The Leaflet — May 2014

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MAY 2014

Tree Report Card Special Edition theleaflet

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CASEY TREES NEWS IN BRIEF

CITIZEN FORESTER CONQUERS TREE CLIMBING CHALLENGES On April 5, the U.S. National Arboretum hosted the 2014 MAC-ISA Tree Climbing Championship, an annual competition featuring tree climbing events, forestry challenges and other tree activities. While Casey Trees staff attended the event to lead children’s activities and answer tree questions, they were in for a pleasant surprise when they discovered a volunteer taking her love of trees all the way into the canopy.

Saharah Moon Chapotin, a Lead Citizen Forester and dedicated planter, was one of only three women competing in the Championship. Chapotin competed in all five of the forestry challenges, including the vigorous work climb and the belayed speed climb. Although she didn’t take home any medals, Saharah impressed onlookers with her skill. Taking the lessons learned to further her training, she looks forward to the challenge of climbing again next year.

CASEY TREES NEWS END OF PLANTING SEASON TO BE CELEBRATED WITH POTLUCK PICNIC | On Saturday, May 17, volunteers and friends alike are invited to celebrate the end of another successful planting season with a Volunteer Season Wrap Party at the Takoma Recreation Center. The gathering will feature games, food trucks and live entertainment from talented Casey Trees staff. Guests are encouraged to bring a drink or dish to share, but grills will be fired up by staff and the Pho Wheels and Woodlands Vegan Bistro food trucks will be parked nearby for more delicious options. To learn more and RSVP, just visit the events page.

CASEY TREEES WEEKLY WATERING ALERTS RETURN | Every Monday, from May 5 to September, Casey Trees will once again begin issuing weekly watering alerts as part of its annual 25 to Stay Alive Campaign, which aims to educate residents on the importance of watering trees, demonstrate proper watering techniques and provide supplies to make watering easier and generate less wasteful runoff.

Since trees that have been in the ground less than three years require 25 gallons of water — equivalent to roughly 1.5 inches of rainfall — per week to survive, they will need a lot of help during periods of little rain and high temperatures. The alerts — Dry, Normal and Wet — will be posted on our Twitter and Facebook pages as well as our website homepage.

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HIGH SCHOOL SUMMER CREW APPLICATIONS DUE MAY 17 | Applications are still being accepted for the 2014 High School Summer Crew. Crew members will spend 35 hours per week Monday to Friday caring for trees across the District. General responsibilities include watering, weeding and mulching. All applicants must be at least 16 years of age, enrolled in or just graduated from a D.C.-area high school and willing to care for and learn about trees. Online applications must be completed in one sitting and are due by May 17. Summer Crew will run from June 27 to August 8. Semi-finalists will be interviewed in-person. Finalists must participate in a two-day field tryout on June 23 and 24 to demonstrate their abilities.

TREEWISE APPLICATION STILL OPEN FOR SUMMER 2014 SESSIONS | The online application for the summer 2014 TreeWise sessions is still open. Registration is easily done online for the three session types available in 2014, which will run from June 23 to August 8. TreeWise is Casey Trees’ nature- and place-based summer education program for youth ages 6 to 10. For summer 2014, Casey Trees is excited to announce three different available session types. The standard on-site sessions and the U.S. National Arboretum sessions that debuted last summer will continue to be offered. New for 2014 are Arboretum sessions with Washington Youth Garden staff for an even more diverse set of activities.

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COMMUNICATIONS TEAM GROWS | Spring has been a time of change for the Casey Trees’ Communications Department and has resulted in the addition of two new staff members. Amy Kasper, formerly a Development Intern, has officially taken the place of Mark DeSantis as the new Development Associate. She will oversee the Membership program, sponsorships and a variety of Casey Trees’ giving initiatives. Additionally, Richard Houston will be stepping into a brand new role as a CRM Administrator who will enhance Casey Trees’ organizational data and develop training materials for staff. Richard comes to Casey Trees with previous development and database experience. He holds a BA in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley.

ADVOCACY ASSOCIATE AND INTERNSHIP POSITIONS AVAILABLE | A position has opened within the Planning and Design Department for an Advocacy Associate who will work with the Director of Planning and Design and the Planning Associate to help implement Casey Trees’ advocacy efforts and the volunteer Tree Advocates program. The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor’s degree in public policy or a related field and 1-2 years of experience with advocacy program implementation. To apply or learn more, contact Maisie Hughes, Director of

Planning and Design, at planningjobs@caseytrees. org. The Communications team will also be hiring a Development Intern and a Communications Intern. To apply, contact Jared Powell, Director of Communications and Development, at jobs@ caseytrees.org.

URBAN FORESTRY NEWS NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CELEBRATES ARBOR DAY WITH FEATURE ON URBAN TREE CANOPY | In conjunction with April’s celebration of Arbor Day, the National Geographic Magazine published a feature profiling nine U.S. cities that are distinguished by their work towards preserving and protecting their tree canopy. Notably, Washington D.C. — and its 36 percent canopy coverage — was recognized as one of the nine cities that love their trees, highlighted by the fact that “the District spends more money on its trees than any other city: $10 million per year.” An accomplishment of both government support and Casey Trees’ work, D.C. boasts more green space per capita than any other similarly sized U.S. city.

IN THIS ISSUE...

SPECIAL ISSUE: HOW DID D.C. FARE IN SIXTH ANNUAL TREE REPORT CARD?..............................4-5 FROM THE DESK: PRIVATE ACTION FOR PUBLIC GOOD......................................................................... 6 CITIZEN FORESTER KATE CLARKE’S BIG PLANTING GOALS.................................................................. 7 FIRST ANNUAL CANOPY AWARDS SHINE.............................................................................................. 8-9 PUBLIC SPACE KEY TO URBAN FOREST.................................................................................................. 10 NEW GREEN BOOK TO HELP GROW LARGER STREET TREES.............................................................. 11 YOUTH DAY OF SERVICE SEES DIVERSE VOLUNTEERS......................................................................... 12 MORE THAN 100 TREES PLANTED AT D.C.-AREA SCHOOLS................................................................ 13 INCREASING TREE COVERAGE ON A MILITARY BASE..................................................................... 14-15 MAY AND JUNE EVENTS AND CLASSES.............................................................................................16-17 ARBOR KIDS: TREE FLOWER DISCOVERY................................................................................................18 theleaflet

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2013

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For generations, we have intrinsically understood that trees improve our quality of life and should therefore be considered an essential, not optional, part of urban living. This is why Casey Trees publishes the Tree Report Card — to monitor trends and ensure that D.C. remains the “City of Trees” for the foreseeable future. Casey Trees’ Tree Report Card measures the quantity and condition of D.C.’s trees and the collective efforts of all groups and individuals working to achieve the District’s 40 percent tree canopy goal. It is based on data from various sources, including federal, state and private groups.

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PERFORMANCE METRIC GRADES

TREE COVERAGE Every five years, satellite images are used to estimate the change in D.C.’s tree canopy, with the goal of determining the overall trends of planting, growth, development, removal and mortality.

By examining trees from above and at specific time intervals, not only can we determine how the canopy is changing, but also what causes those changes.

In 2011, the University of Vermont Spatial Analysis Lab estimated the District’s canopy at 36 percent, which translates into an A- grade for Tree Coverage.

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TREE HEALTH

Tree Health is the measure of overall health of the District’s trees. Using tree canopy analysis software, individual tree data collected from 201 permanent field plots located across D.C. was assessed. While tree cover is measured from the top down, tree health is measured from the bottom up using individual trees.

This data is collected and analyzed using i-Tree software to give us a better understanding of the variety, size, condition and total number of trees. Data from our assessment shows that 82.4 percentof D.C.’s 2.5 million trees are in “Good” to “Excellent” condition, which gives D.C. a B- grade in Tree Health.

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WHAT CAN BE IMPROVED? We continue to recommend that the Urban Forestry Protection Act (UFPA) be strengthed by: • Mandating survival checks for all trees planted with Tree Fund dollars.

• Adjusting the fee structure, 11 years out of date, to adjust for inflation.

• Lowering the size limit of Special Trees from 55 inches in circumference to 40 inches to protect more trees.

• Redirecting most of the fees/fines in the Tree Fund to planting trees on private lots.

• Changing the Special Tree replacement options to a feebased system only.

And that: • The District direct more resources toward planting trees on private lots where trees have access to more soil so they will develop to their fullest and where a property owner can care for and water them during their critical years of life.

• D.C. adopt impervious surface maximums and tree canopy minimums for all zoning districts to ensure every neighborhood in D.C. can support trees for the benefits they provide residents and businesses alike.

• The Mayor’s Office designate a lead agency to coordinate all urban forestry efforts on D.C. lands.

TREE PLANTING

TREE PROTECTION

Tree Planting measures the number of trees planted annually against what must be planted — 8,600 trees per year until 2035 — to achieve the city’s tree canopy goal. Since 2008, one exceptionally positive development is that tree planting has been on the rise, mostly due to increased street tree planting by the District’s Urban Forestry Administration (UFA). The UFA has logged a record number of trees planted this year — 7,001 —surpassing records going back decades.

This metric gauges the success of the UFPA. The UFPA protects Special Trees (or discourages their removal) by charging a fee** should someone want to remove one.

For the fourth straight year, groups have planted above the target of 8,600 trees — 10,232 total — resulting in a grade of A+ grade for Tree Planting.

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Tree Protection uses 3 sub-metrics.

• Is the UFPA’s removal fee high enough to discourage the removal of healthy Special Trees?

• Is the Tree Fund being administered properly?

• Are replacement trees surviving to reach maturity?

Averaging the scores for each sub-metric results in a D- grade for Tree Protection.

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From the Desk Private Action for Public Good: Private Lands a Stength in 2013’s Tree Report The theme for this year’s Tree Report Card is “Private Action for Public Good,” and for good reason. To close the gap between the District’s 40 percent canopy goal and the current canopy level of 36 percent, private lands offer the largest land base to plant the trees needed to achieve this goal.

The upsides of private land don’t end there.

Private lands also provide plenty of space for a tree’s roots to develop and grow — an extremely beneficial trait that leads to healthier, longer living trees.

MARK BUSCAINO

For 2013, the overall message is similar to last year’s — the celebration of robust tree planting numbers being brought down by an ongoing and unmet need to track the survival of replacement trees to gauge if protection efforts are achieving their objectives.

For these and other advances and shortfalls experienced over the 2013 reporting year, the final grade for the sixth annual Tree Report Card is the same as last year’s, a B-. To get the entire report, just visit our publications page.

Thanks for your ongoing support!

Regards,

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Perhaps even more importantly, planting trees

on private lots creates a direct connection to the people who plant, care and benefit from them.

This link helps educate current and future generations about the value of planting trees, which in turn creates a community of supporters who advocate for trees and their continued presence in neighborhoods across the District.

Mark Buscaino Executive Director

Now in its 6th year, we can truly see that the Tree Report Card is accomplishing what it was intended for — tracking a few key indicators that measure the quantity and quality of D.C.’s beloved trees and raising awareness among residents, organizations, elected officials and the general public about the benefits of tree resources in the Nation’s Capital.

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Spotlight Citizen Forester Kate Clarke Sets Amazing Planting Goals

By Casey Manning, Communications and Marketing Associate, Casey Trees | “I’ve always been really passionate about the environment,” said Kate Clarke, a 24 year old recent D.C. transplant from Hendersonville, Tenn. and a Casey Trees Citizen Forester. And this passion, spurred most recently by an internship with Inconvenient Youth, has flourished into an ambitious goal.

“What I want to do with my whole life is start a nonprofit to build, maintain, and protect forests globally. And the best way for me to really get going was to start planting trees. In ten years I want to have planted 2,000 trees.”

Ten years. 2,000 trees.

In this first year of this project, Kate’s goal is to plant 50 trees.

“50 may be hard this year but next year I’ll have all the resources in place to plant 50 trees easily. Totally out of arm’s reach, but that’s why it’s my goal.”

Her first memory of trees, growing up in the suburbs of Nashville, is a heartwarming one.

“We had a wood that backed up to our house, and a bunch of trees always hit my window. Instead of being terrified of the shadows they created, I absolutely loved them; I felt safe and protected. It’s this whole feeling I had growing up that was created by trees. “

and happy to actually be digging a hole in this very wet mud and it didn’t seem like hard work, despite the rain.

Everybody was just so happy to be there.”

And don’t think Kate will just stop when she hits 2000 trees. Her goal in life? “It’s literally to save the planet, however cheesy that may sound. I 100 percent believe that trees are going to save the world.”

Attending the Casey Trees 2014 Canopy Awards and hearing former D.C. mayor Anthony A. Williams speak of the District as the” City of Trees” inspired Kate even further. “It goes along with my vision – really taking the “City of Trees,” Washington’s name to total heart.”

“It’s my priority in life to plant trees,” Kate said with conviction.

Spend ten minutes talking to her, and it’ll soon be your priority too.

The world’s forests are safe in Kate Clarke’s hands.

Learn about the many ways you can get involved with Casey Trees as a Citizen Forester.

Her favorite tree planting thus far wasn’t quite the experience you’d expect. “My very first planting this season was at Garfield Park and it was in the rain. The ground was definitely muddy. But everybody in the group that I was working with felt so dedicated to being there

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Giving First inaugural Canopy Awards celebrated friends of the urban forest

By Elise Roberts, Events and Communications Intern, Casey Trees | After a week of rain, D.C. was gifted with a beautifully sunny day on Arbor Day Eve – Thursday, April 24 – just in time for the first inaugural Canopy Awards. Celebrated at the new DOCK5 at Union Market space, the Canopy Awards honored individuals making a difference today while raising funds for the tree canopy of tomorrow.

The honorees were four hard-working individuals who have contributed immensely to our work in the past twelve years.

Former Mayor Anthony A. Williams was honored with the Canopy Award for Leadership for his role in expanding protections for the D.C. tree canopy. Christy Kwan received the Canopy Award for Volunteer Service for her involvement not only as a Lead Citizen Forester, but also as a Team Leader and Tree Advocate.

Canopy Award for Partnership in recognition of her work in our ongoing relationship with Trees for Georgetown.

As guests arrived, they were treated to a signature cocktail of gin, champagne and lemon-lavender soda with a sprig of sage. Alternatively, local wines from Ingelside Winery in Virginia as well as beer from PBR and Great Lakes were provided. Buffalo & Bergen, a Union Market staple, was on site offering fruit and nut flavored sodas and egg creams.

As a special treat, Shake Shack debuted their new “Super Fry Frickle Dog,” a hot dog topped with alemarinated shallots, American cheese sauce and crispyfried Thai Basil Jalapeño pickles from Gordy’s Pickles.

An assortment of sandwiches were available, as well as delectable passed appetizers, including chicken and waffle bites and mini crab cakes.

Both before and after the ceremony, a myriad of activities were available to entertain. While some guests practiced their swing on the putt putt course, others perused the tempting packages in the silent auction.

Everyone enjoyed shuffleboard and lamented when they heard Giant Jenga crashing to the ground.

The Canopy Award for Education was awarded to Melanie Choukas-Bradley, author of the City of Trees and frequent instructor at Casey Trees events.

The Bumper Jacksons got the party started with their upbeat tunes and Andrew Lipke and the Azrael Quartet ended the night on a high note. At the photo booth, guests could strike a pose in Casey Trees gear.

Last but certainly not least, Betsy Emes was given the

As one guest commented, “it wouldn’t be a Casey Trees event without a yellow vest!”

To receive your complimentary tickets to next year’s Canopy Awards and our annual Fall Donor Event, become a Ally Member or above today!

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Sponsors AMERICAN ELM - $5,000

2014’s honorees proudly display their Canopy Awards.

5 SUGAR MAPLE - $2,500 Dock Five at Union Market served as a wonderful event space. ®

SYCAMORE - $1,000 BALFOUR BEATTY CONSTRUCTION BREMO TREES WHOLESALE NURSERY CLIFF ELMORE ARCHITECTS, PLLC ELMENDORF | RYAN LLC

PGP DEVELOPMENT LLC PNC BANK ENGINEERED WATERING SOLUTIONS RUPPERT NURSERIES, INC. SHAKE SHACK STOIBER + ASSOCIATES

REDBUD - $500 Guests enjoyed a wide variety of games, drinks and music.

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COMMUNITY PRESERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION ELLER GROUP GREAT LAKES BREWING CO. HARTLAND & CO.

LIMNOTECH MATT MCHUGH THOMAS ANDREWS ARCHITECTS TILTON BERNSTEIN MANAGEMENT U.S. BANK N.A.

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Technology & Research Partnership between private and public space key to urban forestNCE FUNCTION

By Dr. Jessica Sanders, Director of

Technical Services and Research, Casey Trees | An annual grading of the District’s urban forest requires commitment and understanding of why urban trees matter.

Although it is widely accepted that trees are good for a multitude of reasons, where we plant these trees matters. Unfortunately, this action is becoming increasingly difficult as development continues and access to soil decreases. Although trees have an amazing adaptability to a variety of sites and planting conditions, one thing remains true: a tree needs soil in order to survive.

The simple act of planting a tree in your yard has the amazing ability to influence not only your neighbors to do the same act, but also creates a plethora of benefits for all to enjoy.

A majority of the potential for canopy growth lies on private land; however, shifts in the District’s population demographics mean more young single adults call this city home. Predominantly renters, many of these residents do not have yards, which make public spaces in greater demand.

to actively engage in the community and cultivate relationships. Imagine Malcolm X Park devoid of a Sunday drum circle or Lincoln Park without a picnic. As renters increase, the need for public spaces has never been greater.

Tree-lined landscapes, like many of the public parks found throughout The District, serve as an extension of home; a way to create, relax, play and entertain in a natural setting by creating enticing landscapes.

As a member of this growing demographic that the city is made of, I find myself drawn to going out of my way to walk through enjoyable landscapes. These tend to be not only parks, but streets where the homeowners have planted trees and beautiful flowers.

As development increases, outdoor gathering spaces are threatened in a time where the need has never been greater.

Join me to keep these public spaces vibrant, and create parks even in our own homes. Thank a person for planting a tree on your way to work, and help plant some trees in different areas of the city.

Follow Casey Trees’ blog, Tree Speak, for additional mapping and GIS-related features by Technical Services & Research staff.

These spaces provide places

Meridian Hill Park Photo Credit: Flickr user — Elvert Barnes Photography

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Planning & Design DDOT’s New Green Book Will Help Grow Larger Street Treese Function Maisie Hughes, Director Planning and Design, Casey Trees | The D.C. Department of Transportation released new Green Infrastructure Standards on Earth Day. While design standards, comprised of technical design and engineering language, may not seem exciting to some, these new standards are a game-changer for sustainability efforts in D.C. Going by the nickname of the “Green Book,” DDOT’s Green Infrastructure Standards dictate how all construction activities are performed within the public space of D.C. The Green Book encourages design practices that will grow larger trees by requiring more soil volume for street trees and create cleaner rivers by encouraging stormwater capture.

Tree canopy provides many of the environmental benefits needed to create sustainable cities. Tree canopy shades and cools streets, captures rainwater, cleans the air and releases both water and oxygen into the air. Large trees with healthy canopies are essential to realizing the environmental potential of trees.

Arborists have determined that the more soil you give a tree’s roots, the larger the tree’s trunk and crown will grow. DDOTs Green Book promotes tree growth by requiring 1,500 cubic feet of soil for large trees, 1,000 cubic feet of soil for medium trees and 600 cubic feet of soil for small trees.

In addition, the Green Book contains standards and specifications for designing tree spaces to capture

stormwater along the roadway and create excellent soils for trees.

The Green Book also includes a list of trees and plants suited for D.C.’s streets and for projects that capture stormwater.

Two of the many trees of interest in the Green Book include: Kentucky Coffee Tree • Gymnocladus dioicus ‘Stately Manor’ • The Stately Manor Kentucky Coffee Tree is seedless with a narrow habit. It has dark brown bark and bipinnately compound leaves.

• Height: 40-50’ Spread: 20-25 feet. Full sun.

Drought Tolerant. Native. Bioretention friendly.

Black Gum • Nyssa sylvatica ‘Wildfire’ • The Wildfire Blackgum provides excellent fall color and wildlife habitat. Also known as the black tupelo, it has a pyramidal shape when young and a rounded crown as it matures.

• Height: 30-50’ Spread: 20-30’. Full sun to part shade. Highly drought tolerant. Bioretention friendly.

Follow Casey Trees to read more about all the great programs to get involved that are helping increase the canopy of D.C.

FEAR OF THE KENTUCKY COFFEE TREE Recently, the PoPville blog featured a post where a D.C. resident expressed great fear at the Coffee tree’s poisonous traits. Fortunately, commentators with tree knowledge dispelled the reason for great concern. The Kentucky Coffee Tree is no more of a threat than many common plants.

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Education Tree care events help commemorate National Volunteer Week

By Katie Blackman, Volunteer Coordinator, Casey Trees | Every year, the nation takes a week in April to celebrate the contributions volunteers make to improving our communities.

This year, Casey Trees celebrated National Volunteer Week with three tree care events spread around the District. Working with 59 volunteers from Conservation International, CEB, the Advisory Board Company, the Student American Society of Landscape Architects at Virginia Tech and individual volunteers we were able to weed, mulch and water more than 70 young trees. The week culminated in the Global Youth Day of Service — a global initiative to celebrate kids and teens who make a difference in their communities — on April 11th.

Volunteers from the National Geographic and Legacy for Health partnered with students from Capital City Public Charter School to care for trees planted over the last several seasons at Takoma Recreation Center.

To fulfil a mission of restoring, protecting and enhancing the tree canopy, planting trees is a no brainer, but getting those trees to maturity so that they can become a part of our healthy canopy requires some help. These volunteers took time out of their week to do just that.

Split into weeding and watering teams, youth and adult volunteers cared for about 30 trees with good cheer and hard work.

Our work would not be as effective, or nearly as much fun, without all of you.

To celebrate another successful planting season, we are hosting a Volunteer Season Wrap Party on Saturday, May 17 at Takoma Recreation Center, among the trees our amazing volunteers have planted and cared for. This even is open to all and features live entertainment from Casey Trees staff, food trucks, games and fun! Please RSVP for you and your friends and thank our volunteers for their hard work in person.

Check Casey Trees’ events page for other classes and activities to enhance you tree knowledge in time for spring.

Casey Trees would like to thank all of our volunteers who plant, care, water, prune, advocate and educate.

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Casey Trees adds more than 100 trees to 13 D.C.-area schools

By Priscilla Plumb, Youth Programs Manager, Casey Trees | This spring, 13 schools in D.C. and Maryland participated in our School Tree Planting program. 344 students helped us plant 101 new trees at both new and revisited schools. We were happy to end our school planting season with a beautiful Earth Day planting in D.C., the season started with cold wintery weather and a few plantings with snow on the ground.

Casey Trees was excited to work with three schools in Prince George’s County: Drew Freeman Middle School, Gwynn Park High School and Robert Goddard Montessori School - to continue our work outside Washington, D.C. At Gwynn Park High School we worked with students who were part of the school’s new agriculture program.

These students are working on creating agriculture study plots on the campus, including a small fruit orchard we helped them establish.

In D.C. we planted with five schools as part of the City’s Sustainable D.C. initiative, in addition to several other charter schools all across the city. Several schools focused on planting native trees to improve habitat for native pollinators and some schools planted fruit trees to add to their garden spaces.

In Southeast D.C., we planted new shade trees with the 4th and 5th grade Young Marines of Excel PCS — an all-girls school — on a cold, blustery day. At E.L Haynes PCS, a kindergarten class enhanced their yearlong

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exploration of trees by planting new shade trees in the parking lot of the school. After more than a year and a half of planning, a project started with Neval Thomas Elementary School reached completion with the planting of new shade and fruit trees around the school, just in time for the completion of the schools new playground.

Students of all ages planted 11 trees at Washington Latin Public Charter School.

It has been a wonderful, busy spring getting students outside to plant in their school yards!

Find out more about Casey Trees’ youth educational programs online.

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Tree Planting Mission Critical: Increasing tree coverage on a military base

By Jim Woodworth, Director of Tree Planting, Casey Trees| In recent years, Casey Trees has had the privilege and opportunity to plant trees on several notable military installations in and around the District, including Fort McNair, the Old Post Chapel at Fort Myer, and the Soldiers and Sailors Retirement Home.

Our own 2012 land cover analysis determined that current conditions on Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling (JBAB) included 49.64 percent impervious cover, 50.36 percent plantable space, and only 8.54 percent tree canopy cover. As one of the most significant pieces of government real estate in the eastern part of the District, these 905 acres situated prominently along the eastern waterfront of the confluence of the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers, are in dire need of more trees. Casey Trees staff pondered how we might inject resources and draw attention to improve its tree canopy.

In September of 2012, we began discussions with a public affairs officer to initiate a rapid assessment and planning process to determine if increasing tree canopy was feasible. Our inquiry was met with unequivocal

interest from base command, acknowledging the many benefits and needs. But the ensuing due-diligence effort to seek the approval of a donation of trees planted required a lengthy journey of paperwork up the chain of command to the Secretary of the Navy. This was finally achieved in November 2013, and plans are underway now to plant 100 new trees this April and May in four groves of native shade trees across the base.

Trees in these environments can provide many benefits, from the environmental and biophysical to the social and psychological. Ameliorating heat island affect, reducing energy costs to heat and cool and mitigation of stormwater are all obvious benefits to the Department of Defense facing budget cuts and sequester but with environmental and energy obligations to be met. Trees can also provide a sense of dignity, honor, structure and order to a place, complementing (or in spite of) its building architecture and design.

The stress relief and sense of calm that trees can provide, to service members and their families working or residing on base, may seem more intangible at first.

Some military bases may have very unique land use challenges that can utilize tree cover. Trees and forest can conceal site lines, screen activities and buffer neighboring areas from training exercises.

Military bases can also have very difficult constraints to take into consideration and work around: restrictions on excavation due to soil contamination or unexploded ordinance; blast zones around munitions storage;

Jim Woodworth leads JBAB base staff in the military base’s tree planting celebrating Earth Day. Photo credit: Joseph P. Cirone, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling Public Affairs.

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designated flight paths and landing zones. JBAB has all of those constraints and more.

Historical aerial photography shows drastic changes in land use over time for both Naval Support Facility Anacostia and Bolling Air Force Base, dating back to 1918. The origins of military use on this site were for testing and flying fixed-wing aircraft in the early days of military aviation.

Now united under one command by Base-Realignment and Closure (“BRAC”) in 2010, JBAB supports 17,000 service members and their families, is home to numerous military ceremonial units, honor guards and bands, the Defense Intelligence Agency and the White House Communications Agency. Present aviation usage is now restricted to helicopters, including most prominently, the presidential helicopter detail “Marine One.” D.C. Water also has an underground tunnel construction alignment right of way for the long-term control plan for combined sewer overflows.

Nevertheless, despite high profile restricted areas, helicopter landing zones, and other land use constraints, there are plenty of opportunities to improve the tree canopy across the base. We have identified four areas that have passed muster with base command, landuse and environmental planners and public works personnel. Each will receive an initial planting of 25 trees appropriately chosen for the respective soil and drainage conditions.

One upland parcel will provide tree cover for wildlife, viewshed buffering from I-295, located in an out of the way location for long-lived canopy species to grow and thrive. Other locations focus on shading parking areas, pedestrian walkways and recreation facilities, putting trees where people on base will most directly benefit.

These trees will soak up storm water, buffer winds off the riverfront and help counter the heat island effect inevitable in place that is nearly 50 percent impervious cover.

A positive recent development speaks to the long term prospects for the JBAB tree canopy: an environmental engineering firm has been retained to develop an urban forestry Master Plan for the base. Though the existing forest is fairly diverse in species and age, there are some specific management concerns and recommendations going forward:

• Young trees require regular maintenance, watering, mulching and protection from lawn care equipment.

• Large trees require periodic inspection for pruning, removal, and following storm damage.

• Continued replanting over time to maintain a healthy diversity of native species and over time to create an uneven-aged diverse and resilient forest.

We are pleased to assist Joint Base Anacostia - Bolling with this installation of new trees, and we are optimistic about its future tree canopy.

Follow Casey Trees to read more about the great partnerships that are helping increase the canopy of Washington, D.C.

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Events Education opportunities abound in the spring Spring is a great time to enjoy a variety of continuing education courses and social events. May and June are full of classes, tree tours and social events to participate in. Become a Casey Trees Member to receive exclusive benefits, including advanced registration to events like these below!

TUESDAY, MAY 13

SATURDAY, MAY 17

WEDNESDAY, MAY 21

Social: Branch Out Happy Hour 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Vinoteca 1940 11th Street NW

Social: Volunteer Season Wrap Party 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

5th Street and Van Buren Street NW

Advocate: Tree Advocates Bi-monthly Meeting 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Casey Trees Headquarters

May will bring us the sunshine we have all been waiting for so we are going to the Vinoteca’s back patio for our next social hour. Join us for delicious food, an amazing wine selection and a game of bocce as we celebrate the beautiful weather and the end of the spring planting season.

To celebrate all the hard work our volunteers did to restore, protect and enhance the region’s tree canopy, we are throwing a potluck picnic in the park. There will be food, games, prizes and music!

Join our growing group of Tree Advocates. This month’s meeting includes presentations on upcoming actions throughout the District and how to become a more effective writer and speaker.

Cost: Free

Cost: Free

Cost: Free **No registration required

WEDNESDAY, MAY 14 Tree Tour: Riparian Forests Paddling Outing 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

601 Annapolis Rd, Bladensburg, MD. Join Casey Trees and Anacostia Watershed Society for a paddle night on the Anacostia River while learning about the ecology of the surrounding wetlands and forests.

Cost: Free **Early access to this event was offered to current Casey Trees members. Receive benefits like advanced registration, invitations to special events, and discounted tickets by becoming a member today!

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SATURDAY, MAY 17

SATURDAY, MAY 31

Class: Tree Basics 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The Conservatory at Four Mile Run Park 4109 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria, VA.

Family Program: Buds Story Time at the U.S. National Arboretum 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

U.S. National Arboretum 24th St NE & R St NE

Get to know the basics about trees!

This class will provide participants with a foundation of tree anatomy and physiology.

Join us for our new family program, Buds, a tree-focused story time aimed toward an audience of toddlers and preschoolers.

Cost: Free

Cost: Free

May 2014 | theleaflet

Volunteer

SATURDAY, MAY 31 Advocacy: ‘Speak Like a Pro’ Workshop 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Casey Trees Headquraters Being able to deliver an effective briefing or presentation is an essential skill for our Tree Advocates. The workshop will allow participants to prepare and deliver a brief presentation and receive feedback from peers.

SATURDAY, JUNE 14 Family Program: Buds Story Time at the U.S. National Arboretum 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

U.S. National Arboretum 24th Street Northeast & R Street NE Join us for our new family program, Buds, a tree-focused story time aimed toward an audience of toddlers and preschoolers.

Cost: Free

Cost: Free

TUESDAY, JUNE 10 Social: Branch Out Happy Hour 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Satellite Room 2047 9th Street NW Summer is coming and we are celebrating the season at Satellite Room, a 1960s themed bar and diner that serves up burgers, beer and some deliciously boozy milkshakes. And since it will be too nice to be indoors, we will be hanging outside on their seriously cool patio.

Cost: Free

theleaflet

SATURDAY, JUNE 14 Tree Tour: Summer at Casey Tree Farm 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Casey Tree Farm 2498 Briggs Road, Berryville, VA. Join Casey Trees and Shawn Walker of Trees 101, LLC for a tree tour at Casey Tree Farm in Berryville, VA. We will venture off our nursery grounds, the primary source source of the trees we plant across the DMV, and into the surrounding forest nestled along the Shenandoah River.

Cost: Free

| May 2014

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Arbor Kids

Tree Flower Discovery Spring has sprung!

Trees are starting to leaf out and bloom. Go on a walk around your neighborhood, park or school. Do you see these flowers on trees? Some tree flowers look really different. Explore your neighborhood to see all of the trees that show all kinds of flowers before they grow their green leaves. Look out for trees that grow their leaves right away.

Southern Magnolia Tulip Poplar Red Maple Yellowwood

Eastern Redbud

Sweetgum

White Pine 18

American Elm

Downy Serviceberry May 2014 | theleaflet