Canopy Connections - Spring 2024

Canopy Connections Spring 2024

Growing Green Futures

It’s tree planting day! Dozens of volunteers gather early in the morning. Their goal is to plant 100 trees along Cedar Lake Regional Trail in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. The next several hours are a flurry of organized activity. Shovels flash in the sun. Trees are lowered into holes and watered. People move to and fro with wheelbarrows full of mulch. By the end of the morning, 100 new young trees stand proudly along the trail, promising shade, cleaner air, and beauty for all who pass by. It is October 2008, and the first Tree Trust Green Futures™ planting event is complete.

The Green Futures program began when a generous donor offered to match, dollar-for-dollar, donations made to Tree Trust to plant trees in the local community from 2008 to 2012. The project achieved such success that it has continued as one of our Community Forestry initiatives. Each year, dozens of people and organizations donate their time and money to add trees to the urban canopy where needed most.

The tree canopy in urban areas declines due to natural attrition related to disease, pests, and old age or because of anthropogenic causes, such as pollution or development. Green Futures plants well-established, 6-8 foot tall trees from a diversity of species to promote a thriving urban canopy in areas that have lost or never had trees.

Since the first planting in 2008, Green Futures has added over 3,000 trees to 29 cities throughout the Twin Cities metro area. The planted trees clean our air, protect water quality, reduce energy costs, support wildlife habitats, promote physical and mental health, and beautify our cities. Today, the Green Futures program is more important than ever due to the destruction of millions of ash trees by the invasive species emerald ash borer (EAB).

Nearly 16 years after their planting, many of the trees along Cedar Lake Regional Trail are still standing and have grown to heights of over 20 feet. They will continue to grow in the coming years, providing shade to passersby and promising a greener future for the whole community.

Celebrate Arbor Month in May by supporting Tree Trust’s 2024 Green Futures Campaign.

1419 Energy Park Drive, St. Paul, MN 55108 | 952-767-3880 | www.treetrust.org

Talking Trees with Mary

Tree Trust volunteer and donor Mary Hunstiger is always thinking about trees. She is a Master Gardener, Tree Care Advisor, and certified Citizen Pruner, and has volunteered with Tree Trust as a Branch Manager since 2011, assisting at tree distributions and planting events. A natural educator, Mary is in her element, helping to lead many of our environmental education events in our Learning with Trees™ program (LWT). In 2016, Pioneer Press covered an LWT planting at the American Indian Magnet School in St. Paul. Mary was featured teaching fourth graders about trees. She directed children to observe the heart-shaped leaves of the Linden tree and explained how important the tree’s bark is because it acts like our skin and protects the tree. Before the children went inside for lunch, Mary told the kids, “This is going to be your tree to come out and watch.”

Hands-On Learning

Mary champions hands-on learning. She feels this is important both for the youth she leads in LWT and for adults. Mary’s favorite moments as a Tree Trust volunteer are teaching people about trees. One of her favorite examples is showing how tree roots grow by stretching her arms out horizontally. Mary shared, “I always like it when I can make sure that every child in the classroom digs with the shovel and rakes with the rake because so many of them have never done it.” Mary appreciates all the opportunities Tree Trust has for young people to learn new skills in a hands-on manner.

Citizen Pruner

Mary is also a certified Citizen Pruner. She earned this certification working with Minneapolis officials to organize the care of city trees within neighborhoods. While this program proved challenging to implement, Mary admits that “I still go around the neighborhood every once in a while, with my pruners.” In addition to pruning trees in her community, Mary always advocates for trees. As a Master Gardener and Tree Care Advisor through the University of Minnesota, Mary actively promotes tree care by speaking at local farmer’s markets and other events where she can engage the community in environmen-

tal stewardship. Mary’s number one piece of advice is that the most important thing you can do for your trees is to water them regularly (including large, well-established ones). She notes that you should water trees at the roots under their canopy, not at the trunk.

Living Legacy

Mary’s Tree Care Advisor teacher, at the University of Minnesota, Professor Gary Johnson helped inspire her journey into tree stewardship. She hopes to encourage Minnesota’s youth to cherish trees, like Gary did for her. This desire is one reason she supports the work of Tree Trust through generous gifts.

“I know that [Tree Trust] spends the money wisely, and trees are a forever need. The educational component is a living legacy.”

- Mary Hunstiger

2 TREE TRUST ANNUAL REPORT 2022

Launching a Green Career

Recent Branches graduate Jason Hill received job offers from not just one but four different tree care companies after completing the program. He chose to pursue his arboriculture career with YTS Companies, LLC, a Twin Cities tree care company. He also passed his commercial learner permit to be able to drive commercial vehicles.

“I had a huge desire to go into the green industry, and the Branches program was honestly one of the best opportunities to get my foot into the green industry door and explore if it was something I really wanted to do.”

- Jason

Hill

Karen Zumach Recives Mark Stennes Award

At Tree Trust, Karen Zumach is more than just a name; she’s a force of nature. As Tree Trust’s Director of Community Forestry, Karen’s unwavering dedication to trees and people ignites the spirits of staff, volunteers, and external partners. A witty tree pun enthusiast, she wields her voice to promote environmental stewardship. Karen loves to say, “A tree planted anywhere helps people everywhere.” On March 13, at the Shade Tree Short Course, in a packed auditorium of her peers, Karen graciously accepted the Mark Stennes Award for her outstanding work in advancing the field of arboriculture.

Mark Stennes Award

Mark Stennes was passionate about sharing his love for trees with people. A tree biologist focused on pathology, Mark dedicated his career to studying

elm trees and is credited with discovering the St. Croix Elm. Mark’s mastery of trees represented only a fraction of his professional journey. His ability to instill his fervent love for trees in others truly set him apart. His mentorship inspired many to progress in the field of arboriculture. Created in 2014 by the Shade Tree Short Course Steering Committee, the Mark Stennes Award recognizes Mark’s leadership, research, and support of the green community.

MNSTAC & The Shade Tree Short Course

The Shade Tree Short Course, organized by the University of Minnesota, provides training for arborists. Tree Trust’s staff attend each year for professional development, earning credits to maintain their International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) credentials. The Minnesota Shade Tree Advisory Committee (MNSTAC), well-known for supporting community forestry in Minnesota, provides advice, coordination, and advocacy for public and private interests in forestry and fosters the exchange of ideas. Tree Trust has a long history with MNSTAC. Both of Tree Trust’s founders, Don Willeke and G. Rolf Svendsen, served on MNSTAC’s board as chair, and Karen currently serves as president.

Growing Community Forestry

In addition to serving her community, Karen helps guide Tree Trust as a member of the Tree Trust senior leadership team. Karen moved to Minnesota in 2007, beginning her career at Tree Trust as Community Forestry Manager. In her first year she led Tree Trust to plant and distribute over 1,600 trees. Thanks to Karen’s leadership, Tree Trust is on track to plant and distribute at least 10,500 trees in 2024!

Plant a Legacy

Tree Trust is on a mission to transform lives and landscapes. Every spring we partner with municipalities to host tree sales, offering a diverse variety of trees at a significant discount. This encourages area residents to plant more trees in one of the areas they are needed most—on private property in the city. Trees catalyze transformation, benefiting the health of communities and the environment.

One of the easiest things you can do to add beauty to your landscape and help create a greener future is to plant a tree. The following cities are hosting sales with Tree Trust this spring.