City Trees is a premier publication focused on urban + community forestry. In each issue, you’ll learn how to best manage the trees in your community and more!
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/378697
ÌÞÊ/Àiià #ELEBRATING 4REES 4HE -ORTON !RBORETUM ,ISLE )LLINOIS !S MUCH AS WE ALL WANT TO CELEBRATE TREES THERE ARE FACTORS THAT CAN HOLD DOWN PARTICIPATION IN !RBOR $AY EVENTS IN )LLINOIS ON THE LAST &RIDAY OF !PRIL 3PRING WEATHER DOES NOT ALWAYS COOPERATE A COLD RAINY DAY MAY NOT BE A FUN TIME FOR A PUBLIC TREE PLANTING -UNICIPAL ARBORISTS ARE ESPECIALLY BUSY WITH OTHER TASKS AT THIS TIME OF YEAR 4EACHERS ARE SWAMPED WITH YEAR END ACTIVITIES 4HE NET EFFECT IS THAT !RBOR $AY MAY BE A TOUGH HOLIDAY TO COMMIT TO ON A GRAND SCALE (OWEVER THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT TREE PLANTING AND AWARENESS NEEDS TO BE SHORTCHANGED %VEN THOUGH CELEBRATING !RBOR $AY IS A REQUIREMENT IF YOUR MUNICIPALITY IS A 4REE #ITY 53! IT CAN BE DIFFICULT FOR MANY COMMUNITIES TO HOLD THESE FESTIVITIES 3PRING IN )LLINOIS MAY BE A GREAT TIME FOR PLANTING CERTAIN TREE VARIETIES BUT NOT ALL !S OUR FORESTERS AND NURSERY OPERATORS KNOW THERE ARE MANY TREES THAT PREFER BEING PLANTED IN THE FALL 7HY NOT THEN CELEBRATE TREES AND FOR SEVERAL MONTHS OF ROOT GROWTH 7EATHERWISE !UGUST IS THE BEGINNING OF FALL IN !LASKA 3CHOOLS HAVE ALSO MOVED SUMMER VACATION UP IN THE YEAR AND !RBOR $AY FALLS IN THE LAST WEEK OF THE SCHOOL YEAR OR SOMETIMES AFTER SCHOOL CLOSES 7ITH STUDENTS RETURNING IN !UGUST IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO CELEBRATE !RBOR $AY LATER 7E HAVE PLANTED THOUSANDS OF SEEDLINGS IN LATE SUM MER WITH A VERY HIGH SURVIVAL RATE EVEN THOUGH WE DONT PROVIDE MUCH IF ANY MAINTENANCE AFTERWARD 0OTTING SEEDLINGS IN -AY AND PLANTING THREE TO FOUR MONTHS LATER WHEN THEY HAVE DOUBLED IN SIZE HAS BEEN THE MOST SUCCESSFUL PRACTICE 3EEDLINGS ARENT APPROPRIATE EVERY WHERE BUT FOR RESTORATION AND REPLACING SPRUCE WITH LESS FLAMMABLE BIRCH IN COMMUNITIES AT RISK OF WILDFIRE SEEDLINGS HAVE BEEN CHEAP EASY AND SUCCESSFUL ,ARGE TREES ALSO DO WELL WHEN PLANTED IN THE FALL BUT THEY MAY HAVE TO BE PURCHASED IN THE SPRING AND MAIN TAINED UNTIL FALL 4HIS IS BECAUSE TREES AND SHRUBS COME ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY FROM NURSERIES OUTSIDE THE STATE AND ARRIVE IN THE SPRING THERE ARE OFTEN LIMITED CHOICES BY THE END OF SUMMER &ALL PLANTING COULD BE AN OPPORTU NITY FOR BUSINESSES TO EXPAND THEIR SEASON BUT IT WOULD REQUIRE MAJOR CHANGES IN THE SHIPPING SCHEDULES !NOTHER CHALLENGE TO MOVING !RBOR $AY WOULD BE CHANG ING THE MINDSET THAT ASSOCIATES SPRING WITH PLANTING AND FALL WITH HARVESTING AND GETTING READY FOR WINTER )T WOULD REQUIRE A CAMPAIGN ON THE BENEFITS OF FALL PLANTING )T MAY BE THAT CELEBRATING TREES IN THE SPRING BUT ENCOURAG ING MORE PLANTING IN THE FALL IS THE BEST WAY TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF TREES IN !LASKAN COMMUNITIES ±1BUSJDJB+PZOFS"MBTLB$PNNVOJUZ'PSFTUSZ1SPHSBN /iÊÀÌÊÀLÀiÌÕ½ÃÊ/ÀiiÊ/>}ÊÌÃÊV>ÊLiÊÕÃi`ÊÜÌÊÃVV `ÀiÊ>ÌÊ>ÞÊÌiÊvÊÌiÊÞi>À]Ê>`ÊÌiÊiÃÃÊ«>ÃÊ«ÀÛ`i`ÊÜÌÊ i>VÊÌÊ>ÛiÊLiiÊ>`>«Ìi`ÊÌÊiiÌÊÃVÃ½Ê ÀiÊ ÕÀÀVÕÕÊ ÃÌ>`>À`ðÊ*ÌÊ ÕÀÌiÃÞÊ/iÊÀÌÊÀLÀiÌÕÊ PLANT TREES IN BOTH SPRING AND FALL 7HY NOT PROMOTE THE VALUE OF TREES WHENEVER IT MAKES MOST SENSE WHERE YOU ARE 4REE PLANTING DAYS ARE JUST ONE WAY TO ENCOURAGE PUBLIC APPRECIATION OF TREES 'ROUPS ALSO CAN ENJOY PROGRAMS SUCH AS THE 4REE 4AG +ITS MADE AVAILABLE BY 4HE -ORTON !RBORETUM 4HESE KITS GUIDE SCHOOLCHILDREN AND OTHER GROUPS THROUGH THE PROCESS OF IDENTIFYING A TREE AND DETERMINING THE DOLLAR VALUE OF THE MANY ENVIRONMENTAL AND OTHER BENEFITS IT PROVIDES 4HE RESULTS ARE RECORDED ON A TAG THAT CAN BE HUNG PROUDLY ON THE TREE 4HE KITS HAVE BEEN USED BY MUNICIPALITIES SCHOOLS ENVIRONMEN TAL GROUPS AND HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS 4HE LESSON PLANS PROVIDED WITH EACH KIT HAVE BEEN ADAPTED TO MEET SCHOOLS #ORE #URRICULUM STANDARDS !ND THIS ACTIVITY CAN BE DONE AT ANY TIME OF YEAR !NOTHER GREAT WAY TO CELEBRATE TREES EDUCATE AND ENGAGE CITIZENS AND PLANT TREES IN THE FALL IS .ATIONAL .EIGHBOR7OODS® -ONTH A PROGRAM OF THE !LLIANCE FOR #OMMUNITY 4REES !#4REES 4HIS IS AN ANNUAL CELEBRA TION OF TREES IN OUR COMMUNITIES IN ITS TENTH YEAR 4ENS OF THOUSANDS OF VOLUNTEERS TAKE ACTION TO MAKE THEIR COMMUNITIES GREENER AND HEALTHIER BY PLANTING TREES HELPING TO TURN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS INTO VIBRANT LIVABLE .EIGHBOR7OODS® 4HERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES ALL YEAR ROUND TO CELEBRATE TREES AND SHARE THE MANY BENEFITS THAT WE GET FROM THEM )F WE FOLLOW THE ADAGE OF hRIGHT TREE RIGHT PLACE RIGHT CAREv IT MAY MEAN PLANTING TREES IN SPRING OR FALL )NCLUDE VOLUNTEERS TO SHARE THE EXPERIENCE AND ADAPT YOUR TREE PLANTING PROGRAMS TO THE NEEDS OF YOUR COM MUNITYAND EVERYONE WINS ±#FUI$PSSJHBO$PNNVOJUZ5SFFT1SPHSBN$PPSEJOBUPS5IF .PSUPO"SCPSFUVN-JTMF*MMJOPJT