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Table of Contents I. Announcements II. What's Happening? |
The first 50 of 77,000 trees that will honor the memory of NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt as they help re-green the Charlotte area were planted in Sloan Park outside Mooresville in November. Mooresville is home to The Dale Earnhardt Foundation and Dale Earnhardt Inc; the Foundation is partnering with American Forests in the effort. The goal of the project: to restore trees to Charlotte and restore wildlife habitat, expand greenways and return trees to riparian areas in the 15-county region surrounding Mecklenburg County. The Foundation also is supporting American Forests' efforts to bring high-tech environmental education program to 120 middle and high school classes in North Carolina in 2006. "We are delighted to join with Theresa Earnhardt and The Dale Earnhardt Foundation to honor Dale's commitment to the environment-and to environmental education," said American Forests executive director Deborah Gangloff. "We hope race fans everywhere will join this effort by planting a tree in his memory." Plant trees for Dale: www.americanforests.org Celebrate. . . . . .the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King by planting a sycamore or live oak grown from the seeds of trees at Brown Chapel AME in Selma, Alabama. As a young minister, King used to make fiery speeches at Brown Chapel, where he gathered thousands for his peaceful Selma-to-Montgomery march that helped lead to passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. For more on these trees or to order, visit: www.historictrees.org or call 800/320-TREE. [Back to Top]A new species of dogwood discovered in North Carolina has been named in honor of native son and artist Bob Timberlake, a life member of American Forests. The parent tree was discovered in Thomasville in 1971 by Pierre Simmen, who nurtured the tree for years and in 2002 patented it with his sister, Caroline Domenig. Naming it for Timberlake honors his devotion to the beauty of North Carolina in the artwork he creates and also his work with Keep America Beautiful, Domenig said. The Bob Timberlake Eternal Dogwood is a vigorous grower and resistant to cold, drought, and mildew. Its blooming season generally begins a week or more after the average dogwood, and each blossom has from eight to 20 large petals-more than a typical dogwood. The siblings are retaining only a small royalty from the sale of the trees by nurseries in Kernersville (Fulp Tree Farm) and High Point (Gossett Nursery).
For sale: A historic bit of real estate that carries with it 1.7 acres of land, a plantation-style home, and the presidency of the Live Oak Society. The "Seven Sisters" live oak in Mandeville, Lousiana, the national co-champ for its species, and the property on which it stands recently went on the market for an asking price of $1.9 million. The site is near New Orleans with views of Lake Pontchatrain. The tree, thought to be several hundred years old, is listed in American Forests' National Register of Big Trees as having a circumference of 36 ft. 7 inches, a height of 55 feet, and a crown spread of 132 feet. To learn more about the National Register of Big Trees, click here. [Back to Top]Larson-Juhl, which designs, manufactures, and distributes custom picture frames, believes both in adding beauty to its works of art and conserving beauty in the environment. Its Global ReLeaf Forest Foundation has partnered with American Forests since 1994, supporting the planting of more than a quarter-million trees in nearly two dozen Global Releaf Forests sites in the U.S. and around the world. Larson-Juhl, a Berkshire Hathaway company, draws a parallel between the unique, individualized care afforded each Global ReLeaf site and the care it takes with craftsmanship, sending artisans worldwide in search of unique finishes, exquisite embossings, and intriguing patterns. The company has been making custom frames for more than 100 years and has grown to 24 facilities in the United States and locations in 15 countries worldwide. For more on corporate partnerships with American Forests, click here. To learn more about Larson-Juhl, click here. [Back to Top]Skiing Toward Success For the third consecutive season, skiers and snowboarders at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort will be able to help restore a wildfire-scorched area while enjoying time outdoors. Donations to Jackson Hole's Green Season Pass program support the planting of indigenous whitebark pine in the Targhee National Forest near Yellowstone National Park. The goal is to restore an area devastated in 1998's North Fork Fire. In recognition of their support, participants are given a unique lanyard for holding their season lift pass. Jackson Hole was the first U.S. resort to partner with American Forests, and the response has been impressive. The hope is that the Targhee project will be completely funded by the end of the season, in which case a new project will be selected for skiers and riders to contribute to. To learn more about the Green Season Pass, click here. [Back to Top]Nature at Your Service: Summing it up Urban foresters, planners, researchers, educators, GIS practitioners, and citizen activists gathered in Charlotte, North Carolina, in November for American Forests' 2005 National Conference on Urban Ecosystems. The theme, Nature at Your Service, aptly demonstrated how urban ecosystems can reconnect people to their urban natural resources. The spotlight was on the Carolina Piedmont Region, which includes metropolitan areas like Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, and surrounding smaller communities. All, regardless of size, grapple with an expanding population, decreasing forest canopy, and associated environmental problems. With an eye to those issues, conference sessions addressed how communities can plan for growth while maintaining environmental quality. Keynote speakers tackled that question from seemingly diverse perspectives: Paul Hearn of the U.S. Geological Survey showed how the value of nature is available to everyone via the National Map on the web. Michael Gallis, an architect, city planner, and successful consultant, described the need to put natural systems on equal footing with built infrastructure. The Reverend Fletcher Harper of GreenFaith delivered a luncheon keynote on the growing awareness of the bonds between faith communities and the environmental movement. Conference proceedings will be available in February. To order or for more information, email ckollin@amfor.org [Back to Top]The Doctor Is In Tree questions? Ask American Forests' experts. E-mail mailto:treedoc@amfor.org or treedoctor@amfor.org [Back to Top]Alaska Bound Join American Forests for a cruise to Alaska aboard Holland America Aug. 23-Sept. 6, 2006. Visit the Inside Passage, Juneau, totems in Tongas National Forest, Denali National Park, ride a domed sightseeing train through the wild Alaskan interior, and take a riverboat tour of Athabascan Indian Camp. And there's much more. Click here for information. Are You a Member? Help American Forests grow a healthier world with trees and forests. Your $25 membership plants 25 trees in a forest degraded by human or natural causes like hurricanes or wildfire. You'll also get a full year's subscription to the award-winning American Forests magazine. [Join Now!]Forest Bytes Don't forget to forward this information to friends or colleagues. |
