD Tree Days What started out as a cloudy morning turned into a gorgeous day for volunteers from TD Bank, Alliance for Community Trees (ACTrees) and Casey Trees last week. On Wednesday, Oct. 24 the three groups came together for an incredible event — part of the national TD Tree Days — adding 36 trees to Takoma Recreation Center in Ward 4.

Casey Trees was one of seven organizations on the East Coast that was selected to take part in a TD Tree Days event, a cooperative effort to plant trees in communities in need. From Maine to Florida, TD Bank and ACTrees partnered with various community organizations for TD Tree Days events during ACTrees’ National NeighborWoods Month™, an annual celebration of trees observed every October.

One of the final stops along the way, the Takoma Recreation Center event marked the culmination of several years of work by Casey Trees and community members in D.C.’s Takoma neighborhood. With the help of dozens of TD Bank volunteers, Casey Trees was able to help transform a previously neglected space into a welcoming destination for community activities.

Everyone at Casey Trees thanks TD Bank and ACTrees for their incredible support for this project that will continue to benefit the Takoma community here in D.C. for generations to come!

Donations are accepted securely online or via mail. Make your donation today.

6

November 2012 | theleaflet

Tree Planting New tree species webpage features diverse list of native species Through its two major planting initiatives, the Community Tree Planting and RiverSmart Homes Shade Tree programs, Casey Trees plants a variety of tree species.

The recently published tree species library helps interested individuals research and learn about these trees.

“This resource will help constituents become more familiar with the species that thrive in D.C.’s urban forest,” said Jim Woodworth, Casey Trees’ Director of Tree Planting. “More importantly, property owners can use the tool to identify the trees that are best for their plantable spaces.”

Each tree species entry has photos, identification details, history, desired planting condition, and other data.

You can browse by tree type — shade, ornamental or fruit — or use the site’s search feature to find a particular tree.

The tree species library is especially helpful for District residents interested in adding trees to their private property through the Tree Rebate program. Certain species — mainly oaks and hickories — are eligible for rebates of up to $100 per tree.

Species selection is not the only factor in ensuring a healthy, structurally sound tree on your property.

theleaflet | November 2012

Casey Trees encourages residents to practice the Right Tree, Right Space philosophy, considering growing space above and below ground.

Casey Trees offers a collection of print and video tutorials on how to plant and care for trees.

7

Tree Care Casey Trees offers D.C.-area residents tips for post-storm tree damage Following significant damage to the D.C. metro area’s tree canopy by high winds associated with Hurricane Sandy, Casey Trees encourages residents and business owners to: • Report damaged or fallen street trees in D.C. by calling 311, submitting requests online or using the iPhone or Android smartphone applications.

• Contact a certified arborist to assess damaged trees on private property. Trees should be inspected for structural stability, infection and/or restoration pruning needs.

Major storms such as Sandy can have a direct impact on the District’s tree canopy goal of 40 percent. To offset the loss of trees from storms, Casey Trees suggests property owners to plant replacement trees.

District residents can take advantage of Casey Trees’ residential tree planting programs. Planting costs can be offset through the Tree Rebate — good for up to $100 per tree — and/or RiverSmart Homes Shade Tree programs.

8

Casey Trees also offers tree planting and care resources including an extensive tree species library, step-by-step print and video planting tutorials and tree weatherization instructions online.

Check out page 7 for more coverage of Casey Trees’ latest resource, the tree species library.

November 2012 | theleaflet

Fallen tree leaves have many uses All good things come to an end. That could be said for the tens of millions of red, orange, gold and purple tree leaves that fall every autumn in D.C. Collecting fallen leaves helps mitigate potential storm drain clogging and parking issues, and can also offer some much needed organic material for your lawn.

Of particular interest to property owners with trees, fallen leaves can be used as straight mulch to go around trees. You can use a leaf shredder, incorporate leaves with wood mulch or simply create a 3-3-3 berm of raked-up leaves. Mulch is a great way addition to any tree winterization regimen, and fallen leaves will provide a lot of nutrients throughout the winter.

Additionally, residents can save large bags of fallen leaves and use them as brown addition to compost bins throughout the year.

For the creative types, the bounty of color from the District’s urban forest can be parlayed into fun and fascinating craft projects: • You can use dried leaves as fire starters. Bundle dry leaves and/or pine cones and tie with twine.

• Preserve autumn leaves using a variety of techniques from wax paper pressing to glycerin.

theleaflet | November 2012

• Check out page 17 for a fun, kid-friendly activity with fallen leaves.

Visit Casey Trees online to find more information on how to select, plant and care for trees.

City to Collect leaves this fall If you have covered all your bases with leaves and still have leftovers, do not worry. D.C.’s Department of Public Works (DPW) picks up leaves every year and sends them away for composting — last year, DPW composted nearly 6,000 tons of leaves!

Starting Nov. 5, crews will begin collecting leaves from tree boxes in front of residences and businesses. Citizens are advised to rake leaves into the tree boxes — or adjacent to the curb if you do not have a tree box, being mindful of not getting leaves in the gutter — the weekend before their scheduled pick-up. Individuals can bag leaves or simply rake them into the designated area.

9

Casey Tree Farm Casey Tree Farm harvests first trees for fall planting This fall marked the first time trees from Casey Tree Farm were harvested to be planted in the D.C. area through Casey Trees’ many tree planting programs. Roughly 250 trees from the six-acre nursery were dug, balled and burlapped and delivered to the tree yard at Casey Trees’ Brookland headquarters.

Keep checking The Leaflet and Casey Trees blog Tree Speak for information on activities at Casey Tree Farm.

Casey Tree Farm Horticulturalist Seth Fillmore first used a 28-inch tree spade to dig a root ball. While the root ball was suspended, Casey Tree Farm staff cut excess roots, then the tree was placed in a wire basket lined with burlap.

10

November 2012 | theleaflet

Casey Tree Farm General Manager Brian Mayell puts the finishing touches on the root ball of a harvested tree. A finished balled and burlapped tree consists of burlap, a wire cage to keep soil and roots intact, and twine and stapling to hold everything together.

After all the trees were balled and burlapped, Casey Tree Farm staff loaded them onto the trailer and headed to D.C. In total, more than 20 species will be delivered to the Casey Trees tree yard.

theleaflet | November 2012

11

Citizen Forester Update The latest Citizen Forester news

Citizen Forester Happy Hours Branch Out, Casey Trees’ monthly Citizen Forester (CF) happy hour, has been a big success over the past few months — more than 50 people showed up to October’s event, co-hosted by The Nature Conservancy, at Café Saint-Ex.

12

Citizen Foresters needed

This month’s Branch Out will be co-hosted by the Sierra Club on Nov. 13 at Molly Malone’s, located at 713 8th Street SE in Barracks Row. Join other CFs and eco-conscious individuals from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Check in on Foursquare and get an additional dollar off the happy hour special!

Casey Trees is looking for available CFs to sign up for the CTP event on Nov 16 at Fort Myer. Casey Trees’ first official planting in Virginia starts at 9:00 a.m. and was featured in last month’s Leaflet. Also, do not forget...

Become a Citizen Planter

End-of-year Celebration

Attention participants of the Oct. 6 Tree Planting Workshop at the National Zoo. Those interested in becoming Citizen Planters — CFs who lead planting teams during Community Tree Planting (CTP) events — need to complete two additional tree plantings in the same season to qualify. Register as a regular volunteer for one of the remaining events to the right. If an event is full, contact Volunteer Coordinator Liz Ball by email or at 202.349.1907 to get a spot.

Casey Trees’ CF End-of-year Celebration will be from 12:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 8 at Kangaroo Boxing Club at 3410 11th Street NW in Columbia Heights. One guest per CF is welcome to the appreciation lunch. Check your inbox for a recent invite or look out for a reminder with a special link going out on Nov. 19. Come celebrate another successful — and fun — CTP season!

November 2012 | theleaflet

Volunteer Registration open for fall 2012 Community Tree Planting events Are you still looking to volunteer this fall? Registration is still open for upcoming plantings. 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. Advanced registration is required.

November Date

Day

Time

Location/Group

Saturday Friday Saturday

9:00 a.m.

9:00 a.m.

9:00 a.m.

McLean Gardens Fort Myer Crestwood Citizens Association

Saturday Saturday

9:00 a.m.

9:00 a.m.

St. Paul’s Parish at Rock Creek Cemetery Wangari Gardens

10 16 17

December

1 8

sponsors

Collegiate PCS, Sept. 29

Metropolitan Branch Trail, Oct. 20

Friends of Takoma Park Recreation Center, Oct. 24

ÂŽ

Friends of Dakota Park, Oct. 27

theleaflet | November 2012

All sites in pink, will receive cherry trees sponsored by NCBF.

13

Events Upcoming events showcase In November and December, Casey Trees and guest experts will discuss trees and their healing properties and the role trees play in holidays from around the globe. For most offerings, advanced registration is required; space is limited.

Thursday, November 15 Class: Medicinal Trees

Class: Trees and Storms

6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Casey Trees Headquarters 3030 12th Street NE

6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Casey Trees Headquarters 3030 12th Street NE

Learn from botanist Holly PooleKavana about the native and nonnative trees found in the District that have medicinal uses. Discover how people have used these trees’ leaves, bark, and roots for remedies in the past and in the present.

The first installment in Casey Trees’ “Trees and Storms” series, this class will teach you the elements of a hazardous tree and the importance of the Right Tree, Right Space philosophy. Representatives from Pepco and the Urban Forestry Administration will discuss how each organization manages trees to prevent them from becoming hazards and interrupting city services.

Cost: Free

Sunday, November 18 The U.S. National Arboretum has been the backdrop for many Casey Trees tree tours. On Nov. 18, will visit the Arboretum to examine species with healing properties.

Thursday, November 8 Tree Talk Thursdays Online Chat 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Online

Guest speakers will talk about the medicinal, social, emotional and physiological impacts that trees have on human health.

Cost: Free

14

Thursday, NOVember 29

Tree Tour by Foot: Medicinal Trees 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

U.S. National Arboretum 3501 New York Avenue NE

Botanist Holly Poole-Kavana will lead a tour through the U.S. National Arboretum to look at species that have medicinal and health uses.

Cost: Free

Cost: Free

Thursday, December 13 Tree Talk Thursdays Online Chat 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Online

Discover how trees became such an integral part of the holidays and how different cultures and religions celebrate trees — all from the comfort of your computer.

Cost: Free

November 2012 | theleaflet

Make your charitable donation on

Tuesday, Nov. 27!

Tr e e t a b r

Casey Trees

e

This tree could save you Lots of green later.

Complete guidelines, rebate coupons, area nurseries and tree planting tips are available at

caseytrees.org

theleaflet | November 2012

15

Technology & Research D.C. metro imagery shows opportunity for regional tree canopy collaboration

By Michael K. Potts, GIS Analyst, Casey Trees | The 2011 regional mosaic concept started off as a way to lay the groundwork for opening up dialog between regional partners about tree canopy. Today, it has evolved into a large dataset covering DC and many counties in Maryland and Virginia.

The methods used to make the mosaic have been perfected by the University of Vermont Spatial Analysis Lab and are accurate to within one to two percent.

This means it is possible to calculate the existing and possible canopy for any area within the mosaic, even down to the parcel level. Highresolution aerial imagery and LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) elevational data were used in a supervised classification scheme to produce the regional land cover mosaic at half-meter spatial resolution. Extensive manual corrections were also performed on the output to remove artifacts and errors. The result is a layer spanning from Fairfax County, Va., to Baltimore County, Md., making up a large section of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

16

The 2011 regional mosaic for the D.C. region will have an adverse effect on what policymakers know about the state of trees in the area. It is unprecedented to have this much forest classified at this high of resolution and accuracy while being so timely. Bringing this information to regional partners allows collaboration that furthers the goals of Casey Trees and others involved in reforestation efforts. With information from the mosaic, partner organizations to make informed decisions about the proper direction to take an area. For instance, if an area was thought to have canopy cover of 30 percent, but is found to actually have only 25 percent, then planting efforts could be doubled.

The regional mosaic will play a key role in Casey Trees’ efforts to coordinate and build relationships with likeminded regional organizations, a major component of Casey Trees post-Tree Canopy Symposium agenda.

November 2012 | theleaflet

Arbor Kids An explosion of leaves Have you found leaves with bright colors and fun shapes in your yard, park or neighborhood? Use them to create kaleidoscope designs that you can hang on your wall or refrigerator.

1

Collect fallen leaves in all colors, shapes and sizes.

2

Lay them out on the ground or a dark background.

Interchange the leaves to achieve new designs.

theleaflet | November 2012

3

Take photos of your designs or preserve them using the techniques on page 9. Make sure to work with an adult when preserving your leaf designs.

17