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Table of Contents I. Katrina Update II. Announcements III. What's Happening? |
At the request of tree groups affected by Hurricane Katrina, American Forests has launched a Katrina ReLeaf Fund to provide money for local communities to restore their tree canopy when conditions permit. In the meantime, American Forests is offering tips to help homeowners save downed trees in their yard. American Forests is partnering with universities and state forestry groups in the affected states; replanting will occur when conditions permit in 2006. Donations made to Katrina ReLeaf (http://www.americanforests.org/planttrees/) will be eligible for federal matching funds. All proceeds from a month-long promotion with the online auction service eBAY (see announcements below) also will be directed toward Katrina ReLeaf, American Forests executive director Deborah Gangloff announced. Groups already signed on as partners in Katrina ReLeaf include: U.S. Forest Service, Southeast Region; Southern University, Baton Rouge; Louisiana Forestry Commission; Louisiana Dept. of Forestry and Agriculture; Mississippi Forestry Commission; Alabama Forestry Commission; Alabama Cooperative Extension System; Mississippi Urban Forest Council; Louisiana Urban Forest Council; and Alabama Urban Forest Council. Those registering with the online auction service eBAY through Sept. 30 through the link http://amforsignup.com/ will trigger an automatic $5 donation to Katrina ReLeaf. [Back to Top]Saving Downed Trees American Forests, the nation’s oldest nonprofit citizen group, worked extensively with communities in south Florida in the wake of Hurricane Andrew. Lessons learned from Andrew can help those now dealing with Katrina, says Nancy Masterson, who served as American Forests’ rep in Florida. “We lost many valuable trees in the debris-clearing stage of recovery” after Andrew, Masterson says. “Had they been marked as salvageable, they could have been righted when time permitted.” Trees in USDA growing zones 8 and 9 “will show vigor and resilience if they are saved by replanting”—rather than allowed to be cut down. American Forests offers the following tips:
Big trees are a hallmark of the South and there were many in that bayou region before Katrina came calling. Some of these showpiece trees are national champions who set the standard all others of their species could only dream of achieving—trees with names like the Seven Sisters Live Oak that spoke of the sleepy exotic pull of that southern region. For now we can only wait and wonder at their fate. As the weeks becomes months, we hope to know more about what happened to these treasured trees. Next spring will bring a new edition of the National Register of Big Trees, and we hope to have the joys and sorrows of Katrina reflected in its pages. As it becomes possible we hope anyone with information will let us know how the trees fared either by phone, email or letter. We have compiled a list of the trees we are most concerned about, PUT THEM HERE OR ON THE WEB?; some may have been in Katrina’s path. If you have any information or photos of these trees, please let us know by email at info@amfor.org, by phone at 202/737-1944, or by mail at American Forests, PO Box 2000, Washington, DC 20013. In Louisiana:
In Mississippi:
In Alabama:
Take 3 minutes to help American Forests protect and restore forests. American Forests will receive $5 for every new registration with eBay from now through September 30. All eBAY donations will go toward American Forests’ Katrina ReLeaf Fund (see above). You have to use our sign-up page, so please forward the link below to your family, friends, and co-workers. Click on http://amforsignup.com/ and follow the easy 1-2-3 step process. Please help us protect, restore and enhance the natural capital of trees and forests. Every dollar donated to Global ReLeaf plants a tree. [Back to Top]The 2005 National Conference on Urban Ecosystems is open for electronic registration. Register by Sept. 30 to receive the early bird discount for the conference—Nature At Your Service—which will be Nov. 17-18 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The urban forest is an untapped resource that can help cities meet regulatory requirements for clean air and water while revitalizing neighborhoods and reducing the costs of building and maintaining infrastructure. Attend the conference and hear local and regional perspectives on the latest technologies, emerging public policies, and tools to put the urban forest to best use. Take home ideas for reconnecting people to your city’s natural resources. Note: Autumn conventions scheduled for New Orleans may try to locate to other cities due to Hurricane Katrina. Hotel rooms in Charlotte may be limited; book yours today. To reserve your room, click here. Or call toll-free 866/837-4148 and mention American Forests' National Conference on Urban Ecosystems. [Back to Top]Seed Collectors Wanted American Forests’ Historic Tree Nursery is looking for volunteer seed collectors. Jennifer Rankin works with tree lovers nationwide willing to collect seeds from nearby historic trees. This year the Nursery will thank seed collectors with a copy of the book America’s Famous and Historic Trees: From George Washington’s Tulip Poplar to Elvis Presley’s Pin Oak, which contains the fascinating stories of 13 historic trees. Contact Jennifer at 800/320-8733, or email jrankin@historictrees.org [Back to Top]The leaf is nature’s fragile creation and a source of power for all life. American Forests’ Historic Tree Nursery now offers notecards, bookmarks, and framed art of leaves hand picked from historic trees at Graceland, Mount Vernon, and Walden Woods, as well as a sycamore grown from seeds that traveled to the moon. The leaves are pressed and dried on herbarium paper using custom presses to draw all the moisture from each leaf. Each piece is as unique as a snowflake—no two are the same! Cards are $5 each or 4 for $15; Bookmarks are $3 each or 2 for $5; Leaf art is $55 per piece. Choose Mount Vernon Red Maple; Walden Woods Weeping Willow; Moon Sycamore; Elvis Presley Sweetgum, Sycamore, Pin Oak, or Weeping Willow. For more information or to order, click here. [Back to Top]
In mountainous Idaho, American Forests is helping the Nez Perce Tribe restore forestland in Clearwater National Forest that burned in a 2003 wildfire. The American Forests’ Global ReLeaf Forests grant made it possible for the tribe to plant 111,400 ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir seedlings over 340 acres of the Nez Perce Woods Property, which burned in the Mile Post 59 fire. The trees will improve water quality and environmental health, as well as restore the area’s wild beauty. Trees stabilize soil and decrease runoff, which will prevent sediment from accumulating in the Clearwater River. The Woods Property grant is one of 15 American Forests has awarded this year as part of its plan to plant 633,000 trees to offset the devastating effects of wildfires. For a list of all the 2005 grants—or to learn how to apply for a Global ReLeaf grant—click here. [Back to Top]Idaho’s Nez Perce Tribe is known historically for its generosity toward Lewis and Clark and its current conservation efforts on behalf of the endangered gray wolf. A 2005 American Forests’ Global ReLeaf Forests grant is helping the tribe recover from the 2003 Mile Post 59 wildfire, but there is much more land there that needs help. The tribe lost a total of 8,139 acres of forestland in the fire. The Clearwater River was included in the 17 million acres of the Nez Perce original territory. Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery crossed paths with the Nez Perce during its expedition in 1805; the tribe provided lodging, maps, canoes, accompanied the explorers downriver, and even took care of their horses for a year. The Corps awarded the tribe Jefferson Peace Medals. But that was before the fighting broke out. For more on the Nez Perce, click here. [Back to Top]Summer School Three Kentucky high school students used American Forests’ CITYGreen technology to analyze area trees, make summer money, and potentially save their county money while changing the way it uses green space, reports The Courier-Journal of Louisville. The 17-year-old Central High students—Chakiris Darvin, Duy Tran, and Hien Ton—collected information that will give Jefferson County with an estimate of how much money it could save within the next 10 to 15 years by planting the correct number and type of trees at schools and community centers at 16 locations. The project is an offshoot of an American Forests Living Classroom program at the school; that program taught students the mechanics for mapping and measuring the trees and their value. To learn more, click here [Back to Top]Greenery Sells Homes Tree planting accounts for a total community property value increase of $4 million, while planting a tree within 50 feet of a house can increase its real estate value by 9 percent, according to a Wharton School study. The study, by the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, analyzed the impact of greening on real estate values, accurately adjusting for differences in varying property characteristics, such as proximity to schools and public transportation, reports the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. “The Wharton research shows that a coordinated, effective strategy for greening a neighborhood can have a real impact, not just on the appearance of the neighborhood, but on the value of housing and commercial property,” said Steven T. Wray, deputy director of the Pennsylvania Economy League told the Society. “That increase is multiplied as individuals and businesses further invest in the community.” [Back to Top]A Real Tree House Imagine living inside a haven of intertwined branches and reading a book on a chair of bark. Wake up inside an insulated home, where firewood and fruit could be found without going outside. Richard Reames, author and “arborsculptor,” says a livable house grown from trees is possible and practical. “If it’s done right, a real living house that is weather-tight could be grown,” says Reames. Its insulation value would go up every year as the trees matured. These living houses would be almost indestructible and last for much longer than the life of the trees themselves, which could be hundreds or even thousands of years.” At Arborsmith Studios, Reames’ hybrid tree nursery in southern Oregon, he plants and sculpts hundreds of trees. When held in place for years, saplings will stay in a preconceived shape. By binding trees together, after shaving off some bark, the trees grow together from the point where they fuse. Reames has sculpted trees into peace signs, benches, and houses. “The tree itself usually has the best idea of what design it will take,” Reames explains. His work, along with that of other arborsculptors, was featured at The Growing Village Pavilion, part of World Expo 2005, which will take place from March until September. The expo, held in Aichi, Japan, featured 125 participating countries from around the world: http://www.expo2005.com/ [Back to Top]60 Feet of Cherries At 60 feet tall and an estimated 150 years old, Oregon’s state champion black tartarian cherry (Prunus avium) is a stunner. The species usually averages 30 feet tall with a crown spread of 12-30 feet. Even better, the Eugene, Oregon, tree’s small, purplish-black cherries have been deemed “a delight to the palate.” At this ripe old age, the tree’s enormous limbs are supported by steel columns and cables. Luckily, black tartarian cherries can survive for long periods of time by adapting easily to their surroundings, growing vigorously, and being resistant to brown-rot, a fungus that harms cherries. The Oregon Heritage Tree Committee has awarded it the “heritage tree” designation, which according to the Eugene City Council means it has “exceptional value to the community due to its size and species.” The tree, a survivor of an old orchard planted in 1860 near the Willamette River, is known as the Owen Cherry Tree and has its own web cam. Visit it here. [Back to Top]Big Tree Hunt Check American Forests’ website for the latest on its search for national champion trees. The biennial National Register of Trees is due out in spring 2006 and the nominated trees are now being measured and evaluated. Competition is fierce for the biggest tree in the nation for species such as white oak, Eastern dogwood, and Ohio buckeye. Click here to find out more about this popular program—and how you can nominate a potential national champ and appear in the Register. [Back to Top]The Doctor is Back Online Thanks to those who let us know there was a glitch in the address for asking questions of American Forests’ expert Tree Doctor. That’s cured now, and the Doctor is online at either Treedoc@amfor.org or Treedoctor@amfor.org. Look for questions—and answers—on our website soon. [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. |
