Last Planting of the Spring!

Today was the final planting of the spring. With the help of the Worcester Forestry Department, we planted 12 arborvitaes and 5 spruce at the new Main South CDC houses on Kilby St. The trees will eventually provide a barrier between the parking lot and the house. This was truly an example of a community working together to get a planting done. It was a partnership between the Worcester Forestry Department, Worcester Tree Initiative and the Main South CDC.



Forester Dennis, Director of the Main South CDC Steve Teasdale, Property Maintenance Supervisor Isaia Perez

Demetrius and Graham moving a tree

Forester Brain, Forester Dennis and CDC Steve

Steve and Isaia

Roger unloading the truck

Clean Up Everybody Where, Clean Up, Clean Up, Everybody Do Your Share

The last two days have been spend pulling together the final pieces of the "spring 2010 season" in order to transition into the summer. Yesterday we had a staff meeting to discuss what needs to get done this summer, and what everyone is going to be doing. Our main focus points of the summer are fundraising and tree data collection.

Today Ruth and I spent the day driving around doing tree related activities. We went to Belmont Community School to pick up a photo book that they made us of the day we were there planting trees. We watered trees at Clark St. School. Mulched trees at Dohertry High School. Removed a tree that had died, due to a high wind area blowing the tree out of the hole, at Fransic McGrath. Delivered a tree to a persons house, and called more people to come pick up trees in Ruth's yard. Overall a busy tree day!

Rain Check

Happy Belated Start to Summer!

It's the final days of planting season. We have ONE planting left July 1st at the Main South CDC on Kilby St.

Yesterday was our final rain check event. Rain checks are for people who attended a giveaway event during the spring, but did not receive the species of tree that they were planning to receive. We order a tree for every person who received a rain check. Then it is my job to get in contact with everyone to let them know when the event is going to be held. At the event I make sure everyone gets the tree that they asked for. Rain check events are nice because they are not as crazy as giveaway events and there is time to talk to people about the trees that they are taking home to plant in there yards. We still have a few trees left to get out, but our final count is close to 600 trees for the spring.

Tonight is our Thank You Volunteer Cook Out at Green Hill Park!

Francis McGrath

After spending a few days at the i-Tree conference, Friday with the help of the Worcester Forestry Department we were back out in the field planting trees. We planted seven trees at Fancis McGrath Elementary School. We worked with the first, second and third grades. Of all the schools that we have worked with this spring, this school has a school yard that needs a lot of clean up work. By planting these trees it was a small change, but it will go a long way to making the school yard more attractive. Working with the Forestry Department is always a lot of fun, and they are really helpful in the process; bringing along a water truck to water the trees, stakes, and are great teaching the students about the importance of trees and how to plant them.

Why what we are doing is important!

i-Tree ECO, STORM, VUE, Species, Hydro

Today was day two of the i-Tree conference. Topics covered were ECO, STORMS, Hydro, Vue, and Species. Francisco Escobedo from the University of Florida led the discussion about i-Tree ECO. i-Tree ECO works to calculate the ecological benefits of an area. The best way to use the application is to find an area and pick 200 random points. Each plot is about .1 acre circle with a 37'2'' radius. Then it is necessary to go out and find the mid-point of all the plots and record measurements. In order to measure the energy effects all trees taller than 20ft within 60ft of a residential building have to be measured, this collects information about the shade and the reduced energy cost. Information about DBH, height, location, crown size, die back, ground cover is necessary to collect. Once all the data is entered it is then sent to Syracuse to UFORE for reports to be created. Individual trees can also be recorded, which reduces the need for random plots and allows for information about trees in parks and yards to be collected unlike in STREETS. Chris Donnelly from the CT DEP spoke about his first hand knowledge with UFOR and his application of the program in Hartford, CT.

i-Tree STORMS is used to create an easy and accurate estimate of the potential tree storm damage and the total cost for recovery. Pre-Storm Sample Surveys need to be conducted of 2-3% of the mileage. Data about tree density and size class for all trees within the Right of Way (ROW) and 50ft back. Once all the pre-storm data is collect, after a storm hits assessments can be made, put into the model and within 24-36 hours of the original storm an estimate for the total cost of recovery is created.

We also learned about other i-Tree utilities and applications such as Hydro, i-Tree Vue and i-Tree Species.

Overall I learned a lot and it sparked a lot of really cool potential project ideas. Now it's back to one more week of tree planting!

i-Tree Streets

Today Peggy and I traveled to Portsmouth, NH to attend a two day training for the program i-Tree. The event is being sponsored by University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension, New Hampshire Division of Forests and Lands, and the U.S. Forest Service. We arrived at 8:30am and began an intense day learning all about i-Tree Streets. This program is designed to go out in the field and walk along streets, mostly in urban areas, identifying tree species and DBH. Using this information along with data about damage to the tree analysis about the area can be conducted. The program allows you to look at things like benefit-cost analysis reports, annual benefits (energy, storm water, air quality, carbon dioxide, carbon stored), management costs, net annual benefits, resource structural analysis and many other things. It's a great tool for showing why tree budgets are needed, what trees should be planted, and if areas are on the right track in terms of the long term planting plan. We also worked with IPED which is the pest evaluation and detection program. We were able to go outside for part of the day and collect data in the field using a PDA. Mollie Freilicher from the DCR talked about real applications for i-Tree Streets. Tomorrow we are going to learn all about i-Tree Eco.



IPED in the field (youtube)

IPED Key

Go Celtics!!!

Doherty Memorial High School

Thursday we worked with the environmental club to plant five flowering plums at Doherty Memorial High School. Even as the end of school is quickly approaching the student were motivated, even asking there friends walking by, to help transform the appearance of the front of the school. In total this week we planted 28 trees at four different schools.

Worcester Tree Initiative Staff: Maggie, Ruth, Peggy.

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Environmental Club at Doherty High

Belmont Community School

Today we worked with two of the kindergarden classes from Belmont Community School. Each class got to help shovel dirt into the hole, play in the mud and hold a worm. The classes promised that they would continue to water the trees each week, with the help of there teachers, using watering cans. The trees are planted outside of there classrooms so for the rest of the year they will be able to look out the window and know that they helped to make a difference. The hope is that they will continue to look after the trees each year that they attend Belmont Community School.

After leading the two trainings, Ruth and I stayed to plant five more trees. In total we planted two ginkos, one red oak, one blackgum tupelo, one honeylocus and one Cleveland select pear.

What a productive day!

"Education is only a ladder to gather fruit from the tree of knowledge, not the fruit itself"

Holden Mayo Elementary School

Today we worked with the 1st grade at the Mayo Elementary School in Holden. The day started off with members of the USDA APHIS program talking with the students about the Asian Longhorned Beetle. They discussed the importance of reporting a beetle sighting and what the USDA's role is in the Asian Longhorned Beetle problem. With the help of UEI we then led four trainings at one time. We planted four Cleveland select flowering pears and one flowering plum. The students we able to help put dirt into the hole, stomped the dirt down and learn about the importance of planting trees and why trees are important to the environment. All of the students asked many great questions and promised to water the trees.







Making sure the hole isn't to deep.

Chris from UEI leading a training.

The USDA talking with the students.

Yesterday we held a memorial planting for Maxine Levy, wife of Steering Commite Co-Chair Jordan Levy.
Memorial Tree Planting for Maxine Levy

"Oak trees come out of acorns, no matter how unlikely that seems. An acorn is just a tree's way back into the ground. For another try. Another trip through. One life for another." --Shirley Ann Grau

South High

Saturday's event at Worcester State was postponed due to a weather prediction of hail and thunderstorms along with a tornado warning. We are planning on having it this Saturday, June 12th at the same time and place as last week.

Today may have been junior skip day at South High School, but we worked with two of Mrs. Snay AP Environmental Science classes and they did absolutely AMAZING work. We did two demonstrations to teach the kids on the proper way to plant a tree. After the demonstrations the kids broke up into groups and worked as teams to dig the holes and plant the trees. Throughout the entire day the students were asking questions, and working hard to get all of the trees planted. One kid who does not like to get his socks dirty, even picked up a shovel and did his part to help dig one of the holes. Some of the kids stayed longer during lunch to help finish planting one of the trees. The students were willing to truly get there hands covered with mud. It was really fun to plant the 11 trees with these students. They were able to get out of the classroom and make a difference in the appearance of the school grounds.

"A man doesn't plant a tree for himself. He plants it for posterity."--Alexander Smith

I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready?

We have a wicked busy week ahead:

• Tomorrow is our last give away event of the spring at Worcester State College from 10-12.

• Monday we are planting 11 trees at South High School

• Tuesday we are planting 5 trees at Mayo Elementary School in Holden

• Wednesday we are planting trees at the Belmont Community School

• Thursday afternoon we are planting 5 flowering plums at Doherty Memorial High School

Today was spent preparing and making sure that everything is organized for all of the events. We need to know when the nursery is going to deliver the trees, be able to unload the truck when it arrives, move trees we have in other locations to the correct sites, have site plans created, coordinate with the people at the event sites and make sure all the supplies get to the right locations.

Trees and Beetles in the News:

Beetle Battle May Harm Bees NECN Clip

Read about Peggy's Kitchen

Listen to a song about the Asian Longhorned Beetle

"When you have seen one ant, one bird, one tree, you have not seen them all. "--E.O. Wilson

Happy June!

Only about two more weeks left in the planting season before it gets too HOT! Things are crazy around the WTI office trying to get trees in the ground. We have one last giveaway event, at least five more school plants and a few community groups.

This morning Ruth and I took a trip over to Worcester State College to plan out our giveaway event on Saturday, June 5th from 10Am-12pm. It will be the last community giveaway of the spring, but have no fear because we will be holding giveaway events again in the fall.

Pictures below are from the Clark St. School Giveaway May 27th taken by one of our great volunteers, Sammi.

The rest of the day was spent in the office adding information to our Spring 2010 tree database, calling and emailing people back and letting people know about our next rain check event.

"The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only a green thing that stands in the way. Some see Nature all ridicule and deformity, and some scarce see Nature at all. But to the eyes of the man of imagination, Nature is Imagination itself." -- William Blake