the leaflet MARCH 2014 Spring’s Offerings A look ahead — new events, friends and plantings coming soon.
Mar 17, 2016
theleafletMARCH 2014
Spring’s OfferingsA look ahead — new events, friends and plantings coming soon.
2 March 2014 | theleaflet
CASEY TREES NEWS IN BRIEF
CASEY TREES NEWS
COMMUNICATIONS STAFF MEMBER DEPARTS CASEY TREES | Christopher
Horn, a creative pillar within the Communications
and Development Department for more than three
years, has left Casey Trees. Horn took his wealth of
communications and urban forestry knowledge to a
challenging new role as Director of Communications
at American Forests. Horn leaves behind trademark
contributions, such as his stewardship of The Leaflet, a
knack for community relationships and a token flair for
creating inspiring events and tasteful content. Casey
Trees wishes Christopher the best in all his future
endeavors!
DR. JESSICA SANDERS REPORTS ON TREE GROWTH EXPECTATIONS IN NEW STUDY | Casey Trees’ own Jessica Sanders, PhD
and Jason Grabosky, PhD, of Rutgers University,
published a study in the Urban Forestry & Urban
Greening journal evaluating the potentially reduced
growth expectations of five tree species found in
New Jersey parking lots. Factors such as tree height,
diameter at breast height, canopy radius and apparent
available soil were used to evaluate growth trends.
With the support of the District Department of the Environment, the
RiverSmart Homes program is taking aim at another strong planting
season as Casey Trees’ Tree Planting team is gearing up to plant 350 trees
on residential property across the District.
To prepare, Arborist Marty Frye has been meeting with homeowners since
October 2013 to develop personally tailored planting plans that will both
beautify their yards and help reduce stormwater runoff into the District’s
waterways. Casey Trees congratulates homeowners who have chosen to
plant trees on their property and help restore the tree canopy of the District. RiverSmart Homes participants will
benefit from a diverse lineup of 32 native species in the upcoming season, with trees being selected from the
Casey Tree Farm and regional partner nurseries.
RiverSmart Homes program readies for the spring season
The study concluded that across different parking lots,
reductions in tree size were consistently associated
with reduced apparent soil access.
TREE PLANTING CREW TAGS CASEY TREE FARM STOCK | The Tree Planting team, along with
Casey Tree Farm staff, has begun collecting, tagging,
and cataloging farm trees using Casey Trees’ new
mobile tree tracking application. (Read more about the
app on page 10). The trees will be carefully monitored
and tagged from the beginning of their lives until
well into the long years to come. For the spring 2014
season, a record 52 percent of trees to be planted will
come from the Casey Tree Farm.
POSITIONS AVAILABLE WITH CASEY TREES | The Communications and Development
team is seeking a CRM Administrator who will
manage Casey Trees’ Salesforce and Luminate
platforms while overseeing day-to-day operations. Our
Education Department is now accepting applications
for a TreeWise Camp Coordinator and Outdoor Educator. The seasonal position runs from May to
August 15, 2014. The Camp Coordinator will support
the TreeWise program through lesson development
and will help lead outdoor sessions across the D.C.
theleaflet | March 2014 3
metro region and at the U.S. National Arboretum.
COMMUNITY TREE PLANTING PROGRAM APPLICATIONS DUE MAY 1 | Community
groups interested in hosting a Community Tree Planting (CTP) event are encouraged to submit an
application by May 1 to be considered for the fall 2014
and spring 2015 planting seasons. Groups must have
locations for 10 or more trees on their private or public
property. To learn more about the CTP requirements,
just visit the application page where an online
application form is also readily available.
CASEY TREES ENHANCES LINKEDIN PRESENCE | A newly activated and redesigned
LinkedIn page will help Casey Trees better engage
with urban forestry and arboricultural practitioners
while building stronger business and personal
relationships. While posting basic information such as
job announcements, the page will share daily content
of interest regarding policy, research, and local and
national trends to D.C. metro residents, mid-Atlantic
foresters and tree enthusiasts alike. Also featured will
be Casey Trees’ weekly Treelines blog posts, which
highlight relevant industry information. Readers are
encouraged to follow, read, share content and connect
with Casey Trees in new ways through LinkedIn.
GLOBAL WARMING A FACTOR IN THE HEALTHY OF URBAN FORESTS | As
researchers and urban foresters alike acknowledge
the presence of a warming climate, attention shifts
to how trees and urban forests will respond to warming scenarios. Dr. Andrew Bell of the Chicago
Botanic Garden has studied many trees common to
Chicago’s urban forest and their predicted resilience to
climate change scenarios. Although many of the trees
studied would fare well, up to 20 percent of Chicago’s
common trees would not respond well to a warming
urban environment. The research points to a need for
dialogue when considering the trees planted today and
the conditions they will face as they age.
IN THIS ISSUE...
THE CANOPY AWARDS SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES GROW .......................................................... 5
SPOTLIGHT: CITIZEN FORESTER TAYLOR SHAW BRINGS EMPLOYER’S MISSION TO LIFE ............. 6
Q&A WITH TREE TOUR GUIDE CAROLE BERGMANN .............................................................................. 7
FURTHER URBAN FOREST UNDERSTANDIHG WITH PHENOLOGY..................................................... 8-9
NEW MOBILE APPLICATION DEBUTS TREE MAINTENANCE FUNCTION ............................................ 10
REDISCOVER THE TREE REBATE .............................................................................................................. 11
SOUTHWEST D.C. LOOKS TO EXPAND TREE CANOPY .................................................................... 12-13
MARCH AND APRIL EVENTS, CLASSES AND VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES ............................... 14-15
ARBOR KIDS: PROJECT BUDBURST ........................................................................................................ 16
URBAN FORESTRY NEWS
4 March 2014 | theleaflet
ARBOR DAY EVE
04.24.14
HONOR. SUPPORT. CELEBRATE.
042414
YOU ARE INVITED TO THE INAUGURAL
CASEY TREES CANOPY AWARDS Recognizing those making a difference today, raising funds for the urban forest of tomorrow.
ARBOR DAY EVE
04.24.146:30 P.M. TO 10:00 P.M.
$45 ADVANCE SALES$55 AT THE DOOR
R.S.V.P. BY 04.18.14
per person
Food. Drinks. Games. Music. Prizes. Silent Auction.
ALL PROCEES BENEFIT CASEY TREES.
DOCK5 @ UNION MARKET1309 5TH STREET NE, W DC
Purchase tickets at caseytrees.org/canopyawards
theleaflet | March 2014 5
Giving
Distinguished partners join Canopy AwardsBy Mark DeSantis, Development Associate, Casey Trees | Without question, the talk of the town
these days has been the recent announcement of the
upcoming Casey Trees Canopy Awards on April 24.
A first of its kind for our organization and D.C., the event
will celebrate the people, projects and partners that have
made incredible contributions to our city’s urban forest.
Beyond a great celebration filled with food, games and
live music, we hope this annual event will serve as an
opportunity to expand our network of supporters.
Casey Trees has unveiled our newest sponsorship
program, specifically catered to the Canopy Awards.
From discount and complimentary tickets to on-site
signage to advertising space in our event program, the
benefits are incredibly unique and can be catered to
your business’ philanthropic goals. And it doesn’t take
much, with levels starting at just $500.
Do not miss out on what is sure to be a truly fantastic
event. With roughly 300 people scheduled to attend, the
Casey Trees Canopy Awards is a great opportunity to
meet and greet our city’s best and brightest tree-lovers.
You will notice we have already secured some incredible
sponsors for the event — you can join:
Explore what opportunities are available to you and your
business by going online or contacting us by email. All
proceeds of the Canopy Awards will go to Casey Trees
and our tree planting and education initiatives across the
region.
We hope to see you there for what will be a milestone
event for Casey Trees and our city!
GIFT THROUGH THE SILENT AUCTIONIf a sponsorship doesn’t interest you, don’t worry
– you can still help! If you or your business would
like to donate an item or service to the night’s silent
auction to make it even better, please let us know!
Any gift will help our efforts.
The Casey Trees Canopy Awards will take place on April 24, 2014 at Dock5 @ Union Market from 6:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Tickets are available for $45.00 per person. If you prefer to register over the phone, or cannot attend but would like to make a donation, please contact our Development Department at 202.349.3471.
5®
6 March 2014 | theleaflet
Spotlight
National Geographic designer uses magazine’s mission as daily inspirationBy Max Lopatnikov, Communications Intern, Casey Trees | What is cool about Casey Trees?
Citizen Forester Taylor Shaw thinks it is the fact that
we trust strangers to wield pickaxes.
After moving to the District in 2010, Shaw and a friend
volunteered with Casey Trees and she was hooked after
having a great time planting trees, where she began
honing her pickaxe skills.
“Casey Trees gives me all the resources I need to
show up, get my hands dirty, and give back to my local
environment,” she said.
Shaw now has a rich résumé with Casey Trees. She
will act as Lead Citizen Forester for the first time at
this spring’s Rosedale Conservancy Community Tree
Planting (CTP) event. Also of note, Shaw has helped
organize Casey Trees and National Geographic
volunteer days, including previous Clean Up the World
Day events with the Embassy of Australia and an
upcoming Global Youth Service Day event in April.
As a Production Artist at National Geographic, Shaw
uses her youth, creativity and design skills to help brand
and promote the conservation efforts that the magazine
represents. Working at a place whose mission is to
“inspire people to care about the planet” creates the
desire to get out and put that philosophy to use.
“I receive a daily dose of inspiration,” she said of how her
work life impacts her personal life.
Shaw knows that volunteering with Casey Trees can
be a fun and challenging activity for many people and
makes sure everyone knows that too.
As a Team Leader, Taylor Shaw leads volunteers at CTP events, such as the one above in Ward 5’s Brookland Manor neighborhood in October 2013.
“Volunteering with Casey Trees creates a unique
opportunity because you contribute your time in a way
that will continually give back to your city,” she said.
“For example, three hours on a Saturday can yield years
of beauty, shade, air quality improvement and prevention
of water runoff. The input-to-output ratio is insanely
rewarding.”
Want to become a Citizen Forester Team Leader? Register for the Tree Planting Workshop on Mar. 8 at The Catholic University of America and attend two more plantings in the spring season.
theleaflet | March 2014 7
Local ecologist Carole Bergmann shares wisdom with Casey TreesCarole Bergmann is a Forest Ecologist for the Maryland
National Capital Parks & Planning Commission and
a longtime resident of the D.C. metro area. On March
23, Bergmann will lead a tree tour at Great Falls. We
spoke with her about forest ecology, public engagement
and her favorite places to see trees in the region.
Q: What are the most important facts you would tell someone to remember about forest ecology?
A: Forests — mature, contiguous forests — are so
important and their value cannot be understated. Deer
pressure and non-native invasive overgrowth are serious
issues in most urban forests in the Mid-Atlantic today.
Forest managers were once able to set aside a parcel
and leave to naturally regenerate itself. Over time, the
forces of nature would do their work and the various
successional stages would lead to a mature forest with
habitat levels for a variety of flora and fauna. That is no
longer the case. When doing some type of building or
infrastructure development, think twice about cutting
down trees in your way. Sure, you can replant them,
but you can’t just plant a group of trees any more and
expect to have a new, healthy forest in 25 years.
Q: Your Weed Warriors program has helped to resolve invasive plant problems in Maryland forests. What is the best way to engage the public about tree care & health?
A: The best way to engage people is through education
and empowerment. I think that people do generally care
a lot about trees, and the health of their forests. The
Education
more they learn, the more important it becomes to them
to protect these resources. The more they comprehend
and realize that they can help and make a difference,
the better for them personally and for the natural
world. I think that Casey Trees does a good job by both
educating people about the importance of protecting
our resources, and empowering them by teaching
them what they can do, and providing opportunities to
volunteer planting trees, etc.
Q: What are your own favorite parks, forests and trees in and outside D.C.?
A: That is a very broad question to be asking someone
like me! The Potomac River, and all of the lands and
forests that surround it, are extremely special to me. I
think that we who live in the D.C. area are exceedingly
lucky to have this river, to have such a place where you
can go in any season and be — quite simply — uplifted.
Some of my favorite parks include the National
Arboretum and Rock Creek Park in D.C. I also enjoy
visiting Little Bennett Regional Park (Md.), C&O Canal
National Historic Park (Md.) and Great Falls Park (Va.).
But there are many more!
I love native Mid-Atlantic tree species such as the
tuliptree and sycamore, but also sassafras, ginkgo,
Additional information about online, classroom and outdoor educational opportunities can be accessed on the website or found on pages 14 and 15.
8 March 2014 | theleaflet
Education
By Stephanie Juchs, Community Education Coordinator, Casey Trees | Spring time in
Washington, D.C. is often unofficially marked with the
blooming of the city’s historic cherry trees. While these
blooms provide some gorgeous photo opportunities,
they also tell the tale of how cherry trees are reacting to
weather and climate patterns over time.
The study of the timing of seasonal life-cycle events,
such as the cherry tree blossoms, and how these
events are influenced
by variations in weather
and on a longer time
scale by climate is called
phenology.
Washington, D.C. provides
a wonderful example of
the long-term monitoring
of phenology and its
practical applications
with the city’s National Cherry Blossom Festival, which is
scheduled to coincide
with the blossoming of
the District’s historic cherry
trees. The tree’s blossoming is highly correlated with
weather conditions, and National Park Service records
of bloom dates, going back to the 1920s, suggest an
average advance in the bloom date that is noticeable
thanks to this long-term monitoring.
Here at Casey Trees we hope to encourage D.C.-area
residents’ interest in phenology to move beyond the
cherry blossoms to the numerous other species found
in the District. Through monitoring, our constituents
can be on the forefront of investigating tree phenology
in the region and add to the growing national dataset
of phenological observations that can later be used to
investigate climate trends.
Casey Trees recognizes
the threat that climate
change will pose to our
urban forest and how a
changing environment
might necessitate us
to alter some of our
practices as well as our
planting palate. We are
interested in tracking the
timing of phenological
events, such as leaf out,
fruiting, fall color and
leaf drop, on several tree
species in the D.C. area,
including American elm,
blackgum, northern red oak, pin oak, red maple,
sweetbay magnolia, sweetgum and tuliptree.
Our hope is that our constituents, armed with their tree
identification and anatomy knowledge, will learn to
notice the seasonal changes that occur on these trees
Volunteer’s contribute to understanding of D.C.’s Phenology
Acer rubrum samara — the fruit of red maples.
theleaflet | March 2014 9
throughout the year and become
attuned to how these changes are
tied to weather and climate patterns.
With this goal in mind, we are partnering with the USA-
National Phenology Network to have our educated
volunteers monitor tree phenology in the metropolitan
area. We are kicking off this new program on the first
weekend of spring with a training session to teach how
to monitor phenology at newly established Casey Trees
monitoring sites or anywhere else in the region where
our species of interest occur.
At these sites, participants will be trained on how to
make observations — ideally around once a week during
the spring and fall, with potentially fewer observations
during the dormant season — of the presence or
absence of specific phenophases (did you see breaking
buds? Or leaves? Or colored leaves?).
Those who wish to provide more in-depth information
will gain the skills to additionally report on the intensity
of the phenophases, such as an estimate of the
percentage of leaves unfolded on each observation visit.
A special invitation to this training session was sent to
our Citizen Foresters that have taken our introductory
classes and are now equipped with the background
knowledge that would be helpful when monitoring.
In the long term, this citizen science-based research will
help inform our organizational practices and advance
the field of urban forestry as we learn how the species
in Washington, D.C. are responding to climate variability
and, over a longer period, to climate change. Additionally,
as our organization expands regionally and continues to
have a presence in Berryville, Va., home of Casey Tree Farm, we hope to expand our monitoring activities and
learn whether the timing of these phenological events
might differ in urban areas when compared with the
surrounding suburban and rural land types.
We are excited to launch this new endeavor and utilize
the knowledge and expertise of our volunteers to
further our own understanding of our urban forest and
inform our practices. Be on the lookout for our landing
page (still under construction) on the USA-National
Phenology Network webpage and for more training
opportunities in the future!
Flowers and twigs of the American sweetgum
(Liquidambar styraciflua).
Check Casey Trees’ events page for other classes and activities to enhance you tree knowledge in time for spring.
10 March 2014 | theleaflet
Mobile application shines with tree maintenance featureNANCE FUNCTION
By Michael Potts, GIS Analyst, Casey Trees | Maintenance activities such as pruning, watering and
mulching can really make the difference between a
tree’s survival and death, especially in its first few fragile
years in the city.
With our new mobile tree tracking app,
tree care is conveniently tracked using
an intuitive interface. Additionally, users
can record if a tree should be revisited
for additional work. Our previous
system allowed for a limited amount
of maintenance tracking (pruning and
general condition only), but was only
recorded on a last-visited basis, meaning
that if someone revisited a tree, the old
maintenance data would be overwritten.
Using our new app, a user can record
maintenance activity on a single tree or
on multiple trees at once. If the tree still
has its QR code tags, the app can scan
the tree into our database. With GPS
functionality given by the app, the user
can easily find where they are on the
ground in relation to trees on the map,
so they can be sure they are selecting
the right trees.
THE MAINTENANCE ACTIVITY SELECTOR
With the trees visited listed at the top, work performed
at the “Current Visit” and work for the “Revisit”. The user
must select at every visit the current condition of the
tree and pruning performed
from convenient dropdown
menus. They can also select
whether they mulched,
watered, or staked the tree
and whether they installed,
filled, or removed the tree’s
water bag.
Despite the greater ease
of recording maintenance
information when compared
to our previous system, a
noteworthy new feature
allows the crew to record
problems that may need to be
addressed in the future for a given tree. These problems
could include a need for pruning, staking, mulching,
watering, or even tree replacement.
Back in the Casey Trees headquarters, we can query
the tree database to get a list of trees that need to be
revisited for different types of work along with their
locations. This strategy makes it easy to plan where to
send our Tree Planting team to perform various activities
and maximize our resources to better care for trees.
With these tech-savvy assets, recording a tree’s
condition and other attributes at each and every visit
gives Casey Trees an invaluable degree of control
towards caring for all our trees over time.
Technology & Research
If tags are missing, the user can select the tree of interest by drawing a box around it in the map view as shown in the inset image.
For more creative examples of work from the Technology and Research team, explore the informative maps created from tree data.
theleaflet | March 2014 11
Tree Planting
Casey Trees offers a collection of print and video tutorials on how to plant and care for trees.
By Marty Frye, Arborist, Casey Trees | Have you
heard of the Tree Rebate program?
Sometimes we may fail to recognize all the great tree
planting work that is going on right in the backyards
of homeowners across the city. Many Washingtonians
choose to get involved with our work by stepping out
their back door, putting a shovel into the ground and
planting a tree that they will nurture and watch grow for
decades to come. This noble act of nurturing a tree in
one’s own yard is vital to the effort to restore the city’s
tree canopy and develop its ecological integrity.
Through the Tree Rebate program, funded by the District
Department of the Environment, we help to incentivize
this work by putting money back in the pockets of these
home tree planters.
We take special measures to support the planting of
our most significant shade trees — take D.C.’s official
tree, the scarlet oak, for example — with up to a rebate
of up to $100 dollars. There are dozens more species
eligible for the $100 rebate, too! For homeowners who
determine they want to green their property with smaller
specimens, we provide up to a $50 dollar rebate.
Some homeowners are looking for an ornamental tree
that brings them a bouquet of blossoms in the spring
while others are hoping to support native wildlife, such
as butterflies and song birds, by planting uncommon
native trees. And still others find that they can add
Tree Rebate returns for spring seasonto their pantry with one of the many
productive fruit and nut trees that
thrive in this region.
The map to the right
represents the
hundreds of
homeowners who
have planted a tree
and received rebates in
return since the programs
beginning.
Do you have a neighbor who has planted
a tree and got a rebate? If so, great! Give
them a big pat on the back. If you live in
a part of the city with fewer trees, we are
calling on you to champion this important
work and let your neighbors know about the
Tree Rebate opportunity.
The benefits of trees are numerous and
the Tree Rebate helps make tree planting
accessible to anyone.
Many residents have received their tree rebates after planting a tree, but plenty of space remains.
12 March 2014 | theleaflet
Planning & Design
By Emily Oaksford, Planning Associate, Casey Trees | At Casey Trees, we are always looking for ways
to restore, enhance and protect trees in D.C., because
we believe that the environmental health, social vibrancy
and economic well-being of communities can be
enriched with a greater tree canopy.
The DC Office of Planning is undergoing a community
planning process to develop a Small Area Plan for
the Southwest neighborhood. They are enlisting
community input to “create an urban design, land use,
and neighborhood preservation framework to enhance
Southwest[‘s] assets for the next 5 to 10 years.”
Southwest is a well-established neighborhood located
south of the National Mall, defined in the plan as a
roughly 300-acre area bounded by I-395 to the north, P
Street SW to the south, South Capitol Street to the east,
and Maine Avenue SW to the west. The neighborhood
includes the Waterfront Metro station, is located just
north of Buzzards Point, and is in walking distance to
Nationals Stadium.
A magnificent, well-developed tree canopy helps to
define the Southwest neighborhood. But our Planning
& Design Department would like to see these areas
preserved and expanded. We performed a tree canopy
analysis to better inform the Office of Planning and
the area residents of the existing tree canopy and
opportunities for canopy enhancement in Southwest.
Based on our analysis, the Southwest neighborhood
currently has 25 percent tree canopy cover. Although
urban conditions often limit plantable space, the
Southwest neighborhood is unique in that it has the
potential for a fairly high tree canopy cover — 37
percent or greater, to be exact. Southwest’s potential
tree canopy lies in its public parks and roadways, shared
community spaces, paved parking lots and undeveloped
sites, which all provide untapped opportunities for large
canopy trees. Canopy trees, incorporated within green
infrastructure, can help meet the community’s goals for
the future — to integrate the neighborhood’s current
park and open space amenities and connect them with
the surrounding community.
In order to grow from 25 percent to its potential of 37
percent tree canopy, the neighborhood must cover 113
acres of its existing grassed land with canopy trees. In
other words, a total of 11,900 trees must be planted, or
1,190 trees a year over a 10-year period.
Of the 300 acres that make up the Southwest
neighborhood, more than 38.5 acres (12.8 percent) are
roadways and 68.3 acres (22.8 percent) are other paved
surfaces, such as sidewalks or parking lots. If nine acres
of paved parking lot areas were removed and replaced
with canopy trees, the Southwest neighborhood could
achieve 40 percent canopy, matching the District-wide
canopy goal.
Based on this analysis, our Planning & Design staff will
recommend that the Office of Planning and Southwest
residents adopt a 37 percent tree canopy goal as part of
the Small Area Plan.
A vision for Southwest D.C.: The Southwest Neighborhood Plan
Take part in shaping the canopy of Southwest by volunteering at the Lansburgh Park Community Tree Planting on May 3.
theleaflet | March 2014 13
0.10 0.2 0.25miles
Southwest Neighborhood: Existing Tree Canopy
Landcover Type (Percent Coverage) Existing Tree Canopy and Potential Tree Canopy AnalysisBuilding (21.6%)
Water (0.3%)
Roadway (12.8%)
Other Pavement (22.8%)
Tree Canopy Cover: 25% Tree Canopy / (Total Area - Water)
Potential Tree Canopy: 37% (Tree Canopy + Grass + Bare Earth) / (Total Area - Water - (Rec fields + PUDs)
Tree Canopy (24.9%)
Grass (17.5%)
Bare Earth (0.4%)
Recreation fields
Planned Unit Development sites
Potential Tree Canopy is assessed by assuming that Grass and Bare Earth areas have the potential for future canopy cover. In our assessment, we excluded some grass and dirt areas as potential locations for future trees. The areas excluded in the analysis are Recreation fields (DPR or DCPS)* and approved Planning Unit Development (PUD) sites.
NORTH
M Street SW
P Street SW
N Street SW
O Street SW
I Street SW
Sout
h Ca
pito
l Stre
et S
W
Half
Stre
et S
W
Firs
t Stre
et S
W
4th
Stre
et S
W
6th
Stre
et S
W
7th
Stre
et S
W
3rd
Stre
et S
W
Dela
ware
Ave
SWSouthwest
Duck Pond
Nationals Stadium
Waterfront
1 2
4
5
6
3
123
Jefferson Recreation Center
Amidon-Bowden Elementary School
Randal Recreation Center
Recreation fieldsLansburgh Park (tennis courts)
King Greenleaf Recreation Center (tennis courts)
King Greenleaf Recreation Center
456
14 March 2014 | theleaflet
Class: Tree Planting Workshop9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.The Catholic University of America620 Michigan Avenue NE
This workshop is the first step to becoming a Citizen Forester 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 Citizen Forester-qualifying course. (Waitlist available)
Social: Branch Out Happy Hour6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.El Rey919 U Street NW
March’s Branch Out will be at El Rey, a bar and taqueria and one of U Street’s newest establishments. Come celebrate with us as spring is only around the corner.
**No registration required
Tree Tour: Gold Mine Tract at Great Falls10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.11710 MacArthur BoulevardPotomac, Md.
Welcome spring with a hike through the Gold Mine Tract at Great Falls, the first forest in Maryland to be inducted into the Old Growth Forest Network. Join Maryland National Capital Park & Planning Commission’s Forest Ecologist Carole Bergmann and explore this exceptional forest habitat.
Cost: Free**Advance registration was offered exclusively to Casey Trees Members. Join today to receive benefits such as advance registration. (Waitlist available)
Tree Tour: Cherry Blossom Walk11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.Location determined upon registration
Join Washington Walks and Casey Trees for a walking tour recounting how Japanese cherry trees came to be planted in the District and the different varieties found in the area. The walk will also include up-close looks at other notable trees along the National Mall.
Cost: $20**Registration for this event is through the Washington Walks website.
Tree Tour: Frederick Douglass National Historic Site9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.Frederick Douglass National Historic Site1411 W Street SE
Celebrate the District’s Emancipation Day a few days early with a tour of Frederick Douglass’ home and the surrounding grounds! A morning tour of Cedar Hill, the former home of Frederick Douglass, will be followed by a tree tour led by City of Trees author Melanie Choukas-Bradley.
Cost: Free, SOLD OUT
Class: Non-Native Invasive Plant Removal6:15 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.Casey Trees Headquarters
This course looks at non-native, invasive plants and how they threaten native landscapes. Participants will learn how to identify and control invasives found in the D.C. area. The course consists of two parts on two different days: a 2.5 hour classroom session at the Casey Trees headquarters (April 23rd) followed by a 3 hour field session (April 26th) in Rock Creek Park
Cost: Free
Events
Tree tours and classes to enjoy this springMarch and April are full of classes, tree tours and planting events to participate in. Become a Casey Trees Member to receive exclusive benefits, such as advance registration to events like those below!
SUNDAY, MARCH 23SATURDAY, MARCH 8 SATURDAY, APRIL 12
TUESDAY, MARCH 11
SATURDAY, MARCH 29
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23
theleaflet | March 2014 15
Class: Non-Native Invasive Plant Removal Field Session9:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.Rock Creek Park
Field session for “Non-Native Invasive Plant Removal” class. The course consists of two parts on two different days: a 2.5 hour classroom session at the Casey Trees headquarters (April 23rd) followed by a 3 hour field session (April 26th) in Rock Creek Park.
Cost: Free**Registering for the classroom session automatically registers participants for the field session
Volunteer
SATURDAY, APRIL 26
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
5 Wednesday 9:00 a.m. Washington Latin PCS 6 Thursday 12:30 p.m. IDEA PCS 8 Saturday 9:00 a.m. The Catholic University of America 12 Wednesday 9:00 a.m. E.L. Haynes PCS 12 Wednesday 12:30 p.m. Cardozo High School 13 Thursday 9:00 a.m. Drew Freeman Middle School (Md.) 13 Thursday 12:30 p.m. Excel PCS 15 Saturday 9:00 a.m. Petworth Neighborhood 19 Wednesday 12:30 p.m. Gwynn Park High School (Md.) 20 Thursday 12:30 p.m. Capital City PCS 22 Saturday 9:00 a.m. Dumbarton Oaks Park Conservancy 26 Wednesday 9:00 a.m. Bruce Monroe at Park View 27 Thursday 9:00 a.m. Neval Thomas Elementary School 29 Saturday 9:00 a.m. Garfield Park 29 Saturday 9:00 a.m. Rosedale Community Garden
3 Saturday 9:00 a.m. Lansburgh Park 3 Saturday 9:00 a.m. Rosedale Conservancy
DATE DAY TIME LOCATION/GROUP
Volunteer opportunities are in blue. Citizen Forester-only plantings or trainings are in green.
Schools and special planting events are not open to outside volunteers. Advance registration for
volunteer events is required and many events have already filled up.
3 Thursday 9:00 a.m. Garrison Elementary School 5 Saturday 9:00 a.m. St. Joseph’s Seminary 5 Saturday 9:00 a.m. Shepherd Park 10 Thursday 10:00 a.m. Robert Goddard Montessori School (Md.) 11 Friday 10:00 a.m. Armed Forces Retirement Home 12 Saturday 9:00 a.m. Quincy Street Neighbors 12 Saturday 9:00 a.m. Edgewood Neighborhood 19 Saturday 9:00 a.m. Fair Haven Community Center (Va.) 19 Friday 9:00 a.m. Knox Terrace 22 Tuesday 9:00 a.m. Imagine Hope - Lamond PCS
16 March 2014 | theleaflet
Arbor Kids
Project BudBurstSpring is almost here! The trees in your neighborhood, park and school grounds will be changing a lot in the
next couple of months. Now is a great time to start monitoring those trees and tracking their changes.
The folks over at Project BudBurst want your help to gather observations on all kinds of trees and plants.
Help scientists across the country by logging your own tree observations and data online.
1. Pick a tree in your yard, neighbor-
hood, or school grounds.
2. Get identification tips from
Budburst.
3. Download an observation sheet for your favorite tree. Monitor
the same tree once or throughout a
whole season!
Date
Leaves unfolding____ No leaves
____ Early: Only a few leaves have unfolded from the buds (less than 5%)
____ Middle: Many leaves have unfolded from the buds
____ Late: Most leaves are fully unfolded (over 95%)
Leaves changing color____ No leaves have changed color
____ Early: Only a few leaves have changed color (less than 5%)
____ Middle: Many leaves have changed color
____ Late: Most leaves have changed color (over 95%)
Flowers____ No flowers or pollen
____ Early: Only a few flowers have emerged (less than 5%) or pollen is just starting to disperse
____ Middle: Many flowers have emerged or a lot of pollen is falling
____ Late: Most flowers have wilted or fallen off (over 95%) or most pollen has fallen
Leaves dropping____ No leaves have dropped
____ Early: Only a few leaves have dropped (less than 5%)
____ Middle: Many leaves have dropped
____ Late: Most leaves have dropped (over 95%)
Fruit____ No ripe fruits
____ Early: Only a few ripe fruits are visible (less than 5% are ripe)
____ Middle: Many fruits are ripe
____ Late: Most fruits or seeds have been dispersed from plant (over 95%)
Latitude*
Longitude*
City*
State* Zip
Common Plant Name*
Scientific Name (if known)
Site Name (a unique name of your choosing)
* Required fields
Single ReportDeciduous Trees & Shrubs
About your plant
What is your plant doing now? (Check the most applicable option in each category below.)
Single Report forms are used to make observations of what one plant is doing on one specific day. Remember to report your data at www.budburst.org Questions? Email us at [email protected]
© 2013 NEON, Inc. All rights reserved.
| CITIZEN SCIENCE
Participating in Project BudBurst
Observe: Observe a plant in your community.
Record: Record your observation on a Single Report form.
Submit: Submit your observation on www.budburst.org
4. Get outdoors and look out for
changes like:
BUDBURSTFULL FLOWERFIRST LEAFFIRST RIPE FRUITALL LEAVES UNFOLDED
American Sycamore.
Tuliptree.