Tre e C are Ad v i s o r New s l e t t e r http:// www.mntca.org Inside This Issue:
Ahhh Spring! As reluctant as winter is to release
Rodent brief… By Dave Hanson
1 his/her grasp this year—there is no doubt that
DirT (p)articles By Polly and Sally
2 dee is busy preparing a nesting site.
Potluck—TCA Grads Welcome Class of 2008 And Volunteer Opportunity Dave Hanson American Chestnut 2008 Update Training By Rebecca Koetter
Volume 15 Number 2 Spring 2008
Dave Hanson and Gary Johnson, Managing Editors
spring is here. Even this small black-capped chicka3
The spring ephemerals are heralding the warmer weather with a beautiful bloom season. So,
4 visit your favorite park or wildflower garden to take
in their beauty. 5
As you join in planting days this spring— please take a few pictures of the trees that you help
6 plant—see Sally McNamara’s note on page 7.
Lastly, now is a good time to start removing ‘Commemorative’ Tree By Sally McNamara Contacts The Story Terminator
7 winter protection and last years stakes… The
growing season is underway. 8
Black-capped chickadee hollowing out a decayed stump for a nest.
Enjoy the planting season!
Photo: Dave Hanson 4-15-08
Rodent Brief... Last winter’s issue highlighted several common critters as potential vandals of trees and shrubs in the landscape. Several of those discussed are common rodents in the urban environment that damage the bark on trees or, as you know, cut down trees. Squirrels, voles, and beaver are all quite common in urban landscapes and the damage reports are also quite common. However, one member of the rodent class was not discussed. Porcupine are not common—but do occur in the metro on occasion — . Porcupine prefer the bark on various conifers, but quite frequently the damage can be seen on hardwoods as the picture of red oak at the left illustrates. Residents and landowners of Northern Minnesota see porcupine feeding more often than metro area residents.
Continued on Page 3
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Tree Care Advsior Direction Team — DirT (p)articles ... It’s all about the hours, all 50,000 of them! Come and join the celebration of all our hard work! The Tree Care Advisor Direction team has organized a Pot Luck picnic to celebrate the 50,000 hours of TCA volunteer time that has occurred since the program’s inception. It will be held at Lebanon Hills Regional Park in Eagan, Saturday, September 27th. We have reserved the Holland Shelter for the full day. The shelter is equipped with tables, charcoal grills, a serving area, electricity, drinking fountain, rest rooms and is fully handicapped accessible. It overlooks Lake Holland and has a small space for yard games. Set up time is at 10:30 and lunch will be served from 12pm to 3pm. Gary, Dave and TCA Bruce Allen will be furnishing meats for grilling. Condiments and drinks will also be supplied. Please bring a side dish or dessert to share. Holland Shelter is limited to 50 people with parking for 30 cars, so we encourage you to car pool! Holland Lake Trailhead and Shelter Address 1100 Cliff Road, Eagan MN. 55123 Driving Directions From the North/South/West I-35E to Cliff Road in Eagan, MN East on Cliff Road to Holland Lake Trailhead From the East County Road 42 to State Hwy 3 in Rosemount, MN North on Hwy 3 to Cliff Road West on Cliff Road to Holland Lake Trailhead
I (we) will be attending the TCA 50,000 Hour Picnic Name(s):_____________________________________________________
Please RSVP by September 17, 2008 to: TCA 50,000 Hour Picnic Attn. Rebecca Koetter 1530 Cleveland Ave. N. St. Paul, MN. 55108-6112
I will be bringing a ____ side dish, ___ dessert to share.
or e-mail band0036@umn.edu
Unmasking TCA DirT Trees need dirt, water air and nutrients. The TCA program needed some support and nourishment too. Gary, Dave and Rebecca put out a call to the TCA’s to form an ad hoc steering committee to work on strengthening the TCA program. Some of us showed up in Green Hall on the last Thursday of the month some months ago and started work. The first item of business was to create a catchy name to create some conversation and attract other interested TCA’s. DirT stands for Direction Team. The second item was a mission statement so we would know why we were there: “The mission of TCA DirT is to advise TCA leadership on TCA programming, volunteer opportunities and continuing education; to develop tools and materials needed for TCA teaching, and to assist TCA leadership with program marketing and promotions.” We seem to keep showing up on the last Thursdays. We feel we are making progress for the TCA program and are definitely improving our TCA connections. TCA’s from many different counties have been involved already. You too could be sharing you good ideas and energy Continued on Page 3
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Unmasking TCA DirT and enthusiasm about being a TCA. We would enjoy your company. The last Thursday of the month at 7 PM. Maybe you could also bring some cookies? We keep forgetting to do that. Keep TCA DirT in mind. We really are you.
Sally McNamara
Control of Porcupine Damage Visit the Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development web: http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex3470
Porcupine feeding damage on red pine. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Archive, Bugwood.org
Lower right: Porcupine feeding damage on basswood branches. Photo: Dave Hanson 3-19-08 Photo: Joseph O'Brien, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org
2008 TCA Core Course Group The final day of class there was a little pot-luck. From what I learned later, they had fun!
(See page 4)
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2008 TCA class... Another group of individuals has completed the TCA core course. As always, the TCA core course was a good experience. There are often questions that force me to think along new lines—or at least dredge up some old, once known, now archived material. So, needless to say challenges do arise—but, they are good challenges… Below is the list of people that joined the ranks of TCA this year—if you know them—extend a welcoming hand. If you don’t recognize the names join us for one of the update trainings listed on pages 6, 7 and you are likely to encounter a few of these folks. Abiy Assefa
Brooklyn Center
Nancy Ness
Saint Paul
Diane Barber
Edina
Marsha Ocel
Blaine
John Bujan
Minneapolis
Kelly O'Donahue
Shoreview
Judy Erickson
Apple Valley
Madonna Polta
Rosemount
Pamela Hartley
Lino Lakes
Irene Qualters
Afton
Tom Hillstrom
Saint Louis Park
Lois K. Strand
Champlin
Jeanette LeMere Carol Mason Sherrill
Mahtomedi
Robyn Swenson
Minneapolis
Maplewood
Donald Vegoe
Roseville
So, welcome and we hope to see you in the near future… Dave, Rebecca, Gary I know from personal conversations with volunteer coordinators at Minnesota’s Landscape Arboretum and Linneaus Arboretum at Gustavus Adolphus that volunteer numbers are down. Nature centers and parks also are often are in the need of volunteers to lead tours and possibly even for light gardening. Another big opportunity involves the Minnesota Shade Tree Short Course’s: Tree House of Horrors. Several organizations have requested the Tree house of Horrors for local garden fairs and Expos. These are good venues for this educational display, but Dave can’t do all of them and Dave would like to extend an invitation to TCAs to be transporters, setter-uppers and tree house of horror experts. If you want to hear more and quite Tree House of Horrors set up at the City of Ramsey’s Environmental Expo on April 19th.
frankly learn more about the Tree House of Horrors — Please give Dave a call at 612-624-1226 or email dlhanson@umn.edu.
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American chestnuts introduced (OH) For the first time in recent memory, hundreds of American chestnut seedlings are taking root in the Wayne National Forest in Southeastern Ohio, thanks to
The Athens Messenger April 17, 2008
a partnership between researchers, forestry organizations and volunteers who are working to restore the once-dominant tree to its natural habitat. More than 100 disease-resistant American chestnut seedlings recently were planted on a reclaimed strip mine site in the national forest, with plans to plant up to 600 more throughout the spring, according to a news release from Wayne officials. The American chestnut was nearly wiped out by a blight that killed an estimated four billion trees in the eastern United States in the early 20th century. The naturally surviving trees remain vulnerable to the fungus; however, through years of cross-breeding with its disease-resistant counterpart, the Chinese chestnut, researchers are seeking to develop a blight-resistant American chestnut. The American Chestnut Foundation's backcross breeding program pro-
Above: Historic photo. Below: Planting of 17 disease
duces seed that combines the disease-resistant traits of the Chinese chestnut with
resistant American chestnut in
the superior size and timber traits of the American chestnut. In order for the seed-
2007. Photos from:
lings to grow in the poor soil conditions of reclaimed mines, U.S. Forest Service
http://www.esf.edu/chestnut/
researchers inoculate the chestnut seedlings with mycorrhizal fungi that will aid in the survival, growth and development of the seedlings. "Mycorrhizal fungi play a vital role in reforestation by providing the plant several benefits that are critical for its survival and growth in a nutrient-poor and hostile environment such as in reclaimed mined sites," said Shiv Hiremath, a Forest Service biologist in Delaware, Ohio. "Reintroduction of this species will serve both reforestation efforts of reclaimed lands as well as restoration of the American Chestnut tree." The re-establishment of native vegetation like the American chestnut and American elm has been made a priority for the Wayne National Forest, officials said. In the Wayne's 2006 Land and Resource Management Plan, it lists the initiative to promote the planting of disease-resistant species in the Wayne as varieties become available. The recent plantings of American chestnut seedlings were done by workers and volunteers from the Wayne National Forest, The American Chestnut Foundation's Ohio Chapter, Ohio University's Department of Environmental and Plant Biology and researchers from the U.S. Forest Research Lab in Delaware.
NOTICE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for research and educational purposes.
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The First 4 Update Trainings for 2008
Questions—call: 612-624-4261 and ask for Rebecca… Or call Dave at 612-624-1226.
May 28th
Wednesday from 7-9 pm. Planting, Staking, and Mulching. A review of the most up-to-date research and information for our Best Planting Practices. This will be conducted at the TRE research nursery. This is a hands-on class (bring tools and gloves), and a limited, first-come first-served enrollment of 20 people. Preregistration by mail only, $15 registration fee (includes cold soft drinks and water).
June 25th
Wednesday from 7-9 pm. Budding and Grafting. This class will be taught by our very own plant production expert…Chad Giblin. He will be showing us how true plant cultivars are created and the techniques that are used to join scions and root stocks. You’ll get a chance to work on your own grafting abilities! This will be conducted at the TRE research nursery. This is a hands-on class with a limited, first-come first-served enrollment of 20 people. Preregistration by mail only, $20 registration fee (includes cold soft drink, water, and 1 grafted apple tree or Kentucky coffee tree).
July 16th
Wednesday from 7-9 pm. Disease and bug walk. Brush up on the diseases and insect pests that you’ll see this summer with Val Cervenka- MNDNR! Lots of walking on the St. Paul campus to view some of the more common problems and incidences and what can be or should have been done to lessen their impact. This is first-come first served enrollment of 25 people. Preregistration by mail only, $15 registration fee (includes cold soft drinks and water).
August 19th
Tuesday from 7-9 pm. The use of small ornamental trees. For this class we’ll be doing Lots of walking on the St. Paul campus with Mimi Hottinger and checking out different plant options for small spaces. Do you have a small space that needs to be landscaped? Come learn about the different options of filling those small spaces with beautiful plant varieties! This is a first-come first served enrollment of 25 people. Preregistration by mail only, $15 registration fee (includes cold soft drinks and water).
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OUR “COMMEMORATIVE TREE” BECOMES A MOSAIC OF ALL OF US We, the TCA’s of Minnesota , have been “policied” out of planting a memorial tree in any of the logical spots to commemorate our 50,000 hours of TCA (reported) volunteer hours. It proved quite difficult within any guidelines to plant a tree with a commemorative plaque at several locations which will remain unnamed. The reporting policy upholders were all appreciative of our efforts and supportive of the idea but, nothing could be done within various departmental policies to allow planting such a tree. We applaud Rebecca Koetter for her tenacity in pursuing a planting opportunity for us and her grace in “understanding” about…policy. So, we are suggesting that the TCA’s plants dozens or even hundreds of trees in all kinds of locations all over the state. With your help we will document them with a commemorative photo collage and story board, real and digital. We hope you are going to participate with the following steps: 1. plant a tree or shrub in a meaningful situation, 2. take a photo of it, (you being in it would be best but not required) 3. make some notes about variety, location and reason for the planting 4. send the photo and notes to Rebecca by e-mail or real mail. 5. for those of you over the top types, a GPS notation would be a nice touch Please consider this—you have lots of time.
Dave preparing to cut some roots in Minnetonka… Earth day planting demo—2008. Photo: Emily Barbeau
However, we need all this well before September 27 when we are having the celebration picnic. We will arrange them into a display for permanent location in Green Hall (maybe, not sure yet) and will take a photo of it for each of us and any other uses there might be for it. We hope it will dramatically demonstrate who we are. Thank you for making this happen for us. We really are excited to see the extent of TCA tree planting in 2008. Sally McNamara, DirT Committee participant
Not only planting—but a brief snip-it on pruning… Earth day planting demo—2008. Photo: Emily Barbeau
TCA DirT Members:
Contact Phone Numbers Program Contacts: Gary Johnson – 612-625-3765 or grjonson@umn.edu Dave Hanson – 612-624-1226 or dlhanson@umn.edu Rebecca Koetter - 612-624-4261 or band0036@umn.edu Mailing Address: 115 Green Hall, 1530 Cleveland Ave. North, St. Paul, MN 55108
Contacts: Regional Extension Educators: Bob Mugaas — 651-480-7706 or mugaa001@umn.edu Patrick Weicherding — 763-767-3836 or weich002@umn.edu Gary Wyatt — 507-389-8325 or wyatt@umn.edu Larry Zilliox — 320-762-3890 or lzilliox@umn.edu County Contacts: Carver County (Jackie Smith) - 952-466-5309 or smith515@umn.edu Dakota County (Barb Stendahl) – 952-463-8002 or stend004@umn.edu Olmstead County – 507-285-8250 Ramsey County – 651-777-8156 Scott County (Jackie Smith) - (952) 492-5410 or smith515@umn.edu St. Louis County (Bob Olen) – 218-726-7512
Polly Augustson
Rebecca Koetter
Nancy Bjerke
Harriet Mason
Barb Gasterland
Sally McNamara
Ada Hegion
Lu Schmidtke
Mimi Hottinger
Carol Strong
Chris Johnson
Marty Strong
Additional Reference Contacts: Debby Newman (Info-U) – 612-624-3263 Don Mueller, DNR Forestry – 651-772-6148 don.mueller@dnr.state.mn.us Ken Holman, DNR Forestry – 651-259-5269 ken.holman@dnr.state.mn.us Paul Walvatne MNDOT – 651-284-3793 Paul.Walvatne@dot.state.mn.us Great River Greening – 651-665-9500 Tree Trust – 651-644-5800
Various wood decay fungi on trees and dead branches. Photo 1 is boxelder at a decaying branch site, photo 2 is aspen stem decay and 3 is a conk at the base of a sugar maple. Photos 1-3 are live trees. Photo 4 is a dead branch on a live tree and photos 5-7 are decay fungi on the forest floor. Photos: Dave Hanson
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