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SEPTEMBER 2014
Let the planting begin Help us plant change in your community this fall
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| September 2014
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CASEY TREES NEWS IN BRIEF
Howard University students kick off school year with Day of Service
Photo courtesy of Kelsi Howard
Incoming students at Howard University teamed up with Casey Trees to tend to trees at the Park at LeDroit in Northwest D.C. and tended the park in advance of an upcoming fall community tree planting. Twenty five students weeded, applied DC Water bio-solids and mulched 47 trees in and around the park. They also picked up trash and removed a trailer full of invasive vines from the bioretention area in the park.
CASEY TREES NEWS CASEY TREES IS HIRING | Casey Trees is seeking a Web Editor and E-Communications Associate, a new position within the Communications & Development department. For more information and to apply, visit the Casey Trees Jobs page.
5X5 ART INSTALLATIONS COMES TO D.C. | With the help of Casey Trees, a new art installation is coming to D.C.’s waterfront. The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities has set forth a district-wide program to create temporary public art with the help of five local curators. Check back in the October issue of the Leaflet for an in-depth look at the artist’s process and our role in the installation.
VOLUNTEER SIGN-UPS NOW OPEN | Fall Community Tree Planting volunteer slots are now open for registration. Volunteer slots fill up quickly, so be sure to sign up soon to guarantee yourself a spot at one of our plantings across the District. Casey Trees Members get priority access to volunteer slots as
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well as other Members-only benefits. Want to become a Member? Your gift will help fund our programs that continue to renew and protect D.C.’s urban forest.
A NOTE TO TEAM LEADERS | This year, we are asking our Team Leaders to arrive at the planting site at 8:15 a.m. on Saturday mornings to get familiar with the site and assist our crew in getting everything for the planting ready. Be on the lookout for more details on this change.
LOCAL LGBTQ SPORTS LEAGUE SUPPORTS CASEY TREES | This past August, Casey Trees received two generous contributions from the Stonewall Darts League, a division of Stonewall Sports. Stonewall Sports is an LGBTQ and Ally community-based nonprofit sports league that strives to raise funds for local causes. Through their division championship win and fourth place overall league standing, our sponsoring team, artfully named “Prick Tease,” contributed over $2,600 in support of D.C.’s trees.
September 2014 | theleaflet
URBAN FORESTRY NEWS STUDY RANKS D.C. AS THE SIXTH HOTTEST HEAT ISLAND IN THE U.S. | In a report published by Climate Central, Washington D.C. averages summer temperatures that are 4.7 degrees warmer than its rural neighbors. In recent years, the temperature difference has hit up to 21 degrees. By working to increase the District’s tree canopy, we can work to combat these effects and provide a cooler, shadier city for all to enjoy.
UDC LAUNCHES A SUSTAINABLE URBAN AGRICULTURE CERTIFICATE PROGRAM | The University of the District of Columbia is positioning itself as a thought leader in the field of urban agriculture. The new program, within the College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability and Environmental Sciences, will focus on the D.C. community’s economic, social and cultural circumstances while working to improve its health and the environment around it. The non-credit bearing courses are open to the public and will meet at both UDC’s Van Ness campus and their research farm in Beltsville, Md.
IN THIS ISSUE... FALL 2014 COMMUNITY TREE PLANTING PREVIEW........................................................................... 4-5 GO BIG & GO NATIVE.................................................................................................................................... 6 SPOTLIGHT: MIKE FERGUSON..................................................................................................................... 7 CALLING ALL TREEATHLETES...................................................................................................................... 8 POTENTIAL THREAT TO TREES IN PROPOSED TRANSPORTATION ACT........................................ 12-13 UPCOMING CLASSES, EVENTS AND VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES.............................................. 14-15
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| September 2014
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fall 2014
COMMUNITY TREE PLANTING
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September 2014 | theleaflet
FALL 2014 PLANTING SITES
THE SIENA SCHOOL
Volunteer opportunities are in orange. School planting events are not open to outside volunteers. Advance registration for volunteer events is required.
WOODLIN ELEMENTARY ROBERT GODDARD ELEMENTARY
WHITTIER EDUCATION CAMPUS
FIELD OF GREENS
PAUL PCS E.L. HAYNES PCS
WASHINGTON LATIN PCS THE STUART CENTER
BATTERY KEMBLE PARK WASHINGTON YU YING PCS
BROOKLAND MANOR APTS ALL SOULS CHURCH
NEVAL THOMAS ELEMENTARY
PARK AT LEDROIT PAYNE ELEMENTARY FORT DUPONT PARK BUTLER HOLMES PARK
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Washington Latin PCS E.L. Haynes PCS Stuart Center Community Tree Planting Neval Thomas Elementary School Whittier Education Campus Paul PSC Field of Greens Community Tree Planting (Md.) Park at LeDroit Community Tree Planting Payne Elementary School Gwynn Park High School (Md.) Friendly High School (Md.) All Souls Church Unitarian Community Tree Planting Brookland Manor Apartments Community Tree Planting Mill Run Elementary School (Va.) Yu Ying PCS Woodlin Elementary School (Md.) Siena School (Md.) Robert Goddard Elementary School (Md.) Fort Dupont Park Community Tree Planting Battery Kemble Park Community Tree Planting Butler Holmes Park Community Tree Planting
NOT PICTURED: GWYNN PARK HIGH SCHOOL; FRIENDLY HIGH SCHOOL; MILL RUN ELEMENTARY
GEAR UP FOR A GREAT PLANTING SEASON By Katie Blackman, Volunteer Coordinator | Our volunteers have been hard at work all summer caring for trees and clearing invasive plants from future planting sites. While this work was invaluable and a whole lot of fun, we know you have been itching to get a shovel in the ground. Now, that wait is over! The fall tree planting line-up is open. This fall, you will find us all over the map. Casey Trees will plant at seven sites in the District, one in Maryland and one in Virginia. At the Stuart Center, All Souls Unitarian Church, and Brookland Manor, you can help create green oases amongst seas of concrete. Interested in urban reforestation and invasive plant suppression? We’ve got you covered with our plantings at Rock Creek Park, Fort Dupont, and Battery Kemble. These three U.S. National Park Service sites offer vastly different landscapes and missions. At Rock Creek Park, we will be helping restore a riparian buffer zone, adding shade trees, and planting a theleaflet
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demonstration apple orchard near Peirce Mill. At Fort Dupont and Battery Kemble, our volunteers will be planting native species in the place of invasives pulled there this summer. Perhaps local parks are more your thing? Join us at the Park at LeDroit (a Sustainable DC site) or Butler Holmes Park in Arlington to add trees to these gathering spaces. And if fruit trees are your cup of tea, come out to the Field of Greens in Riverdale, Maryland to add a fruit orchard to this burgeoning community garden. All ages and ability levels are welcome at our fall planting events, but do not hesitate to reach out if you feel that you are unable to plant a tree but still want to help. We would be happy to work with you to find an equally meaningful way for you to help. Groups of volunteers are also welcome but need to sign up separately and are accommodated as space allows. We are excited for another successful season and to plant trees alongside you!
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GO BIG & GO NATIVE Photo by Flickr user Owen’s By Marty Frye, Arborist | At Casey Trees, we have a lot of love for trees of all types. But when it comes down to it, we find that we can serve the natural environment and the people of this city best when we “Go Big and Go Native.” This is why we have recently expanded our list of trees eligible for a $100 Tree Rebate. You can now choose from 46 species of medium and large native trees and receive our largest rebate dollar amount available. Every square inch of leaf that a tree grows is part of a photosynthetic powerhouse that works to pump water from the ground into the air, reducing the amount of water flowing into and potentially overflowing the city’s sewers. Those leaves also help to catch water as it falls as rain, cool the city (and your house), absorb pollutants and produce oxygen. The wood of the tree itself stores carbon pulled from the atmosphere and helps to temper the effects of climate change. And the bigger the tree, the more it can carry out all these beneficial functions. Use our Right Tree, Right Space guide to determine how best to plant a large canopy tree on your property and where that tree should go.
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There are strong ecological reasons for planting a diversity of native trees. The native wildlife that we would like to support often depends on the species that they evolved with and the wildlife often avoids the exotic plants that we have brought into our urban environment. The subtle interactions between the plants, animals, insects, fungi and bacteria of nature are more complex than we will ever be able to understand. In planting native species, we are able to maintain those beneficial interactions, even if we don’t understand them yet. Though trees in themselves can be beautiful, a healthy urban forest is more than just a collection of pretty objects. It is a powerful, interconnected whole that can serve us in great ways if we follow a few simple principles. You can take part in this too by looking into our Tree Rebate program and planting a tree this fall from the $100 list that will do the most good for you, your neighbors and your city.
Interested in planting a tree on your property this fall? There are over 40 large canopy trees that qualify for the maximum $100 Tree Rebate.
September 2014 | theleaflet
Spotlight
Saying farewell to Mike Ferguson
By Luke Foley, Communications & Development Intern | During his time here, our much beloved Urban Forestry Manager Mike Ferguson has established himself as not only an essential cog in Casey Trees’ stewardship of D.C.’s trees, but also as a generous resource, tremendous ambassador and dear friend. We caught up with the man himself to reflect on his Casey Trees experience, inquire about the future and bid farewell. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN AT CASEY TREES? MF: Four years and two months.
WHAT FIRST BROUGHT YOU HERE? MF: I had just wrapped up four years of landscaping and touring in a band and was looking for an environmental job where I could use my landscape knowledge and degree in environmental science. Working on the crew at Casey Trees was the perfect way to utilize my past experience. IT REALLY WAS THE PERFECT FIT. HOW WOULD YOU CHARACTERIZE YOUR TIME AT CASEY TREES? My best days at Casey Trees were out in the field with the crew planting trees. I feel lucky to have spent time planting with so many great people, staff and volunteers alike. THE FEELING IS MUTUAL. WHAT ROLE DID YOU PLAY AS URBAN FORESTRY MANAGER? The Urban Forestry Manager is the hub of the Tree Planting operation and the position requires communication with crew, arborists, staff in other departments and volunteers. The Urban Forestry Manager theleaflet
steers the ship and tries to keep everyone safe and on track. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY WAS THE MOST ENJOYABLE ASPECT OF YOUR JOB? The best part of the job was being there to see that the work of tree planting and tree care (besides the environmental benefits) brings volunteers and students together to change their neighborhoods and city in a positive way. WHAT’S THE NEXT MOVE? I’m taking some time to work on music projects through the fall. THAT’S AWESOME! YOU OBVIOUSLY HAVE A DEEP APPRECIATION FOR TREES AND THE ENVIRONMENT – HOW DO YOU HOPE TO CONTINUE PURSUING THIS APPRECIATION? I plan to stay involved with Casey Trees and explore some new volunteer opportunities locally and abroad. I’m interested in migratory birds, forest preservation and coastal issues. COOL STUFF. CAN WE GET A FONDEST CASEY TREES MEMORY OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD? That’s a tough one! I remember planting elm trees along the main drive at the Casey Tree Farm in the rain. The wet clay soil stuck to everything and formed a two-inch thick layer on boots and shovels and gloves until the work was almost impossible. But despite the conditions I remember the enjoyment that came with facing a challenge as a crew. Even the bad days were good days! BEST OF LUCK, FERG! WE CAN’T WAIT TO CATCH UP AT FUTURE TREE PLANTINGS AND HAPPY HOURS, YOU’LL BE MISSED.
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TOUR D.C. TREES BY LAND & SEA By Stephanie Juchs, Community Education Coordinator | There are few better ways to celebrate the start of the fall season than by observing and appreciating the beauty of our city’s trees. To celebrate the changing of colors, Casey Trees is hosting our second annual Treeathlon, a tree tour across the the District via bicycle, foot and boat on Sunday, September 21. Participants will learn about several of the tree species found in our City of Trees as they travel over five miles from the Capitol grounds to the Georgetown waterfront. The three modes of transportation will highlight the featured tree species in a variety of environments as our Treeathletes travel from the manicured grounds of the Capitol and various Smithsonian Institution museums to the trees growing wild on the edges of Theodore Roosevelt Island.
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The Treeathlon’s creator and guide, author, naturalist and Canopy Award honoree Melanie Choukas-Bradley, wrote in the foreword of her book, City of Trees, that “I believe environmental awareness begins with an intimate love of nature.” The goal of the Treeathlon is to bring about awareness of the District’s trees and the challenges they face by cultivating a love for trees and celebrating opportunities to make D.C. a more hospitable place for our leafy brethren. Participants can expect greater understanding of how trees play a role in their overall ecosystem in addition to learning about the challenges facing the urban forest. Think you could be a Treeathlete? Register here.
September 2014 | theleaflet
AK
K E E
P
E N S
AN EVENING OF
APPRECIATION Thursday, October 2 Meridian House Want an invite to this exclusive Casey Trees Membership event? Become a Member today and receive a complimentary invitation for you and a guest to this special evening.
Proposed transporation act might have a negative impact on D.C.’s trees By William Green,
Communications Intern | While many D.C. residents have come to know Casey Trees through our tree planting activities, our advocacy work is just as important to our overall mission. And we could not accomplish our advocacy goals without the help of volunteer Tree Advocates who join staff at ANC meetings, community events and other vital advocacy outlets. The Transportation Reorganization Act of 2014, sponsored by Ward 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh, is now being considered by the D.C. Council. While the
Act is broad in scope, for trees the main proposal is to shift all tree responsibilities now carried out by District Department of Transportation’s Urban Forestry Administration (UFA) to the District Department of the Environment (DDOE). Casey Trees is concerned that shifting UFA to DDOE will negatively impact the District’s ability to properly manage its street trees and respond to emergencies on a timely basis. However, we also feel that significant progress can be made for trees on other lands if minor modifications are made to the
agency’s responsibilities. However, Casey Trees also feels that instituting minor modifications to agency responsibilities could be a net positive for trees located on other lands such as schools, parks and private properties. Councilmember Cheh’s Legislative Director, Drew Newman, organized and moderated a series of working groups to solicit input from residents, city employees, and community groups on the Act. At that meeting, Casey Trees presented its ideas, shown in the chart presented below.
CASEY TREES PROPOSED REVISIONS THE PROPOSED TRANSPORATION REORGANIZATION ACT OF 2014 SEEKS TO: Relocate the Urban Forestry Administration from the District Department of Transporation to the District Department of the Environment
(1) Keep the Urban Forestry Administration (UFA) in DDOT (2) Expand UFA’s mission to include oversight of trees on D.C.-owned land, including schools and parks (3) Shift administration of the Urban Forest Preservation Act from the UFA to DDOE (4) Move the State Forester’s office from DDOT to DDOE
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Events Tree care events and programs to kick off the fall season September is filled with classes and events to get you excited about the fall season. Become a Casey Trees Member to receive exclusive benefits, including advanced registration to events like the ones below.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 Webinar: DC PLUG: Burying Lines, Raising Questions Cancelled. Rescheduled date to be determined.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 Family Program: Buds Story Time 10:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m Hill Center 921 Pennsylvania Avenue SE Join us at the Hill Center for our Buds family program, a treefocused story time aimed toward an audience of toddlers and preschoolers.
Cost: Free
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 Social: Branch Out Happy Hour 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. El Centro 1819 14th St NW Join us at El Centro for our monthly social happy hour! Free and open to all.
Cost: Free
**No advanced registration required.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13
Class: Trees 101 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Casey Trees Headquarters
Get to know D.C.’s trees. This course provides a foundation in tree anatomy, tree identification and an overview of how trees function to provide the benefits we enjoy in the urban forest.
Cost: Free *This course is full 10
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 Family Program: Buds Story Time 10:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m Rock Creek Park Nature Center 5200 Glover Rd NW Join us for our new family program, Buds, a tree-focused story time aimed toward an audience of toddlers and preschoolers.
Cost: Free
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 Class: Tree Decay 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m Casey Trees Headquarters Come learn how to identify wood decay fungi and effective methods for testing trees for decay in this class led by Dr. Chris Luley.
Cost: Free
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27
Class: Stand Up for Trees 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m Casey Trees Headquarters
Class: Trees 201 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m Casey Trees Headquarters
Learn how to become an advocate for the trees in your community and turn your knowledge into action by joining Casey Trees’ league of Tree Advocates!
In this follow-up course to Trees 101, participants will learn more advanced tree identification skills and the process for identifying the right tree for the right place. Participants will get to test their newly acquired skills in a field session.
Cost: Free
**This is a Citizen Forester-qualifying course.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 Tree Tour: Treeathlon with Melanie Choukas-Bradley 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Olmsted Summerhouse on the U.S. Capitol Grounds Jumpstart the fall season with Casey Trees’ Treeathlon, a Washington, D.C. tree tour led by Melanie Choukas-Bradley conducted via bicycle, on foot and by kayak or canoe! Registration opens August 12. Cost: $50 per person
Cost: free Family Program: Tree Detectives at Stoddert Elementary 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Garfield Park South Carolina Ave & 3rd St SE 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
Advanced registration is offered exclusively to Casey Trees Members. Not already a Member? Consider joining today and receive exclusive benefits like early registration to events like these! September 2014 | theleaflet
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2 Membership: An Evening of Appreciation Meridian House 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Become a Member at the Ally level or above to receive a complimentary invitation for you and a guest to this exclusive fall Member benefit event.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3 Family Program: Buds Story Time at the Hill Center 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m Hill Center 921 Pennsylvania Avenue SE Join us at the Hill Center for our Buds family program, a treefocused story time aimed toward an audience of toddlers and preschoolers.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4 Class: Tree Planting Workshop 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Smithsonian National Zoological Park 3001 Connecticut Avenue NW This workshop is the first step to becoming a Citizen Forester Team Leader and helping Casey Trees at future plantings by instructing other volunteers by learning how to select and prepare a tree planting site and properly plant the tree to ensure its survival.
Cost: Free
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25
Social: Branch Out Happy Hour Bar Pilar 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. 1833 14th Street NW Join us upstairs at Bar Pilar for our monthly social happy hour for friends and volunteers. Open to all.
Cost: Free
Tree Tour: Fall at Casey Tree Farm 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Casey Tree Farm Join us for a fall color tree tour at Casey Tree Farm in Berryville, VA where participants will discover the beauty of the surrounding forests nestled in the Shenandoah River
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18
valley.
Class: Tree Planting for Homeowners 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Casey Tree Farm
Cost: Free *This course is full. Waitlist spots available.
Learn the basics about tree selection and planting in this workshop for homeowners. Tree care begins at day one and this class will get you and your trees off to a strong start.
Family Program: Buds Story Time at Rock Creek Park Nature Center 10:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. Rock Creek Park Nature Center 5200 Glover Rd NW
Join us at the Rock Creek Park Nature Center for our Buds family program, a tree-focused story time aimed toward an audience of toddlers and preschoolers.
Cost: Free
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25 Citizen Science Training: Phenology Monitoring 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Casey Trees Headquarters
Cost: Free
We are seeking observers in the D.C. area to track the timing of seasonal events in several native tree species. You can join this effort by attending this training session and learning how to monitor tree phenology in your own yard or favorite greenspace.
Cost: Free
**This is a Citizen Forester-qualifying course.
CASEY TREES FALL FESTIVAL SCHEDULE Casey Trees is coming to you! Stop by our booths at these fall festivals to say hi and learn about our upcoming programs! SEPTEMBER 20 H STREET FESTIVAL DC STATE FAIR
theleaflet
| September 2014
SEPTEMBER 27 BARRACKS ROW FESTIVAL CRAFTY BASTARDS (SAT/SUN)
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Arbor Kids
Trees of the world There are thousands of different types of trees out there. Some only grow in certain parts of the world. Learn more about trees from very different regions of our globe.
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3 1. This is a Banyan tree (Ficus benghalensis)! It is native to the Indian subcontinent. Its unique trunk structure is from the aerial roots it produces, which grow downwards toward the soil. 2. This is a Baobab (Adansonia) tree! There are nine species of this tree which can be found in Madagascar, Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and Australia. So strange is the shape of this tree that popular lore says that an evil spirit ripped the tree out of the ground and left the roots as branches. This tree makes a delicious drink, and its bark can be made into rope and cloth. 3. This is a bonsai! It actually is not a type of tree but a way of pruning one. This style of growing very tiny trees originated in Japan. This particular tree is a persimmon tree. You can see it at the National Arboretum.
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September 2014 | theleaflet