CANOPY CONNECTIONS
Spring 2025
Beyond Ash: Replanting Roseville’s Tree Canopy
With one billion ash trees—more than any other state—Minnesota’s urban canopies are at risk. Some communities are composed of up to 60% ash. Just like Dutch elm disease, emerald ash borer (EAB) threatens our treescape, making immediate action critical.
In Roseville, Minnesota, a collaborative effort to save the city’s urban tree canopy from the invasive EAB pest has reached a major milestone. Once home to an abundance of ash trees, the city faced a looming crisis as EAB spread rapidly through the city. Roseville entered into a contract with Tree Trust in 2022 to lead the charge to save their tree canopy. We are excited to announce that all infested ash trees have either been removed or are actively being treated. The success of this project is a testament to the power of a community united in environmental stewardship.
EAB in Roseville
EAB was first discovered in Roseville in 2013, starting in the northwestern quadrant of the city. As the infestation quickly spread, the city was faced with the urgent need for a comprehensive response. Roseville’s approach to managing EAB was innovative and forward-thinking, with a focus not just on removal, but on preserving the tree canopy. While dead or infested trees were marked for removal, nearly 200 healthy ash trees were selected for treatment. This ongoing effort requires care every two years. This multi-year initiative has not only helped protect the city’s green spaces, but has also paved the way for an ambitious replanting plan that will introduce a diverse mix of tree species, ensuring the long-term vitality of Roseville’s urban forest.
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Tree Trust treated ash tree
Treating Ash Trees
Why the different responses to EAB? As Tree Trust’s Director of Community Forestry Karen Zumach always says, “It takes 40 years to grow a 40-year-old tree.” Healthy ash trees can be treated before they become infested with EAB. Ash tree treatments, including trunk injections, can protect the trees from emerald ash borer beetles. Many of Roseville’s old-growth ash trees were still healthy, making them perfect candidates for treatment.
Ash Tree Removal
Tree Trust Landscape Services provided tree removal of dead or dying trees and continued treatment for approximately 20% of the ash trees that were part of the city’s ash preservation program. Karen
Healthy Ash Tree
Lush Canopy
Full green leaves during growing season Strong Bark Firm, ridged bark with no cracks or peeling
Fun Ash Facts
In addition to this green ash tree, Minnesota is home to white and black ash trees
Scan to learn more about EAB
Zumach highlighted the professionalism of our Landscape Services team in navigating the complexities of this huge project. “Our Landscape Services crews are top-notch. It can be very traumatizing to see large trees come down and completely change the look and feel of your neighborhood.” Landscape Services teams helped to make tree removal less stressful for residents by answering all of their questions every step of the way. One Roseville resident, curious about what happens with ash trees after they are removed, connected our team to a local high school. Tree Trust Landscape Services General Manager Jeff Voshell delivered useable ash logs to Roseville Area High School’s woodshop, excited to give back to the community. Voshell championed his team’s hard work and communication with Roseville
Ash Tree with EAB
Bare Branches
No leaves during the growing season
Woodpeckers
Birds feast on EAB infested trees, often removing bark
S-Shaped Tunnels
Winding galleries under the bark from emerald ash borer larvae, leaving D-shaped exit holes
Shoots (Suckers)
New shoots grow at base of trunk, signaling the tree’s stress
neighbors: “Our crews were often approached by residents with questions about the project. The vast majority were happy the project was happening, and many were impressed with our crews’ capabilities.”
Another Successful Project
Landscape Services announced earlier this year that they had completed the removal of all infested ash trees on public land in Roseville. Jeff Voshell commented, “We are now focusing our efforts on planting. Many trees have already been planted to replace the ones removed. We will continue replanting until we have planted more trees than we removed.” He expressed gratitude for a positive working relationship with city leaders. Voshell continued, “This project could not have succeeded without a strong relationship between Tree Trust and Roseville’s Park Superintendent, Jim Taylor. I also need to mention how resilient our crews were while performing this difficult work. Many of these removals were very technical and presented multiple challenges. Our crews moved through this work safely and productively. This was a very big win for Tree Trust and the City of Roseville.”
Growth and Renewal – More Trees
While the removal of infested trees is complete, the real story of renewal is just beginning. Tree Trust’s Community Forestry team is working hand-in-hand with homeowners to restore Roseville’s tree canopy through tree distributions and planting events. Last fall, residents took to the streets, joining volunteers and Tree Trust staff to plant a diverse mix of new trees along boulevards and green spaces across the city, replacing those lost to EAB. Our Career Pathways participants have also been essential to helping advance this important work. From augering holes for planting events to helping with tree care, the continued greening of Roseville is successful thanks to all of Tree Trust working together!
In addition, Tree Trust has distributed over 500 trees to local homeowners at a discounted rate, encouraging them to plant on private property and further support the canopy’s restoration. Engaging the community every step of the way
has been crucial to the success of this effort, from an interactive map tracking ash tree removals to providing information about EAB at planting events.
Corporate Volunteerism
In addition to collaborating with the community, Tree Trust partnered with many businesses to reforest Roseville. Our partners at Xcel Energy helped plant trees with their Day of Service initiative, and the good people at paper companies Kimberly-Clark Corporation and Packaging Corporation of America planted trees with us as a team-building activity. One corporate volunteer was grateful to support the idea of long-termism—doing good for future generations. They stated, “I can imagine these trees in ten, twenty, thirty years and the families sitting underneath them, the birds that are going to live in them. I just think it’s a cool way to make a long-term impact on the community.” Tree Trust is happy to work with organizations with shared values in stewardship and community building.
Xcel Energy Day of Service corporate planting volunteers
Upcycled Ash
Even the removed ash trees support new growth. Select logs are providing students at Roseville Area High School (RAHS) with the opportunity to craft exciting projects in their Career and Technical Education program. Transforming logs into lumber is a practice in patience. One that RAHS shop teacher Jeffrey Davies knows all too well. Davies shared, “My students who are milling this trimester are milling boards for students that I’ll have a year from now.” Tree Trust first met Davies in April of 2023 when our Landscape Services team delivered usable ash logs for Davies to mill in his wood shop. Now, Davies guides his eager students to craft projects as they work to upcycle the ash trees removed from their city.
From Log to Lumber
After two years of drying, the ash logs are nearly ready for their next chapter. Before they can become student projects, they need one final step—drying out again. The mezzanine in RAHS’s cutting-edge wood shop provides the perfect environment, with controlled humidity and warmth acting like a kiln. Teacher Jeffrey Davies carefully monitors the process with a moisture meter, checking that the wood reaches the ideal 12 to 14 percent moisture level. Now, as he unveils a fresh stack of milled ash slabs, the excitement is palpable. “Being able to take a piece from nothing—from a
log—and see it all the way through, it’s pretty cool,” he shares. Soon, these slabs will be transformed by student hands, continuing the journey from tree to trade.
Milled Ash Products
The true beauty of milled ash lies in its natural character—sweeping tree rings, live edges, and intricate grain patterns that tell the story of the tree’s life. In Jeffrey Davies’ classroom, students are embracing these unique slabs, transforming them into stunning epoxy-pour coffee tables. With the freedom to choose their
Jeffrey Davies shows off his milled ash slabs
own materials, they bring creative visions to life, turning what was once wood waste into something extraordinary. “To use ash logs as a medium to teach with—and to have that material available at no cost to students—takes away the pressure of making a mistake. It’s just a wonderful opportunity,” Davies shares. And the innovation doesn’t stop there. Next up: barrel saunas. In his Construction Trades class, students will use a four-sided shaper planer to cut precise grooves, allowing straight boards to interlock into a circular frame. Reinforced with metal rings and heated by a wood fire stove, these saunas showcase the endless possibilities of upcycled ash.
Tree Trust is proud to partner with the hardworking students at RAHS and their passionate woodworking teacher. As Davies reflects on his journey through different woods—oak, maple, cherry, walnut—he lands on a clear favorite: “If I had to pick my favorite type of lumber to build with now, it would be free. Free lumber, just like we are getting from Tree Trust. Working with Tree Trust has just been awesome.” His enthusiasm speaks volumes—when sustainability meets craftsmanship, the possibilities are endless!
The success of our Roseville project is a great example of the good work that can be accomplished when we unite in stewardship.
Many of the first planting events were memorable because of the way the community came out to work together to rebuild the tree canopy. Seeing community members walking down the street together, shovels in hand, working to create a vibrant tree canopy for the next generation of Rosevillians was pretty special.
- Karen Zumach, Tree Trust Director of Community Forestry
Scan to discover more about RAHS teacher Jeffrey Davies and learn about the legacy of his sawmill.
Tree Trust staff and Roseville volunteers get ready to plant trees
Building for Vets
Tree Trust YouthBuild is building for vets. This program is more than just paid training—it is a pathway to transformation, both for young people and the communities they serve. In partnership with the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans, our participants are putting their skills to work to build a welcoming home for veterans in need. It all starts in the Tree Trust workshop, where they master the fundamentals of construction—measuring, marking, cutting, and assembling. Then, they bring that knowledge to the job site, turning their hard work into real-world impact. Now, they are taking on an incredible project: revitalizing the Robin Hotel, a place that will soon provide shelter for those who have bravely served our country. Through this work, Tree Trust YouthBuild participants are not just building structures, they are building brighter futures for the whole community.
Partnering with MACV
For more than 30 years, the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans, (MACV) has served as the state’s premier nonprofit organization serving veterans. MACV supports veterans experiencing homelessness or facing other challenges. With offices and housing options throughout Minnesota, MACV works to make sure that veterans and their families have access to stable housing, employment opportunities, and other essential supportive resources. Tree Trust YouthBuild is honored to partner with MACV.
The Historic Robin Hotel
Ending veteran homelessness can only happen when we invest in our communities.
MACV’s incredible partnership with Tree Trust empowers young people with valuable career and leadership skills—an investment that strengthens their future and the community.
– MACV COO Jon Lovald
Our trainers first learned about the Robin Hotel renovation project from our partner at the Carpenters Union. The Tree Trust team is excited to work in a space steeped in history. Located in downtown Robbinsdale, the Robin Hotel once housed railroad workers, and was relocated to its current location across the street to make way for a new fire station. The newly rennovated space will open in July of this year, providing housing for veterans in need.
Tree Trust YouthBuild participant installs drywall
On Site with Tree Trust YouthBuild
The original hardwood floors creak as participants move drywall through a narrow corridor. Participants working in one room are focused on getting their measurements exact before they begin to cut boards to install on the ceiling. Their trainer helps them lift the drywall for installation. In a room across the hall young people are meticulously applying mud, only pausing to smile before they get back to work. One participant eagerly shares that he lives in the neighborhood and is excited for the opportunity to strengthen his community.
Reaching New Heights
Branches participant Reagan took a stroll down Shepard Road in Saint Paul with her cohort— live on Instagram with Mayor Melvin Carter! She didn’t miss a beat in the chance to champion the importance of urban trees. With passion and conviction, she shared, “Trees do so much for us. They filter the air; they give shade to our animal friends so they’re not burning their feet. They even stop flooding—that’s something I didn’t even know until recently. We need trees. They help us breathe.”
Talking Trees with Mayor Carter
Reagan’s quick wit and strong work ethic have made her a natural leader. Her skills took center stage when she was chosen to help train high school students at our two-day MEA planting event last fall. And the impact didn’t stop there. Reagan’s dedication earned her an invitation to return as a crew leader for our Summer Youth Employment Program.
Climbing Day
Every cohort of our Branches program has a day to practice climbing trees with ropes. This is an opportunity to explore the exciting world of climbing arborists. Climbing day was one of Regan’s highlights. Jumping up and down with excitement she was eager to see how far she could climb. After getting a final gear check, she used her legs as leverage to thrust her body upwards into the tree, climbing with both arms and legs. This technique, called body thrusting, is a climbing method that uses hip thrusts,
Meaningful Work Opportunities
The journey from the Tree Trust workshop to the job site is not just hands-on training; it’s an opportunity to create lasting change. Through Tree Trust YouthBuild, young people are not only building structures, but they are also building brighter futures for themselves and their community. Every cut, every measurement, every assembled piece contributes to something bigger that will provide comfort and stability for those in need. This is more than just job training—it is our mission in action.
not body weight, to ascend a tree. As Reagan climbed higher, her fellow cohort members cheered her on. Tree Trust is grateful to train future leaders like Reagan. In fact, the successes of our participants continue to inspire us every day.
Reagan on climbing day
Volunteer Events
Want to help Tree Trust transform lives and landscapes? We have several exciting ways to volunteer this spring. We will provide all tools and training, so no previous experience is necessary. Come ready to be outside and get a little dirty as we grow the next generation of our urban forest.
Tree Sales
Tree unloading events
Tree distribution volunteers help in two different ways: unloading tree shipments and helping new tree owners fit their new trees into their vehicles.
Transform a Minnesota parking lot into a temporary forest of trees. Volunteers form a line like a bucket brigade to unload hundreds of trees and sort them according to species. Enjoy an amazing workout and the fresh aroma of each variety of tree.
Tree pick-up events
Located throughout the Twin Cities, these volunteer opportunities serve as a pick-up point for residents participating in our tree sales. Volunteers use physical strength and creative problem solving to help load trees into cars, trucks, and even onto bikes of happy new tree owners.
Plant Trees
Bring Tree Trust’s mission to life under the dappled sunlight of a Saturday morning community planting. Tree Trust’s Community Forestry team will show you, step-by-step, how to prep and plant a tree the Tree Trust way. Equipped with tools, knowledge, and snacks—planting trees often entices hunger—you will then plant your trees in small groups. Tree Trust staff are available to help and answer questions throughout the duration of every planting. Tree planting events are a two to threehour time commitment. Bring your family, co-workers, and even your well-behaved dog!
