Posted on May 19, 2013 at 8:12 am
Congratulations to this year’s Friends of Trees Leadership Award Winners: REI, ODOT Region 1, and former Portland Mayor Sam Adams! The awards were presented at Friends of Trees’ annual leadership luncheon at the Multnomah Athletic Club on May 16, 2013.
Printed in The Oregonian on Sunday, May 19, 2013
The largest consumer co-op in the nation, REI received the 2013 Business Leadership Award. Founded in the Northwest and committed to helping the communities where its stores are located, REI Portland and REI Eugene have generously supported Friends of Trees for 15 years now—in both the Portland and Eugene areas. To date, REI has donated more than $60,000 for our planting projects. Recently REI pledged another $20,000 in support of Friends of Trees planting projects this fall and winter. (more…)
Filed under: FOT Events, Membership, Tree City Oregon
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Posted on May 17, 2013 at 3:03 pm
FOT Executive Director Scott Fogarty testifying at the May 16 Community Budget Forum at City Hall (Erica Timm)
By Erica Timm
Friends of Trees appreciates all of you who have taken the time to write letters and emails to the Mayor and City Commissioners expressing your support for Friends of Trees, and those of you who have put on your tree team shirts and joined us at the last two Portland community budget forums.
Your support has helped encourage the Mayor to add much of the Friends of Trees funding back to the proposed budget but, unfortunately, the funding remains uncertain.
Additionally, the Friends of Trees funding in the proposed budget has been moved to the Portland Parks & Recreation Bureau. This creates two challenges. (more…)
Filed under: Neighborhood Trees, Plant It Portland
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Posted on May 16, 2013 at 9:40 am
Dear Mayor Hales:
I am a crew leader for Friends of Trees, and through that experience have gained a deep understanding of all the ecosystems services tree planting provides the city of Portland and the larger Metro community. I do remember you attending a planting last spring and speaking with enthusiasm about the program, so I know you also get the importance of the work done by Friends of Trees and the need for funding such work.
I have recently completed a Master’s in Environmental Studies, and am offering two of my articles for use in convincing any committee of the importance and cost-effectiveness of the Friends of Trees program. I hope the research I’ve done will help convince those who are less aware of the importance of tree planting as part of the city’s infrastructure.
Portland is a unique city in that it has a smart and aggressive Climate Action Plan, one that includes the use of a green infrastructure. I don’t see how any council or committee can vote to cut funds to programs such as the Grey to Green Initiative and Friends of Trees with plans such as this as working documents of city government. (more…)
Filed under: Neighborhood Trees, Plant It Portland, Portland Canopy
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Posted on May 15, 2013 at 5:42 pm
Vancouver Ave ready for new trees - Plant It Portland! (Ian Bonham)
By Ian Bonham
It sure felt like summer this weekend, but you wouldn’t know it by the sight of orange planting vests or the sounds of clanking shovels on North Vancouver Avenue. The grand finale of our 2012-13 planting season last Saturday was our hottest and sunniest planting yet, but by the afternoon 108 new trees (that’s over 2,000 square feet of future urban tree canopy!) were setting down roots and shading sidewalks on this highly traveled corridor.
Planting day on Vancouver Ave (Elizabeth Elbel)
Eighty-seven volunteers gathered at the Holy Redeemer School—a longtime partner for Friends of Trees plantings—on a sunny Saturday morning in the Piedmont Neighborhood. Holy Redeemer planted 13 new Japanese Stewartias with the help of Facilities Manager John Bagenstos, who has worked with Friends of Trees over many seasons to line the streets surrounding the school with street trees to improve the look and feel of the neighborhood. Bagenstos says he is “convinced that [trees] add street appeal to our site and have improved our relations with neighbors.” (more…)
Filed under: Neighborhood Trees, Plant It Portland, Portland Canopy
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