Nominate Your Tree Hero

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URBAN FOREST MONITORP U B L I S H E D B Y THE SACRAMENTO TREE FOUNDATION

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S P E C I A L M E S S A G E

Why 5 Million Trees?From the Desk of the Executive Director

Ray Tretheway, Executive Director, Sacramento Tree Foundation

Cover photo by Gerry McIntyre, gmpdigital.com

No other regional entity is as well poised as the Sacramento Tree Foundation to engage civic leadership, enlist the business community, and activate thousands of volunteers to accomplish this monumental goal.

But we cannot do it alone. This historic endeavor requires a major investment of resources from individuals, businesses and organizations who share our vision of a region where trees are valued for the benefits they provide. These investments will make the Sacramento region a model for healthy communities for generations to come.

We cannot afford to repeat past mistakes where neighborhoods, parking lots, schools and shopping centers were designed and built with trees as an afterthought. Our recent tree survey found the majority of neighborhoods throughout the region have less than half the national tree canopy standard, and the poorest of our neighborhoods have the fewest number of trees.

Growth in our region in the absence of meeting tree canopy goals has adversely impacted public health, air quality, energy demand, water quality and other shared values that equate to vibrant, healthy communities.

According to a 2010 study1 the air we breathe ranks in the nation’s worse ten; our asthma rates highest in California; skin cancer rates second highest in California; 50% of the region’s

population is overweight; and our summer energy rates are 30-40% higher during periods of greatest energy demand2.

In 2008, when we launched our Greenprint initiative – regional framework for planting 5 million trees – we knew it was a bold proposition. Too bold, some thought. But the evidence for planting trees is so compelling that only an ambitious plan will do:

1. Healthy tree canopies above our streets, sidewalks, bicycle paths, parks and school grounds offer an open invitation for exercise and play.

2. Clean, fresh air is key to alleviating asthma because trees filter air pollutants.

3. Precautionary measures are key to skin cancer prevention and trees absorb nearly 90% of sun’s ultraviolet rays (both A & B).

4. Air quality, energy conservation, and water quality and conservation are key regional concerns. Trees offer a significant, positive role in addressing these issues.

I believe the Sacramento region cannot establish itself as a leader in the green economy without a collective commitment to planting and nurturing trees.

Ray Tretheway

1 Applied Development

Economics, Inc. and

Collaborative Economics, Inc.,

‘One State Many Regions in

Our Future, 2010 California

Regional Progress Report’,

Nov. 2010

2 Conversation with SMUD

Recently I was asked, “Why 5 million trees?” and “Isn’t that too many for our six-county region?”I replied: one million trees will boost the tree canopy in existing neighborhoods and four million trees will be needed in our region’s future neighborhoods. According to the Sacramento Area Council of Governments, the region’s population is expected to increase by nearly 900,000 in the next 24 years. This growth will result in the development of new neighborhoods and the redevelopment of old ones, all of which can benefit from more trees.

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V O L U N T E E R

Tree Hero Awards are given out annually to identify excellence in people and landscapes that best exemplify outstanding accomplishments in tree planting, care and stewardship, as well as the overall importance of trees. If you know an individual, organization, or a tree worthy of a Tree Hero Award, we encourage you to submit a nomination. Nominees will be judged for impact, quality, innovation and the degree to which the work serves as a worthy example. Entries must be received by March 30.

Winners will be honored at our annual celebration on May 23, 2012. Support our urban forest by sponsoring a table or purchasing individual tickets. Visit sactree.com/THA or call (916) 924-TREE ext 128 to nominate a Tree Hero, for event reservations, or to learn more.

Rachael Harrington

Nominate Your Tree Hero

sactree.com/thaLearn more about the Tree Hero Awards, the event, past winners and nominate your heroes.

P R u N I N g C l I N I C s

Free pruning clinics

are available through

the Sacramento Tree

Foundation. See the

back page for upcoming

events.

You can also find a great

interactive pruning guide

at arborday.org/pruning

1. Prune trees while young (2 to 8 years).

2. Deciduous trees (they lose their leaves)

are best pruned for shape and structure in

the winter when there are no leaves.

3. Allow lower limbs to remain for the first several years. Shorten them if they

are in the way and remove them completely

later. Leaves shade the delicate bark and

are essential to establishing a healthy

root system.

4. Allow for a single main trunk. Any side

branches with less than 45 degree angles

do not have as strong of an attachment and

should be removed gradually as the

tree grows.

5. Do not remove more than ¼ of the

branches in one year.

6. Prune just outside the branch collar

(puckered or raised bark where the branch

is attached to the trunk) to allow the wound

wood to form.

7. Removing dead wood, broken branches and stress growth can be done any time of year. Water sprouts

(vigorous vertical branching) and suckers

(excess growth from the roots) are almost

always the result of stress. Remove

sprouts and suckers and determine

what is causing stress and

correct it.

7 Pruning Tips WINTER Is THE sEAsoN To PRuNE youR TREE

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This is Pam’s job. Community foresters meet with up to ten residents every day with the goal of sighting locations for trees that will provide energy saving shade for Sacramento homes. In the line of such a noble duty, community foresters face challenges that keep them on their toes and loving their job.

On this particular day, I had the distinct pleasure of riding along with Pam for her morning site visits. Though I thought I had prepared adequately with leggings under my jeans, wool socks in my boots, and about six layers of shirts and sweaters, I quickly realized that I had not.

Community foresters work rain or shine, which means Pam has a mean collection of all-weather gear that keeps her functional no matter what Mother Nature has in store. And it’s a good thing, because most of her day is spent in people’s yard scoping out locations for new trees. All of the early morning staff promptly poked fun at my measly layers and I spent the rest of the day wearing an extra pair of gloves and Pam’s spare down jacket.

Our first visit with the pajama-clad man went smoothly enough. He had recently received three shade trees and was so excited about the program and its benefits to his neighborhood that he just couldn’t help but want two more to shade his yard and the pavement of his street.

At our second stop, Pam noticed that the fence dividing the front and back yards was open. Her first thought was, “Hopefully that means they don’t have dogs.” For anyone that has spent time interacting with the public in their homes, you understand her train of thought. Even the cuddliest of creatures don’t always take kindly to a stranger approaching their home. Pam then recounted stories of community forester and dog encounters gone wrong including a forester trapped in her car by an unfriendly roaming canine and a pup so intent on getting to the stranger that it broke through the screen door to bite him.

Upon our approach to the final house, Pam and I looked at each other with wrinkled noses. Something smelled weird … dangerous … like gas. As the resident opened the door to invite us to the backyard, a wave of propane washed over us. Politely, Pam mentioned the smell and was met with a nonchalant statement about a postponed call to PG&E. We continued with the appointment and Pam expertly selected sites for multiple trees while avoiding a second visit to the inside of the house. With one more urging to address the gas leak, we packed ourselves into the car and steered away from the flammable fumes.

In addition to meeting with new participants of the Sacramento Shade program, community foresters stay in touch with previously planted trees in their area too. Beaming with pride, Pam pointed out each yard that housed trees she had sited and even took the time to leave friendly notes with tips on how to continue caring for their trees on residents’ doorsteps.

Shortly after the tree check-ups, my ride-along was over, and thankfully explosion free. But Pam would return to her occupational adventures for the rest of the day and for each day following. All in the name of trees.

Kelly Rathburn

V O L U N T E E R

Adventures of a Community Forester

Photo by Kelly Rathburn

Pam explains how to plant and care for the five shade trees that this resident will be receiving.

Armed with a can of white marking paint and a down jacket, Pam Frickmann marches to the front door of a stranger’s house. Donning pajamas and a quizzical look, the resident slowly realizes that this is the tree expert sent to provide him with free shade trees courtesy of the Sacramento Municipal Utilities District (SMUD).

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J O I N

Make a Difference Day, a national day of service, was October 22, 2011. In conjunction with the Big Read/One Book Sacramento project, volunteers from the Sacramento Tree Foundation and from Sacramento Public Library participated in the dedication of the Mark Twain Grove in Sacramento’s Alder Grove community. Forty-five trees were planted by 75 volunteers, including three very special trees named Mark Twain, Huck Finn and, of course, Tom Sawyer!

Volunteers dug the holes, planted, mulched, staked and watered the trees. The stakes were decorated with favorite Mark Twain quotes handwritten by volunteers. The stakes will be with the trees for the next two to three years as they

mature. Sacramento Library volunteer Mallory Shaw supported the project with outreach tables and by coordinating the donation of books to the children at the Alder Grove property.

Thanks to Starbucks for donating the coffee, Friends of Sacramento Public Library for donating books, Library Program Specialist Susan Benson for helping at the event, the Communications Department for making it part of the Big Read/One Book Sacramento newspaper insert and the urban foresters at the Sacramento Tree Foundation for making this event a success!

Randi Kay Stephens, Sacramento Library Volunteer Services Coordinator

A slab of blank dirt previously greeted students as they arrived at Wolfskill Continuation High School in Winters. Dry and compact, the terrain appeared inhospitable. But to Charlotte Kimball, the horticulture teacher at Wolfskill, this empty, available space was an opportunity – a chance to bring the school to life through hands-on learning, food, and fun. She coordinated with the school district, the local Four Winds Nursery, and the Sacramento Tree Foundation, and made plans for a schoolyard orchard that was planted on November 5.

After weeks of preparation and tireless digging in soil so compacted that it took multiple soakings just to break the ground, the site was ready for its transformation. The volunteer force, poised and readied with shovels, was a combination of Wolfskill teachers, high school students, and community members committed to creating an outdoor classroom and edible schoolyard in the town of Winters. In less than two hours, eighteen trees were nestled in the newly prepared soil, ready to fulfill their destinies producing mandarins, pomegranates, cherries, apricots, and more.

The Wolfskill Continuation High School fruit orchard project will allow students to experience first-hand that when they invest in trees, the trees will provide not only for them, but for the entire community. Ms. Kimball and her horticulture students will continue to care for the trees in the new orchard and, in doing so, will learn the importance of sustainable agriculture, local food production, and healthy lifestyles.

Kelly Rathburn

Tree Planting for Big Read

Wolfskill Continuation High School Plants an Orchard

Wolfskill Continuation High School students showing pride in their new orchard.

Photo by Kelly Rathburn

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L E A R N

Habitat Restoration and the Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge

A

C

B

D

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J O I N

T his year the Sacramento Tree Foundation NAtive Trees

in Urban and Rural Environments (NATURE) Program celebrated 11 years of partnership with the Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge. Over the years, our organizations have worked together to bring native trees and oak woodland habitat back to parts of the refuge altered by more than 100 years of agricultural use and recent urban growth impacts. By working together, our partnership has been able to leverage resources resulting in the planting of more than 3,000 native trees, 2,000 shrubs and forbs and the seeding of approximately 50 acres of native grasslands. This year, we have plans to continue the winter tree planting tradition by installing another 1,500 native trees.

The Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge is located along the western boundary of the city of Elk Grove. The final refuge boundary will encompass almost 18,000 acres of important habitat

A. Volunteers plant in all weather.

B. High school students assist in the planting of more than 2,000 acorns.

C. Teamwork and community volunteers are the foundation of each tree planting project.

D. North Stone Lake is a permanent wetland that provides habitat to fish, birds and mammals. Beavers and otters are frequently spotted by planting volunteers.

E. Habitat features such as raptor perches and bird boxes have been installed by volunteers.

s A T u R D Ay R E s T o R A T I o N D Ay s

January 7, 2012

January 21, 2012

February 4, 2012

Sign up for opportunities to participate in riparian restoration at: sactree.com/events.

and is distinctive for its proximity to a major metropolitan area and its wide variety of habitat types. The mission of the refuge is to conserve wildlife for the benefit of both present and future generations. This aligns closely with the goals of the Tree Foundation’s NATURE program which seeks to promote the best urban forest for the Sacramento region through native tree planting, establishment and long-term care. By working as partners, the Tree Foundation and Stone Lakes have been able to implement these habitat projects in a timely and cost effective manner. A unique feature of the partnership is the ability to perform this important work while providing a unique opportunity for the local community to be part of a project with incredible future impact.

As of early November, the Blue Heron Trails area of the refuge is now open to the public during daylight hours, seven days a week. There is no fee to visit the refuge and fully accessible walking trails and restroom facilities make this a wonderful space for everyone. Less than seven years ago, this area of the refuge was an active vineyard, though you wouldn’t be able to tell today. Now the Blue Heron Trails area features permanent and seasonal wetlands that attract migrating birds and mammals such as the river otter. The fall is a great time to visit as Sandhill cranes, geese and many different species of ducks are arriving to overwinter in the area. A variety of native plants have been established throughout the trail area with views of restored riparian and oak savannah woodlands to the east and south of the trail. Over the next decade, the hard work of each and every volunteer who has joined our partnership over the last decade will grow into a beautiful space for wildlife and humans, just minutes from Sacramento and Elk Grove.

Zarah Wyly

Photos by Zarah WylyE

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J O I N

It was the hottest day of September. The location was The Ridge Golf Club. Sixty-eight fun-loving, golf club wielding individuals spent the day swinging their clubs in support of the Sacramento Tree Foundation.

Our 3rd Annual Golf Classic was a tremendous success and could not have happened without the incredible support of our Title Sponsors: Chevron and the Plumbers and Pipefitters Union #447. More than $30,000 was raised to help us continue

our work to plant, protect, and teach about trees.We have tremendous appreciation for Edwin

and Glenda Lombard who continue to lead this effort on our behalf, as well as for all our sponsors and players, who kept smiles on their faces, even in the sweltering heat, while trees remained in their hearts and minds. Thanks also to our sponsors Verizon, AT&T, and the Labor Coalition.

Colleen Cadwallader

GreenprintMaps.com promises to be an essential tool for the Sacramento Tree Foundation and our partners as we continue our quest to plant 5 million trees in the region.

We are thrilled that Esurance has joined our efforts to educate the public about the tremendous economic, environmental, and public health benefits trees provide by becoming an official sponsor of GreenprintMaps.com.

Esurance is known for offering quality auto insurance at affordable rates. However, they believe it is not enough to simply be a great auto insurance company. They also strive to be an environmentally friendly one.

From their nearly paperless customer experience and carbon offsets, to tree plantings and eco-events throughout the country, Esurance

strives to make the world a greener place. In 2005, they began planting trees in our hometown communities and, since then, have planted more than 100,000. In fact, local Esurance employees have been volunteering their time helping us at planting events for the past few years.

As an official sponsor of GreenprintMaps.com, Esurance shows their commitment to our community and support for building the best regional urban forest in the nation.

Thank you Esurance!

Colleen Cadwallader

2011 Green on the Green Golf Tournament

Esurance, ensuring a legacy of trees for future generations

Photo by Rule One Photography

T H A N k yo u T o o u R T I T l E

s P o N s o R s :

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V O L U N T E E R

O ur planting season is off to a great start as we begin our second year of the very

successful Community Planting Leader (CPL) program. The CPL program was developed as a way for community members to become more engaged in the leadership of volunteer planting events, while also offering support to Sacramento Tree Foundation staff. CPLs organize and manage volunteers to safely and correctly plant trees at schools, parks, and other public locations. CPLs are responsible for making sure that each volunteer is warmly received and engaged through the entire course of the planting. They must be aware that the objective of every planting is not just to get trees in the ground, but also to educate community volunteers and build awareness of the importance of the urban forest we live in.

Last year the Tree Foundation recruited and trained 8 dedicated CPLs who participated in over 36 events. These volunteers donated 292 hours of their personal time to the growth of our urban forest which equates to an in-kind donation of time worth $6,237.

Due to the success of the programs first year we recruited a team for the new planting season and trained 10 CPLs. When asked why they are volunteering with us, and what attracted them to the CPL position, the answers varied. Some are environmental science majors in college looking to gain experience in the field and hoping to make

connections. A number of volunteers had worked with the Tree Foundation before and when asked to do an internship, they took the opportunity to strengthen their connection to the Tree Foundation, and make a larger community impact through their work. Others just love working with community members while doing something good for the health of our community and saw this position as the best way to do that. Plus, there’s always something to learn and new skills to develop.

Tree Foundation staff are happy to have each one of these amazing volunteers on board and look forward to working with them in the coming months.

Meredith King

Community Planting Leader Position Proves to be a Success

New Community Planting Leaders attend their first planting. Left to Right: James Dui, Kim Feng, Raya Nedelcheva, Reyanna Garcia, Macky McGoon, Joe Hudson, Volunteer Coordinator Meredith King, and Ben Tunney. Not pictured: Frank Clay, Jose Alvarez and Ryan Anchor.

These volunteers donated 292 hours of their personal time to the growth of our urban forest which equates to an in-kind donation of time worth $6,237.

B E C o m E A C o m m u N I T y P l A N T I N g l E A D E R

If the CPL position sounds like something you would be interested in, please contact our Education/Volunteer Coordinator Meredith King at volunteer@sactree.com or (916) 924-8733 x122.

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V O L U N T E E R

Hagginwood Community Association would like to thank you for the Hagginwood Parklett Grant. We are excited to work with the Sacramento Tree Foundation and CAL FIRE in teaching our neighbors how to create a livable community. We are making progress on the Parklett. Our Project Coordinator, Bill Maynard has already held 2 workshops teaching our neighbors how to plant trees and to make compost. Grant High School students are making signage for our new trees. We have had a lot of Community Groups uniting to beautify our neighborhood Parklett.

We hope our Hagginwood Parklett Project will help others to see how important the Sacramento Tree Foundation and CAL FIRE is to our community. Again, we thank you for awarding the Hagginwood Community Association the Grant.

Sincerely,Jody

Dear Ms. Fenkner,

What a pleasure to meet you in person. Thank you so much for meeting with Mrs. Sims and me at the park to explore ideas for improving the health and longevity of our beloved McKinley Park.

Thank you again for your many years of enhancing the City through love and care for our trees. We are most fortunate to have the vision and dedication of the Sacramento Tree Foundation in our midst. I look forward to our next meeting on behalf of our friends, the trees.

N A T I o N A l R E C o g N I T I o N

Our employees, Ray and Cindy, received national

recognition in November from the Washington, D.C.-

based national Alliance for Community Trees. They

received the organization’s ACTrees Day Scholarship,

supported in part by the USDA Forest Service, to

attend the national ACTrees Day Meeting in Orlando, FL, to meet with and learn from green infrastructure leaders

from across the country.

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✁

Become a Personal Member of the Sacramento Tree Foundation

Membership provides you with quarterly newsletters and announcements of special events. It provides the Sacramento Tree Foundation with the support essential for operations and programs.

Join others who are committed to creating a legacy of trees for future generations.

(916) 924-8733 | www.sactree.com

Yes! I want to become a personal member of the Sacramento Tree Foundation and receive the Urban Forest Monitor. My tax-deductible membership dues are enclosed.

❍ Acorn Kid $5 Name _______________________________

❍ Seedling $50 Address _____________________________

❍ Tree $100 City, State, Zip ________________________

❍ Forest $250 Phone ______________________________

❍ Supporting $500 E-mail ______________________________

❍ Sustaining $1,000 ❍ I am interested in volunteering

❍ I prefer to receive e-newsletters __________________________ email address

Please charge my credit card: ❍ MasterCard ❍ VISA

Card# ______________________________ Exp. Date ________

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Member Information

Make all checks payable to: Sacramento Tree Foundation

Return to: Sacramento Tree Foundation 191 Lathrop Way, Suite D Sacramento, CA 95815

For information on corporate memberships: Please contact us at (916) 924-8733.

J O I N

New and renewed members 9/1/11 to 11/30/11

Personal Members

FoREsT ($250)Ruth Kenney

Gordon MacAulay

Jim Sandberg-Larsen and Claudia Sandberg-Larsen

Council member Tom Stallard

Heidi Steger

TREE ($100)Dick Crable and Jane Crable

Jose Cueto and Anita Prietto

Ann Dittmar

Claiborne Dukes, Jr.

Erla Goller and David Goller

Lori Gualco and David Levin

Don Imamura and Anna Pinon

Steven Jones

Col. George Meyer and Carolyn Meyer

James Moose, Jr. and Virginia Moose

Mark O’Brien

Harriett Orchard

Jan Schori

Sue Scotland and Arthur Scotland

David Smith and Kathie Smith

Nikke Sosnick

Jeff Thatcher and Jean Kiel

Diana Varcados

Barbara Wackford and Donald Wackford

Charles Wenisch and Jo Ann Wenisch

Earl Withycombe

Kevin Woodruff

sEEDlINg ($50)Marc Silva and Cindy Silva

Kimberly Ayers

William Bittner, M.D. and Nancy Bittner

Sarah Buxton and Walter Dahl

Merick Chaffee

Lee Coldren and Mary Czechan Coldren

Ted Gardner

Ernest Heidt and Margaret Heidt

Charles Highbaugh and Debra Highbaugh

Norman Hile and Belinda Beckett

Sharon Huntsman

John Keith and Mary Keith

Kathryn Kirkpatrick

Thomas Lupo and Laura Harvey

David Oakes

Diana Proctor

Fred Rogers and Laura Cerles-Rogers

Marcia Steinberg and Michael Schoenleber

Tom Stewart and LeeAnn Stewart

Corporate Members

PlATINum ($1,000)LPAS Architecture + Design

golD ($500)Pesticide Applicators Professional Association

sIlvER ($250)Capital Sheet Metal

Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.

Fulton-El Camino Recreation & Park District

Southgate Recreation & Park District

Our members are the lifelines of our mission. Thank you for your continued support.Join Us Mission:

To grow healthy, livable

communities in the

Sacramento region by

building the best regional

urban forest in the nation.

Board of Directors

PREsIDENTWilliam Ishmael

vICE PREsIDENTSteve Johns

sECRETARySydney Coatsworth

TREAsuRERMichael Benoff

Dr. Ami Bera

Dr. Janine Bera

Christi Black

John Briggs

Eric Douglas

Susan Essaf

Della Gilleran

Chris Griffin

Ryan Hooper

John Lane

John McKinney

Charles Metzinger

Lynn Pomeroy

Rev. Jean Shaw

Sandra Shewry

Jeffrey Townsend

John Webre

BoARD EmERITusJane Hagedorn

Ann Kohl

ExECuTIvE DIRECToRRaymond L. Tretheway III

THANk you To ouR PARTNERs:

MARCH4 Sun Naked Tree Tour 9 am to noon

5 Mon Loomis Celebration10:30 am to 11:30 am

6 TuesTree Circus at Capitol Park 9 am to noon

7 Wed Our 30th Anniversary!

7 Wed

CA Arbor Day Proclamation & planting at the Capitol

10 Sat TREEsure Hunt

10 SatElk Grove Arbor Day Celebration 9 am - noon

24 Sat NATURE planting 9 am - noon

Sacramento Tree Foundation191 Lathrop Way, Suite DSacramento, CA 95815

(916) 924-tree

Non-Profit Org.U. S . Po s t a g eP A I DPermit No. 179Sacramento, CA

Urban Forest Monitor | W I N T E R 2 0 1 212

The Sacramento Urban Forest

Monitora publication of the

Sacramento Tree Foundation

Managing EditorRachael Harrington

Copy EditorGeoffrey Wood

DesignPhil Tretheway

TrethewayDesign.com

JANUARY7 Sat Stone Lakes 8:45 am - noon

14 Sat Folsom Library 10:30 am

14 Sat Elk Grove Library 2 pm

18 Wed Greenprint Summit 9 am - 4 pm

21 Sat Stone Lakes 8:45 am - noon

FEBRUARY4 Sat NATURE planting 9 am - noon

25 Sat NATURE planting 9 am - noon

UPCOMING eventsJoIN us AT

facebook.com/sactree twitter.com/sactree

KEY

Register at sactree.com

For more information, please contact our

Volunteer Coordinator at (916) 924-8733 ext 122 or

volunteer@sactree.com.

For the most current list of events, check sactree.com/events

Planting Make your community greener by volunteering at a tree planting

Pruning Clinic These free clinics focus on pruning 2 to 8 year old trees to develop good structure and form

CA Arbor Week Come out and celebrate our 30th Anniversary at one of our CA Arbor Week events!

Other Great opportunities to get involved in your urban forest