Ainsworth Linear Arboretum founder and longtime Friends of Trees volunteer Jim Gersbach leads a tour of the arboretum in 2005.

Read Larry Bingham’s story about Portland’s unique linear arboretum in today’s Oregonian.

Designed Portland-style—for cyclists, pedestrians and anyone interested in trees—the Ainsworth Linear Arboretum has been growing steadily and quietly, like the young trees planted in it. In 2005, the arboretum had 37 species. Today it has 60.

The brain behind the branches of the two-mile long arboretum is Friends of Trees volunteer Jim Gersbach. During his nearly two decades of volunteering at Friends of Trees, Jim has been a board member, neighborhood coordinator, and crew leader, and he helps people choose which trees to buy for their homes.

Since 2005, he’s directed people to the Ainsworth Linear Arboretum to see some of those trees in person—and planted in a yard, as their tree will be.

“Even if you keep your car for a long time, you’re probably going to replace it in so many years,” Jim said. “But when you choose which tree to plant, you’re typically making a choice your great-grandchildren might be living with.”

Scroll through the trees before you stroll through the arboretum. Then add your name to the growing list of people buying trees this year at FriendsofTrees.org.

–TR

Filed under: FOT Events, Neighborhood Trees
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Tags: education, PP&R, street trees, yard trees

You can see Plant It Portland signs in yards across Portland as people sign up for bargain trees.

Did you read this story, “Tree Planters Tout Shade and Beauty,” in Saturday’s Oregonian?

Friends of Trees has launched a media campaign featuring whimsical posters and door hangers with a “Where’s Waldo?” aspect to them—the more you look, the more you see.

“The old signs were a little wonky,” said program director Brighton West, explaining the switch.

According to West, while the signs listed the benefits of planting more neighborhood trees, such as carbon sequestration and stormwater capture, they didn’t reflect what Portlanders really love about them.

“When we did a survey to find out why people planted trees, most of them said for shade and beauty,” West said. “You can’t disagree that those are good things, so we decided to go with a ‘beautiful’ campaign.”

Local marketing firm Frank Creative, which came up with the the graphics, creates ads for companies such as Teva and Spyder. The company felt unususually qualified because the active, outdoorsy people who buy those products are the same kind who plant trees.

Friends of Trees planted 2,500 trees in Portland last winter, West said. Their goal this year is 4,500. Homeowners pay an average of $45 a tree, and neighbors pitch in to get them in the ground.

To find out if a tree planting is planned in your community, contact Friends of Trees at 503-282-8846 or visit FriendsofTrees.org.

–Anne Laufe

Filed under: Neighborhood Trees, Plant It Portland
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Tags: BES, G2G, planting, street trees, yard trees

As part of our ongoing series of guest bloggers from various partner groups, organizations and agencies, we present Amy Lodholz of the Johnson Creek Watershed Council (JCWC). Friends of Trees’ Green Space Initiative is proud of its ongoing partnership with the JCWC.

Johnson Creek Days are coming!

By Amy Lodholz

Please join the Johnson Creek Watershed Council for a series of free events and activities called Johnson Creek Days to promote watershed awareness in the month of September.

Cycle Stroll – September 1–30

Join the Cycle Stroll and help raise money for watershed restoration and protection while enjoying the Springwater Trail along Johnson Creek. Contact JCWC staffer Amy at amy@jcwc.org or visit http://www.jcwc.org/getInvolved/johnsoncreekdays.htm#.

Volunteer Saturday – September 11

This is your unique chance to help restore important urban green spaces in the Johnson Creek Watershed. Volunteer Sunday is from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Leach Botanical Garden. Please bring water bottles! Tools, water and gloves will be provided. Please RSVP with Amy at amy@jcwc.org, or call 503-652-7477.

Paint Out! September 4, 11 & 18

Join other artists to paint watershed scenes and watch demonstrations by professional artists. For more information, contact JCWC staffer Marty Urman at marty@jcwc.org.

Discovery Saturdays – September 4, 11, 18 & 25

Hands-on activities will be provided for families and children under 10 on Saturday mornings at four different locations in the watershed. Contact JCWC staffer Matt Clark at matt@jcwc.org.

Johnson Creek Runs – September 13, 20 & 27

Join group runs for adults in the Johnson Creek Watershed. The fun runs and orienteering will be on Monday evenings in Woodstock. Contact JCWC board member Torrey Lindbo at torrey.lindbo@greshamoregon.gov.

Two Wheel Tour – September 25

Join board member Teresa Huntsinger on this guided bike tour along the Springwater Corridor Trail. For information, contact Amy at amy@jcwc.org.

EcoShuttle Watershed Tour – September 9

This guided bus tour will highlight restoration projects. Join council staff to visit sites throughout the watershed. Space is limited. For more information and to RSVP, contact JCWC staffer Robin at robin@jcwc.org.

Community Art Show – October 1

Umpqua Bank in Sellwood will display art inspired by the Johnson Creek Watershed. You can purchase original art and support the Council at a wine and cheese reception. Contact Marty at marty@jcwc.org.

Hope to see you out and about in the watershed soon!

Lodholz is the Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator for the Johnson Creek Watershed Council and can be reached at amy@jcwc.org or 503-652-7477.

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Tags: johnson creek, watersheds

Did you see this OregonLive video of the Hawthorne Bridge brunch? Be sure to check the two-minute mark.

Want your own Plant It Portland sign? Just ask for one when you find your tree online.

–TR

Filed under: FOT Events, Neighborhood Trees, Plant It Portland
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Tags: canopy, G2G, street trees, video

Email your Neighborhood Coordinator @PlantItPortland.org to start your tree purchase process.

By Andy Meeks

As you may know by now, Friends of Trees has embarked upon a new campaign called Plant It Portland as part of our continuing efforts to turn Portland’s Grey to Green. We make it easy to take part in this campaign. You can purchase a discounted street or yard tree for your home or volunteer with us at one of our many plantings between November and April.

If you are interested in learning more about getting a street or yard tree, we have a large network of trained volunteer Neighborhood Coordinators who can help you with our tree purchasing process. Every neighborhood that we plant in has at least one Neighborhood Coordinator. It’s never been easier to get in touch with that person.

All you need to do is send an email to the address with your neighborhood listed @PlantItPortland.org; for example, Kerns@PlantItPortland.org. Find your neighborhood’s email address below and get in touch with us!

Alameda@PlantItPortland.org

ArborLodge@PlantItPortland.org

Argay@PlantItPortland.org

Beaumont-Wilshire@PlantItPortland.org

Boise@PlantItPortland.org

Brentwood-Darlington@PlantItPortland.org

Brooklyn@PlantItPortland.org

Buckman@PlantItPortland.org

CathedralPark@PlantItPortland.org

Centennial@PlantItPortland.org

Concordia@PlantItPortland.org

Creston-Kenilworth@PlantItPortland.org

Cully@PlantItPortland.org

Eastmoreland@PlantItPortland.org

Eliot@PlantItPortland.org

Foster-Powell@PlantItPortland.org

GrantPark@PlantItPortland.org

Hazelwood@PlantItPortland.org

Hosford-Abernathy@PlantItPortland.org

Humboldt@PlantItPortland.org

Irvington@PlantItPortland.org

Kenton@PlantItPortland.org

Kerns@PlantItPortland.org

King@PlantItPortland.org

Laurelhurst@PlantItPortland.org

Lents@PlantItPortland.org

MadisonSouth@PlantItPortland.org

MillPark@PlantItPortland.org

Montavilla@PlantItPortland.org

MtScott-Arleta@PlantItPortland.org

MtTabor@PlantItPortland.org

NorthTabor@PlantItPortland.org

Overlook@PlantItPortland.org

Parkrose@PlantItPortland.org

ParkroseHeights@PlantItPortland.org

Piedmont@PlantItPortland.org

Portsmouth@PlantItPortland.org

Powellhurst-Gilbert@PlantItPortland.org

Reed@PlantItPortland.org

Richmond@PlantItPortland.org

RoseCityPark@PlantItPortland.org

Roseway@PlantItPortland.org

Russell@PlantItPortland.org

Sabin@PlantItPortland.org

Sellwood@PlantItPortland.org

SouthTabor@PlantItPortland.org

Southwest@PlantItPortland.org

StJohns@PlantItPortland.org

Sumner@PlantItPortland.org

Sunnyside@PlantItPortland.org

UniversityPark@PlantItPortland.org

Vernon@PlantItPortland.org

Wilkes@PlantItPortland.org

Woodlawn@PlantItPortland.org

Woodstock@PlantItPortland.org

Meeks is the Volunteer and Outreach Manager at Friends of Trees and can be reached at AndyM@FriendsofTrees.org.

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Tags: grey to green, Plant It Portland, street trees, yard trees

Friends of Trees volunteers planting in the Boise, Eliot, Humboldt and King neighborhoods in February (FOT file)

Do you know a neighbor who people can go to for advice about trees? Want to be a resource and leader for your neighborhood?

Portland Parks & Recreation’s seven-class course can make you a Neighborhood Tree Steward! The course covers tree biology, identification, planting, pruning, pathology, soils, economic benefits of trees, Portland’s rules and regulations, and how you can use your newly gained knowledge help your neighborhood’s urban forest.

Meeting times are Tuesdays from 6 to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. from September 21 through October 23. The course costs $75, with a 25% discount available if two or more people from one neighborhood register together.

To register, call 503-823-2525 and ask to sign up for course #328995. For information about discounts or scholarships, contact Autumn Montegna at autumn.montegna@portlandoregon.gov or 503-701-7622.

You can also help by working with others to identify tree-deficient areas in your neighborhood. The Concordia Tree Team is leading the first of Portland’s neighborhood tree inventories and will create a neighborhood stewardship plan as part of the process. Concordia’s street tree inventory workshops are on August 21, September 11, and October 9 from 8:30 am to noon.

This Saturday’s workshop will be held at the Kennedy School Community Room (5736 NE 33rd).  You can register for this workshop HERE or contact Angie DiSalvo at angie.disalvo@portlandoregon.gov.  Please visit www.portlandonline.com/parks/treeinventory to learn more about this important program.

The inventory project is supported by a grant from the East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District.

–TR

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Tags: education, PP&R, street trees, volunteering, yard trees

Garry Oak spent Sunday greeting cyclists, having photos taken and sharing “high-fives” at the corner of 34th and Madison for Sunday Parkways.  Did you stop by?  We posted over 100 photos on our Flickr page, which you can see at photos.friendsoftrees.org.  Look for yourself, look for your friends, and see why Garry Oak is always smiling.

-Brighton West

Filed under: FOT Events, Plant It Portland
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Tags: Garry Oak, sunday parkways

Garry Oak and young bicycler high five each other at Sunday Parkways in June (Whitney Dorer)

Friends of Trees will span the fun spectrum this weekend. On Saturday we’re serving jambalaya at Martin Luther King Jr. Loaves & Fishes’ fifth annual Authentic Creole Jambalaya Dinner. And on Sunday we’re greeting people at the summer’s fourth Sunday Parkways in Southeast Portland from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Saturday’s jambalaya dinner is from noon to 5 p.m. at the Loaves & Fishes at 5325 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. The menu includes Creole-style jambalaya (both seafood and non-seafood versions), bread, salad, drinks and dessert. The cost is $10 for adults and $7 for children, or $25 per family.

Proceeds will benefit the Martin Luther King, Jr. Loaves & Fishes Center so the center can provide hot, nutritious meals to homebound seniors in NE Portland neighborhoods.

On Sunday, you can slap hands (or limbs) with Garry Oak at Sunday Parkways. Or just give the happy tree a hug.

The August 15 Sunday Parkways will stretch from Laurelhurst, Colonel Summers and Sunnyside parks. It’s a great chance to ride your bike or walk on streets where cars are not allowed.

Find out what the Sunday buzz is all about and greet your local grinning tree.

–TR

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Tags: giving

Andy Meeks and Sarah Eustis after their wedding in July (photo by Craig Dilger)

It’s not every day that a Friends of Trees staff member is featured in the New York Times. And not every day that two newlyweds have such a compelling story to tell.

It’s also not every couple that races each other by bicycle after their wedding ceremony. Below is an excerpt from the story:

Afterward, the bride hiked up her cream-colored silk gown and jumped onto a bicycle, the bridegroom, in a Brooks Brothers suit, onto another, and they raced each other down a hill.

“He does everything big and has a big heart,” said Sam Schaffer, the best man. “If there’s anyone with a heart big enough to match his, it’s Sarah.”

Read all of Christina Sobran’s story in the New York Times about Friends of Trees’ Volunteer Manager Andy Meeks and his wife, Sarah Eustis.

–TR

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Tags: bike, volunteering

Eating brunch on the bridge at PDX Bridge Festival (Brighton West)

By Brighton West

Friends of Trees always practices “Right Tree-Right Place” when we plant. Usually that means large trees in large spaces, small trees in small spaces, short trees under primary power lines.

But last Saturday it meant trees on the Hawthorne Bridge.

PDX Bridge Festival organizers worked with Friends of Trees, JB Instant Lawn, and Whole Foods Market to turn the Hawthorne Bridge green to celebrate the completion of the first annual PDX Bridge Festival. That meant 25,000 square feet of lawn, a couple dozen trees, picnic tables, and Portland’s famous food carts.

Learn how you can plant the right tree in the right place.

- West is Program Director for Friends of Trees

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Tags: street trees, yard trees

Friends of Trees Haiku Hotties will collect haikus from the Live Wire audience on August 21. (Live Wire)

Don’t miss the Friends of Trees Haiku Hotties at the live show of Live Wire on August 21 at The Gerding Theater at the Armory.

In addition to watching Friends of Trees collect the audience’s haikus, the evening will feature performances by musician Reggie Watts and experimental stage artist Dayna Hanson, with guest musicians 3 Leg Torso and Menomena.

Doors open at 7 p.m., and the show begins at 8 p.m. Buy a ticket in advance to hand your own haiku to a FOT hottie!

If you can’t come in person, be sure to listen to Live Wire at 8 p.m. on OPB–91.5 FM in the Portland metro area.

–TR

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Tags: art, education, giving, volunteering

Learn how bicycles and trees relate to equity on the Equity Ride (FOT file)

What do trees and bicycles have to do with equity?

Trees help all people equally. But first the trees need to be planted in all neighborhoods equally.

That’s one reason Friends of Trees is partnering with ODOT and Metro to plant trees along the I-205 multi-use path, which crosses culturally and economically diverse neighborhoods.

Cycling helps all people equally, too. But first people of all backgrounds need access to the resources and support to become cyclists.

That’s one reason for the Equity Ride. The other is to have fun and meet new friends.

On August 26, Friends of Trees, ODOT, Community Cycling Center, Bicyclists of Color, East Portland Action Plan, Audubon Society of Oregon, and the City of Portland Transportation Options will lead cyclists through neighborhood streets and along the I-205 multi-use path.

The ride begins at 6:30 p.m. at Immigrant & Refugee Community Organization (IRCO), 10301 NE Glisan St., where IRCO staff will describe their work with the Community Cycling Center, PBOT and Willamette Pedestrian Coalition to engage people in cycling.

Stops along the route will help cyclists learn about other equity efforts being undertaken by the organizations listed above, who are collaborating to co-sponsor the event.

Then Friends of Trees Green Space Manager Logan Lauvray will guide the cyclists to a nearby stretch of the I-205 multi-use path followed by a brief rest at one of the sites where Friends of Trees planted trees this year. Another stretch of the multi-use path will lead the cyclists back to IRCO.

The ride is 6.1 miles long and sure to be fun and educational. Hope you’ll join us!

–TR

Filed under: FOT Events, Green Space Initiative
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Tags: bike, education, I-205, planting

On August 7, from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., sun-powered music will transform Fernhill Park into Ecopalooza, an Environmental Awareness Concert. All eight bands at the free concert will perform from a solar-powered stage.

What happens if the day is cloudy? According to Sustainable Waves, the company providing the solar-powered stage, enough energy can be stored in batteries for six to nine hours of music.

So come rain or shine, celebrate with us at Ecopalooza. The lineup of musicians includes 3RP, Jeff Evans and the Transcendental Brass Band, the Jeff Handley Band, Seven Reasons, Jawbone Flats, Revolver, Rich Layton and the Troublemakers, Speaker Minds, and ISSA. Download your program here.

Friends of Trees is grateful to the Ecopalooza organizers for choosing Friends of Trees and Minority Information Outreach as beneficiaries of the concert. If you can’t come for the whole day, at least drop by to check out the solar-powered stage and to hear some great music.

Hope to see you there!

–TR

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Tags: education, giving

Where else but Portland could Beavers team up with trees?

To thank all of our great supporters, Friends of Trees is offering our volunteers and donors free tickets to the August 14 Beavers game against the Albuquerque Isotopes. Many thanks to the Beavers for offering Friends of Trees discounted tickets.

If you would like to join us on August 14, just email our summer intern, Sara Jeffries, at SaraJ@FriendsofTrees.org. The tickets are at the third base line–a great location–and the game starts at 7 p.m. The first 2,000 fans to arrive receive free Beavers hats!

If you missed seeing Friends of Trees play the Beavers four years ago, watch our pre-Garry tree pitch a strike and Brighton West run the bases as a pinecone.

Tree cheers for the Beavers!

(Garry Oak is on Facebook now. Find out what he’s up to, and be his friend. All trees need friends.)

–TR

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Tags: development, education, volunteering

Vancouver Neighborhood Canopy Outreach Coordinator Brooke Davidson guiding a neighborhood coordinator. (Brian Black)

This 11-month AmeriCorps position could be yours. It could also lead to a long-term staff position at Friends of Trees.

Being the Neighborhood Canopy Outreach Coordinator for Vancouver is a great way to serve the community, receive health benefits, and get your foot in the door for future employment.

From Aug. 23, 2010 to July 23, 2011, the Vancouver Neighborhood Canopy Outreach Coordinator will work with Friends of Trees and the city of Vancouver to help volunteer neighborhood coordinators organize street and yard tree plantings. This pdf file provides a complete position description and guidelines on how to apply.

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Interviews are currently underway, so don’t wait to apply!

–TR

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Tags: street trees, Vancouver