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September 2013
What Trees Can Do And what you can do for them
Casey Trees News in Brief
Summer Crew finished another successful season of tree care On Aug. 9, Casey Trees’ High School Summer Crew wrapped up their tree-care duties for the summer, capping off their final day with a graduation ceremony surrounded by friends, family and staff at the Casey Trees headquarters. The Summer Crew’s tree touch goals for the nine-week program were 4,700 trees total — 50 touches per truck and 40 touches per Water By-Cycle crew for every day out in the field. They crushed that mark with 5,776 total tree touches combined (3,765 for the truck crews, 2,011 for the bike crews). One of the interesting aspects of the crew’s experience this year were the three career development days, which provided crew members insight into the arboricultural industry and the career possibilities within it. Over the course of the program, the crew climbed trees at the U.S. National Arboretum with Steve Nagy, a veteran arborist with Davey Tree; pruned, potted and planted American elms with Barry Stahl at the National Park Service’s Dangerfield Island nursery; and practiced innovative planting and growing techniques — root sucker harvesting — using the Missouri gravel bed on our Casey Tree Farm.
Casey Trees News Treewise program sets new highs in third season | On Aug. 9, Casey Trees completed its third summer of TreeWise, the summer nature- and place-based outdoor youth education program. This summer was a definite success — 662 individual students from 24 youth programs participated in a variety of interactive and educational tree-focused lessons over the course of 29 program dates. This summer was also the first time TreeWise sessions were held at the U.S. National Arboretum, giving campers the opportunity to learn about trees and the outdoors in a natural setting that many had little previous experience with. Casey Trees Pruners to perform more work on Cherry Trees | Casey Trees is excited to once again offer volunteers an opportunity to help the National Park Service maintain their historic cherry trees in pruning events every Saturday in September. Volunteers who have recently attended Trees 101, Trees 201
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or one of our pruning workshops will be pruning the suckers, shoots that grow from a bud at the base of a tree or from its roots, that grow on the cherry trees and help ensure that the tree’s energy is put towards growing its canopy and beautiful blossoms. Consider signing up for one of these qualifying classes this fall or winter to be invited to help prune the District’s historic cherry trees in the future. Casey Trees announces arborist job opening in tree planting department | Casey Trees is searching for someone with one to two years experience to coordinate its residential tree planting programs: RiverSmart Homes and Tree Rebate. Applications should have a degree in arboricuture, horticulture, urban forestry, landscape architecture or a related field and International Society of Arboriculture certification is preferred. For more information, please see the official job announcement.
August 2013 | theleaflet
Visit Casey Trees at This Month’s Community festivals | Every year at community events and festivals across the city, Casey Trees educates citizens on the benefits of and threats to our urban forest. Additionally, items from Casey Trees’online marketplace are available fore sale and there are multiple ways for constituents to sign up to get involved. Join us this fall:
Urban Forestry News Tree Tags in California City Visualize Urban Forest’s Financial Benefits | The California Urban Forests Council is raising awareness on the benefits of a vibrant urban tree canopy using price tags with annual economic value of individual trees. The initiative uses the tree benefits calculator to determine the cost benefits, using zip code, tree species, diameter and land use nearest the tree.
Sunday, Sept. 9 — Adams Morgan Day Friday, Sept. 20 — PARK(ing) Day Saturday, Sept. 21 — H Street Festival Sunday, Sept. 28-Saturday, Sept. 29 — Crafty Bastards
In this issue... Spotlight: Changes to Casey Trees’ Board of DIrectors.................................................... 4-5 How Do you Stand Up For Trees?................................................................................................... 6-7 Fall Planting Season features community-building projects.......................................... 8 Forestry Conferences and Meetings Provide Forum For Ideas......................................... 9 September and October Event Calendar............................................................................... 10-11 Arbor Kids: Cooking With Tree Fruit (Good For Adults, Too!)............................................ 12
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Spotlight Board of Directors gets new look with additions, changes By Christopher Horn, Communications Associate, Casey Trees | Casey Trees recently elected three new members to its Board of Directors. With extensive personal and professional experience and a passion for urban forestry, our Board helps shape the future of Casey Trees. The new members include: • Claire Bedat: Originally from France, Bedat is an associate at the RTKL Planning and Urban Design group, Bedat works with planners and architects to define a set of guidelines that promote sustainable urban planning. • Sarah Harreld: Harreld is a senior accountant at Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP, a public accounting and consulting firm. A Louisville native who came to love trees while riding horses in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, Harreld brings her experience as an accountant to help keep the organization on sound financial footing. • Ulrich Hewer: A long-time Citizen Forester and donor, Hewer has coordinated three Community Tree Planting projects and regularly volunteers. He retired from the World Bank and has directed a masters-level economics program.
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We talked to each of the new members about their personal experience with trees and what they hope to bring to the organization. Q: What about Casey Trees made you want to be a part of the organization? SH: I have known of the organization for many years and am particularly excited about its sustainable business approach and its ability to serve as a model for similar organizations looking to cement their mission. UH: On a rainy Arbor Day in the early 2000s, I helped plant trees in Anacostia, where someone told me more about Casey Trees. I was conviced of the importance of planting trees on a regular basis and became a Citizen Forester. Q: What are your hopes for the organization moving forward? CB: I hope Casey Trees can reach its tree canopy goal and undeniably impact the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, its micro climate and ecological footprint, making us a model city. SH: Casey Trees has an ambitious tree canopy goal and I’m looking forward to being a part of achieving it. I also hope to see how the continued success of Casey Trees inspires other organizations and people throughout the country to develop similar programs to help preserve their urban forest.
August 2013 | theleaflet
UH: Casey Trees has grown enormously since its early days, continuing to deepen its cooperation with other civic groups with similar missions and raise its profile in the city. Educating Washington’s young and adult citizens about the importance of
planting and taking care of trees must remain a key component of Casey Trees’ mission. Read more about Casey Trees’ Board of Directors on Casey Trees’ blog, Tree Speak.
New Horizons For Casey Tree Farm Sean Cahill recently began a two-year term as President of the Casey Tree Farm. Cahill, a D.C. native who has worked in real estate development since 1984, was instrumental in the direction, planning and development of Casey Trees’ Brookland headquarters, including some of the site’s sustainable features such as the silva cell installation and the bioretention planters. Among Cahill’s first priorities is to build upon the ideas presented in the Casey Tree Farm Design Competition and set a course for expanded tree planting, research and land stewardship. In doing so, he would also like to see investments in research on multiple fronts — land, water, trees, vegetation and wildlife — and “get on a path of long-term leadership and a legacy for Casey Tree Farm,” he said.
Former Board Member Bids Farewell Former member Lew Rumford was a part of the Casey Trees Board of Directors for nearly a decade and, at one point, served as Board President. Rumford has been been integral in some organizational milestones: major growth in Casey Trees staff and programs, the launch of the Community Tree Planting program, the hiring of Casey Trees’ current Executive Director, Mark Buscaino, and the publication of Casey Trees’ innovative Tree Report Card, among others. “As board members, our job is to help set the strategic goals and encourage an organizational culture that will attract a great staff,” Rumford said, “and, by extension, a dedicated corps of volunteers.” Rumford will always remain a part of the Casey Trees family and expects to keep in regular contact with his former Board colleagues and members of Casey Trees’ staff. “I have enjoyed my time and I look forward to cheering for the future Casey Trees and all the people who will continue make it special.”
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Advocacy Tree advocacy and the many stakeholders and public agencies in D.C. By Emily Oaksford, Planning Associate, Casey Trees | An arborist, a surveyor and a bunessman walk up to a tree... What would you do if you had a concern about a tree but did not know who was responsible or what the environmental regulations were for that property? Furthermore, once you learned that information, how would you go about protecting this existing tree or encouraging more trees in the future? Because of the city’s various land owners and the diverse missions of local and federal agencies, a number of entities are involved in the regulations, decision making and management of land within the District. Before you can help Casey Trees restore, enhance and protect the tree canopy of D.C., you should know about the various agencies, organizations and individuals that impact them. Even in one neighborhood, there are many public agencies that have jurisdiction over trees. The Brookland neighborhood, home to Casey Trees’ Headquarters, is one example.
Land Ownership in Brookland
BROOKLAND NEIGHBORHOOD (Northeast D.C.)
Casey Trees Headquarters D.C. Department of Transportation - Urban Forestry Administration (DDOT-UFA) U.S. National Park Service (NPS) D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) D.C. Public Schools (DCPS)
stand up for trees To learn more about these agencies and how you can become a savvy advocate for trees within D.C.’s complicated political system, consider attending our Stand Up for Trees class on Saturday, Sept. 21. Learn about the multiple entities that manage and protect trees in D.C., then practice techniques for engaging these key District officials and agencies in order to help protect — or even increase — the tree canopy in your neighborhood and city.
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August 2013 | theleaflet
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DDOT-UFA UFA is a division housed within DDOT. UFA is responsible for establishing and maintaining a population of healthy street trees, which accounts for about seven percent of the tree canopy, or 125,000 trees.
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ACT: Contact DDOT-UFA via 311 with questions or witness violation reports regarding street trees. DDOT-UFA
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Barnard Hill Park Fort Bunker Hill Park
ACT: Weigh in on NPS decisions by submitting a public comment electronically on their website or attending a meeting regarding a certain park project.
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Turkey Thicket Playground Taft Recreation Center
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NPS NPS-owned land in D.C. totals approximately 6,800 acres. NPS properties include many large-parcel parks such as the National Mall as well as numerous neighborhood parks and green spaces across the District. NPS is responsible for the planning and maintenance of all forest resources on those lands. Environmental statutes such as the National Environmental Policy Act often require that NPS involve the public in management decisions for its land.
Bunker Hill Education Campus
DPR DPR facilitates urban recreation by overseeing the operations, improvements and programming of area parks, community facilities, swimming pools and recreation centers. DPR owns roughly 900 acres of parkland in the city, which is managed by the Department of General Services (DGS). This land constitutes approximately 10 percent of all parkland and open space in the city and includes some natural growth areas with trees. Major park renovation and capital improvement projects include public input opportunities. ACT: Voice your interests and concerns for park development or improvement projects by attending a public meeting. DGS D.C. DGS, established in 2012, is the key property management department for the city. DGS manages and maintains all D.C. land including parks, schools and other properties and facilities. DGS also oversees capital improvement and construction projects on D.C. land, which can have substantial implications for trees on these sites. ACT: Attend DGS public meetings to provide a voice for trees in the property management process.
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Burroughs Education Campus
Irving Street NE
Noyes Elementary School
To learn how to advocate on behalf of trees, take our Stand Up for Trees class on Sept. 21, learn more online or check out our advocacy actions and events here.
DCPS
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Tree Planting Fall planting season features continued effort to add canopy to east D.C. By Alison Shapiro, Communications Intern, Casey Trees | On Oct. 5, the fall 2013 Community Tree Planting (CTP) season, led by Citizen Foresters old and new, will kick off at the National Zoo. Roughly 265 trees will be added to 19 planting sites across D.C., Maryland and Virginia and more than 400 volunteers of all ages and abilities are expected to volunteer. Many of the community plantings will take place in the eastern part of the District, where tree canopy is at or below average compared to the District entirely. Of particular note is Fairfax Village, whose transformation from abandoned, overgrown basketball and tennis courts to vibrant community space, will be capped by the planting of 30 trees, including species of large canopy and fruit trees. Additionally, a planting at the Piney Branch watershed will restore habitat for neo-tropical migrant birds, whose numbers are declining. A planting at the Central Union Mission’s new location in Capitol Hill will add green to the barren landscape resulting from construction and will lighten the financial burden on the organization.
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This building in the Brookland Manor neighborhood will be transformed by the addition of 10 trees, including four large-canopy oaks
Casey Trees continues to add tree canopy — 53 trees total this season — to the grounds of public, public charter and private schools in the District, Maryland and Virginia, resulting in student benefits such as outdoor educational opportunities, food sources and campus beautification. General volunteer registration for all non-school plantings opens on Sept. 12. To receive advance registration to Casey Trees events, including plantings with volunteer opportunities, make a donation today.
August 2013 | theleaflet
Technology & Research Forestry conferences offer marketplace of ideas and best practices By Dr. Jessica Sanders, Director of Technical Services and Research, Casey Trees | Like professionals in any industry, forestry practitioners access a cross-section of knowledge and ideas from annual conferences and meetings. I had the opportunity to attend two: the week-long International Society of Arborists (ISA) conference in Toronto and the Urban Ecology Collaborative (UEC).
“Measurement and Prediction of Tree Growth Reduction in Parking Lots Based on Apparent Available Soil,” at a breakout session on the last day. The presentation was well received and the audience provided great feedback, including discussing my research with practicing landscape architects.
Urban Ecology Collaborative
ISA Conference This year’s ISA conference focused on strengthening trees and people through diversity. Highlights for me included:
An example of sidewalk construction and its impact on trees in Toronto.
• Hearing Researcher of the Year Cecil Konijnendijk van den Bosch present on innovations in urban forestry research in Europe. The session served as a window into the different management strategies and struggles that affect foresters around the world. • Matthew Wells from the New York City Department of Parks discussing emergency tree risk management during certain tree emergencies, such as Hurricane Sandy and the aftermath of a tornado in 2010.
The UEC meeting, held in Philadelphia this August, is a collection of urban foresters from various Northeastern cities and serves as a forum for members to discuss their city’s or group’s successes and failures and learn from
each. In addition to insightful discussions about trees and stormwater, one of my favorite aspects of my time at UEC was visiting the Philadelphia Horticultural Society’s pop-up garden, which was a great was to engage constituents in a temporary setting that showcased many trees. This summer has around such amazing people who we can all share and learn from. I look forward to taking what I have learned at these two wonderful meetings and put them into my own practice in the upcoming year.
• Among my favorite experiences at the conference was presenting my research,
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Events September and October events Fall features a great slate of classes and events, from workshops to canoe tree tours. Most events require advance registration; space is limited and waitlists are available.
Saturday, September 7
Saturday, September 14
Saturday, September 21
Class: Trees 101
Class: Trees 201
Class: Stand Up for Trees
9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Casey Trees Headquarters 3030 12th Street NE
9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Casey Trees Headquarters 3030 12th Street NE
9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Casey Trees Headquarters 3030 12th Street NE
Join us for this introductory course covering tree anatomy, tree identification and an overview of the benefits of Washington’s urban forest.
In this follow-up our Trees 101 class participants will learn more advanced tree identification skills and the process for identifying the right tree for the right place.
Learn how to advocate for trees in your community and turn your knowledge into action by becoming a Tree Advocate.
Cost: Free, CLASS IS FULL This is a Citizen Forester (CF)qualifying course.
Cost: Free, CLASS IS FULL
Tuesday, September 10 Social: Branch Out Happy Hour 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Jack Rose Dining Saloon 2007 18th Street NW
Casey Trees’ monthly happy hours are a great opportunity to meet fellow volunteers and Casey Trees supporters. Open to all!
Family Program: Tree Detectives at the U.S. National Arboretum 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. U.S. National Arboretum 24th and R Streets NE
Tree Detectives is a series of family-focused tree tours styled as scavenger hunts, best for families with children in grades 1 to 6. Cost: Free
Cost: Free This is a CF-qualifying course.
Sunday, September 22 Tree Tour: Treeathlon 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Olmsted Summerhouse on the U.S. Capitol grounds
Jump start the fall season with Casey Trees’ first-ever Treeathlon, a Washington, D.C. tree tour led by Melanie Choukas-Bradley conducted via bicycle, on foot and by kayak or canoe! Cost: $50, EVENT IS FULL
Cost: Free
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August 2013 | theleaflet
Saturday, October 5 Class: Tree Planting Workshop 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Smithsonian National Zoological Park
This workshop is the first step to becoming a CF Team Leader and helping Casey Trees at future plantings by instructing other volunteers! Team Leader candidates will learn how to select and prepare a tree planting site and properly plant the tree to ensure its survival. Cost: Free This is a CF-qualifying course.
Tuesday, October 8 Social: Branch Out Happy Hour 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Stetsons Famour Bar and Grill 1610 U Street NW
Casey Trees’ monthly happy hours are a great opportunity to meet fellow volunteers and Casey Trees supporters. Open to all!
Wednesday, October 9 Tree Tour: Unique Species at Smithsonian Gardens 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Enid A. Haupt Garden
Tour participants will learn from garden staff about some of the unique specimens present — some of which are rarely found in D.C. — and how these species were chosen. Cost: Free; 7 SPOTS LEFT
tHURSDAY, oCTOBER 17 Tree Tour: Fall Riparian Forests Paddling Outing 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Meeting location TBD
Learn about the ecology and surrounding wetlands of the Anacostia River on a paddle night with Casey Trees and Anacostia Watershed Society. Cost: Free; 5 SPOTS LEFT
Cost: Free
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Arbor Kids Cooking with tree fruits We’ve been planting a variety of fruit trees at schools and community gardens over the years. Two lowermaintenance fruit trees we plant are the pawpaw and the fig. Both fruits, which ripen this time of year, are delicious and often best eaten raw right off the tree. But if you’re feeling adventurous here are a few recipes for your fruiting trees.
Pawpaw cookies with black walnuts Ingredients 3 /4 cup puréed pawpaw pulp 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 /2 teaspoon baking powder 1 /4 cup butter 1 /2 cup brown sugar 1 egg 1 /2 cup black walnuts Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease one large cookie sheet. Peel and seed fresh pawpaws and purée in a food processor until fine. Sift together the flour and baking powder and set aside. Cream the butter and sugar. Add the egg. Add the flour mixture and then add the pawpaw pulp. Chop half the nuts (reserve 16 pieces) and blend them in. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheet and press a piece of black walnut onto the top of each cookie. Bake 12 minutes or until brown across the top. Makes about 16 cookies.
Recipes: Pawpaw recipes from “Mountain Country Cooking” by Mark F. Sohn. Fig & lime jam recipe from Cooking Light, June 2010 issue.
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Fig & lime jam Ingredients 1 1 /2 - 2 cups sugar 1 /4 cup fresh lime juice 1 2 lbs. fresh figs, cut into /4-inch pieces (about 2 cups) Combine all ingredients in a large heavy saucepan; mash fig mixture with a potato masher until combined. Let stand 2 hours. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat; simmer 35 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken slightly, stirring occasionally. Cool completely. Cover and chill overnight.
Pawpaw custard pie Ingredients 1 cup 2% milk 1 cup cream 3 eggs 3 /4 cup sugar 1 cup puréed pawpaw pulp Mix together the milk, cream, eggs, sugar, and pawpaw. Pour the custard into a pie shell and bake at 450°F for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325°F and bake an additional 40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center of the pie comes out clean.
August 2013 | theleaflet