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Table of Contents I. Announcements II. What's Happening? |
It is the ultimate ISO ad: Tall, dark, and handsome--a potential star waiting, undiscovered, for that certain someone. This spring stretch your legs-and your imagination-and join the hunt in search of national champion trees, the largest of 826 of America's native and naturalized species. American Forests, is both the founder and the keeper of the National Register of Big Trees, established in 1940. At American Forests' website you can download a list of trees without champs, where they are found; a description of how to measure a tree; a nomination form; and the name of your state coordinator, who can answer questions and receive nominations. Information about the current champs-including some photos-is also available at the site. Nominations are being accepted for the 2006-2007. Register until August 1. [Back to Top]Restore Forests with Native Trees Know of a forest that needs trees? Apply for a Global ReLeaf Grant to restore the forest with native trees; deadline extended to September 1. American Forests is always looking for quality tree-planting projects to be funded by our Global ReLeaf Forests ecosystem restoration program. For more information click here: www.americanforests.org/global_releaf/grants/. [Back to Top]The 2005 National Conference on Urban Ecosystems program is now available on American Forests' website. More than 45 presentations will highlight the theme Nature at Your Service. Learn how trees can help people reconnect to their city's natural resources, meet regulatory requirements for clean air and water, revitalize neighborhoods, and reduce the costs of building and maintaining infrastructure. The conference will be held November 17-18, 2005 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Early-bird registration rate (through Sept. 30) is $350. The deadline for conference room rates at the Westin Charlotte (www.westin.com; type in Charlotte, NC) is Oct. 14. [Back to Top]Banking Rolls New Standard The Equator Principles, a new banking industry standard, evaluates potential project threats to forest, habitats, and indigenous people, to "promote responsible environmental stewardship and social responsible development." Thirty private banks have signed the principle standard, including Bank of America, Citigroup, and JPMorgan Chase, according to Time. "The private financial sector more than any other has the ability to begin the ecological U-turn modern society so desperately needs," says Ilyse Hogue, director of the Rainforest Action Network's global finance campaign. JP Morgan Chase, the US's second largest bank, introduced protection policies for forestry and indigenous people and announced it would block funding that could be used for illegal logging. Protesters demonstrated in Chicago and New York City in April, accusing the bank of assuming financial responsibility for illegal logging in Indonesia and funding a mining operation in Peru tied to human-rights abuses. [Back to Top]Confused but curious about pruning? Baffled by bugs? Stumped by a tree ID? American Forests' Tree Doctor is in and online. Send your questions to our resident expert at treedoctor@amfor.org and we'll respond directly to you. We'll also be putting some Tree Doctor questions and answers on our website. [Back to Top]What do you consider to be the top forest issue of today?
Send your responses to forestbytes@amfor.org [Back to Top]
American Forests Crosses the Pond A crossing from New York City to Southampton, England, on the newly launched Queen Mary 2-and touring the castle gardens of England, was the trip of a lifetime. An adventurous group of American Forests members steamed out of port in New York on May 28 with Executive Director Deborah Gangloff. Her lectures on American Forests and its tree programs rounded out the mornings on the ocean liner. After five days aboard the ship, which boasts a casino, spa, several swimming pools, numerous restaurants, a winter garden, and a fully stocked library, the group spent five days touring castles and gardens around London, England. London and its surroundings boast plenty of London Plane trees and basswood, which they call lime trees. Ginkgos grace the city streets, as do white and red buckeyes, still in bloom during our visit. There are many fabulous trees at Kew Gardens, but none more striking than those remaining from the original 1762 planting of Kew. The Old Lions, as they are called, include a ginkgo (Ginkgo bibola), Japanese pagoda trees (sophora japonica), and the oriental plane (Platanus orientalis). These ancient trees have stood the test of time at Kew. A newcomer, the wollemi pine recently discovered in a valley deep in Australia, was thought extinct for 90 million years. The folks at Kew have been secretly propagating it for the last six years. This trip was so successful that American Forests is planning a cruise to Alaska in August 2006. Join American Forests and its members on that trip by visiting www.cruisevanguard.com. [Back to Top]Imagine a shopping center bigger than Mall of America, with thousands of shops, restaurants, theaters, and hotels, all powered without environmentally damaging fossil fuels. Commercial real-estate developer Robert Congel will use biodiesel (vegetable oil-based fuel) to power bulldozers and undertake this new "retail city" in Syracuse, New York, in June. DestiNY USA will be an 800-acre complex powered entirely by wind turbines, solar panels, fuel cells, and biofuels, at an estimated development cost of $20 billion, says the online Grist Magazine. Congel has rallied support from the U.S. Green Building Council, which says the DestiNY team has met every requirement and LEED standards, which are the council's building guidelines. "[Congel's] dead serious about making this into a world-class showcase," said Council President Rick Fedrizzi. [Back to Top]Students Reveal Tree Planting Strategies Five D.C. public high schools presented tree planting strategies at The GreenTech Education Program's First Annual Student Conference. On June 1, 2005 Casey Trees hosted the event which showcased schools who have benefited from the teaching of American Forests' ArcView GIS and CITYgreen software. The Casey Trees GreenTech Program engages teachers and students to investigate the economic and ecological benefits of trees in their own communities through advanced computer technology. Students use the software to collect and analyze data and develop a comprehensive tree planting plan for a select site, such as their schoolyard. For more information go to Casey Trees. [Back to Top]Century-Old Comrade Lost Palm Beach is mourning the loss of a landmark, a 90-foot banyan that was to be the focal point of The Society of the Four Arts' sculpture garden redesign. The century-old tree, which survived a lightning strike, sidewalk replacement, and invasive power lines, fell victim to hypoxylon canker, a fatal and contagious fungus, reports the Palm Beach Daily News. Futile attempts were made to save the tree by trimming 60 percent of its canopy, classified as diseased, and treating it with anti-fungal remedies. Officials said the diseased banyan made other ficus trees and shrubs vulnerable to the contagious fungus. Large limbs, one weighing 5,000 pounds, crashed to the ground as the fungus quickly spread through the banyan. [Back to Top]Cleaner Waterways The Environmental Protection Agency is enforcing a 30-year-old provision of the Clean Water Act that requires state and local governments to remove pollution from rainwater before it enters waterways, reports the Washington Post. Local governments are rushing to find affordable systems to meet the requirements; if not, stricter requirements for pollution limits could be instituted. The Washington Metropolitan area is on a deadline to restore the Chesapeake Bay's polluted water by 2010. State environmental agencies estimate the cleanup costs will total $30 billion, which will be footed by homeowners and businesses through increases in taxes and water bills. One option for ensuring cleaner water might be found in the model of a curb- and gutter-free development planned for Gainesville, Virginia, by luxury homes developer D.R. Horton. Hopewell's Landings will have gardens with moisture-loving plants, mulch to absorb rain, paved streets five feet narrower than usual, shorter driveways, and deep trenches full of shrubs and stones to naturally filter and slow runoff. [Back to Top]Canal's Future Depends on Trees The Panama Canal, which comprises 40 percent of that nation's economy, depends on trees for its recurring use, reports the New York Times. Forested slopes along the Chagres River used to allow rainwater to soak into the ground and flow slowly into Panama Canal's water supply lake, Gat n Lake. The Chagres River watershed forest, home to 1,500 species of trees, was intact until 1950, when the US built a highway through the land, which triggered logging. Now deforested slopes cannot contain the heavy downpours that drench the area from May through December, and the overflow floods Gat n Dam and washes out to sea. Eroded sediment fills the bottom of the lake, reducing water storage capacity. Without an adequate amount of water supply in the canal, canal operators are forced to limit the number of lockages per day. The canal authority has instituted community education efforts to encourage Panamanians to preserve the watershed forest. The Native Species Restoration Project is attempting to restore the damaged watershed forest by studying ways to protect the watershed and restore native vegetation. The project is a cooperative effort between the Smithsonian Institution, Yale University School of Forestry, the International Development Center at the Kennedy School at Harvard, and other universities and agencies. [Back to Top]Beyond Emerald Ash Borer Seven hundred million ash trees across Michigan are at risk from the voracious emerald ash borer, and as eradication efforts continue, a federal agency is asking state residents to collect seeds for storage and eventual planting or possible cloning. Collection of the seeds of black, white, green, and blue ash-the four species most common in Michigan-began early this year and continues as the situation appears dire. The Natural Resources Conservation Service, a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is asking residents to help identify and collect the seeds as they fall in autumn and winter, reports the Transverse City Eagle. The Rose Lake Plant Materials Center, one of the world's largest gene banks, will send the seeds to the National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation at Fort Collins, Colorado, for direct planting or eventual cloning. "If that worst-case scenario were to come about, this would be one of the means of preserving those ash tree genetics for many generations," said John Leif, Rose Lake Plant Materials Center manager. The emerald ash borer, which feeds on the tree's inner bark, has also been found in Ohio, Indiana, and Ontario, Canada. Learn more: www.emeraldashborer.info. [Back to Top]A Texas-Size Restoration Effort Shovel in hand, thousands of volunteers join together once a year to plant an entire field of trees in the Rio Grande Wildlife Refuge. The Rio Restoration Event began in 1994 and since has planted over 131,942 seedlings on 552 acres. This year the event is set for October 15. Massive reforestation efforts by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and American Forests began after the wildlife habitat of the Texas Lower Rio Grande watershed dropped below 5% of its original size. Throughout autumn, tree planting continues, gradually restoring the wildlife refuge to a pristine ecosystem. If you wish to volunteer at the Rio Reforestation Event on October 15, 2005, call Pati Alexander at (956) 784-7632 for more information. [Back to Top]Are You a Member? You can do your part to help the environment today by joining AMERICAN FORESTS. Not only are 25 trees planted for you in a damaged ecosystem or forest restoration project, but you will also receive:
Join Today! Visit http://www.americanforests.org/ Forest Bytes Don't forget to forward this information to friends or colleagues. |
