http://friendsoftrees.org/blog Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:45:14 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en This award winning short documentary, provided by the Washington D.C. nonprofit Casey Trees, highlights the impact environmental education can have at the elementary school level. "Engage, Enlighten and Educate" was produced by George Washington University students Mark Abramson, Haley Lesavoy and Victoria Riess. --Toshio Suzuki http://friendsoftrees.org/blog/2010/03/12/tree-documentary-engages-enlightens-educates/ The online ticket agent says there are only three seats remaining for this exciting event Saturday at the Mount Pisgah Arboretum in Eugene. Two of the forest canopy scientists that contributed to last October's National Geographic will be presenting on their latest research that pertains to some of the world's largest ... http://friendsoftrees.org/blog/2010/03/11/eugene-event-features-famous-forest-scientists/ [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="250" caption="As part of Saturday's Gresham Tree Forum, the city has been hiding 100th birthday medallions in city trees all month. (City of Gresham) "][/caption] Gresham's Tree Forum starts Saturday at 9 a.m. at City Hall with an open house on the benefits of trees. Forum speakers and participants ... http://friendsoftrees.org/blog/2010/03/11/gresham-tree-forum-set-for-saturday/ [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Amelia is pulled by her father and Friends of Trees Board Member Paul Garrahan. In the background is their 1986 Volvo 240, which the Garrahans donated to Friends of Trees last year. (Garrahan Family)"][/caption] By Paul Garrahan I bought my old Volvo used, five years old, around the ... http://friendsoftrees.org/blog/2010/03/10/turning-the-family-car-back-into-trees/ By Greg Tudor There is still time to volunteer, like the dozens of Portland residents who did this past Saturday at the Neighborhood Trees (NT) planting in Montavilla and Mt. Tabor. March is the last full month of plantings, with 10 more Saturday plantings remaining. No pre-registration is required, but remember to ... http://friendsoftrees.org/blog/2010/03/10/volunteer-in-march-with-friends-of-trees/ [caption id="" align="alignright" width="278" caption="Lovie Sanders planting along the I-205 Multi-Use Path. (Kimberly Dinwiddie, ODOT)"][/caption] By Kimberly Dinwiddie When most teenagers get their first job, the feeling of freedom and independence is exciting and memorable, although often times the job itself is less exciting. For 16-year-old Lovie Sanders this is not the ... http://friendsoftrees.org/blog/2010/03/10/teens-first-job-making-an-impact/ [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="These trees next to the Friends of Trees downspout basin are drawing a lot of attention right now. (FOT file)"][/caption] These tree tips, specific for the months of March and April, come courtesy of Collier Arbor Care, a Friends of Trees sponsor: Evaluate trees and prune, removing dead ... http://friendsoftrees.org/blog/2010/03/10/tree-tips-for-march-and-april/ [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="140" caption="The Klootchy Creek spruce is still 96 feet tall. (The Oregonian)"][/caption] The Oregonian ran a small travel blog post yesterday about Oregon's famous Klootchy Creek Spruce. The main point: despite losing its upper half, the giant is still 96 feet tall and boasts the same 17-foot diameter. The big ... http://friendsoftrees.org/blog/2010/03/10/oregons-first-heritage-tree-still-massive/ While it's best to leave the tree-climbing to the professionals and children, sometimes it makes for humorous skits, too. What species is late-night host Jimmy Fallon in with Twilight star Robert Pattinson? --Toshio Suzuki http://friendsoftrees.org/blog/2010/03/10/jimmy-fallon-up-a-tree-with-a-vampire/ [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="An example of a skinny house built on a small lot in Portland. (northassoc.org)"][/caption] Jeffrey Paul Fish is a local home developer who is a member of the Citywide Tree Project (CTP) stakeholder group. Fish Construction NW, Inc., started in 1973 and has since built close to ... http://friendsoftrees.org/blog/2010/03/09/stakeholder-speaks-out-on-citywide-tree-project/ [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="219" caption="What's Flowering Now in your neighborhood? (FOT file)"][/caption] By Greg Tudor This picture, taken on March 6, shows a tree that is usually not associated with the Pacific Northwest (think Southern U.S.). They do pretty well up here, however, and Friends of Trees has several different varieties for sale. The ... http://friendsoftrees.org/blog/2010/03/08/whats-flowering-now-march-6/ [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="432" caption="Preserving street trees, like the ones on Northeast Knott, is only one component of the Citywide Tree Project. (The Oregonian)"][/caption] A room of area residents representing various city bureaus, environmental conservation efforts, development efforts, neighborhood associations and professional arborists met last week to further discuss Portland's Bureau ... http://friendsoftrees.org/blog/2010/03/08/stakeholders-heat-up-over-tree-project-agenda/ [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Tree, stakes, mulch, tools and even his son Rhys fit into Richard Greensted's bike cart Saturday at the Neighborhood Trees planting. (Renee Garrels)"][/caption] By Teri Ruch Mix about 20 bicycles, a dozen carts and trailers, 190 big trees, planting tools, the perfect pre-spring morning and 75 volunteers---from ... http://friendsoftrees.org/blog/2010/03/08/bicycling-for-the-love-of-trees-and-water/ [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="486" caption="This new Mercedes Benz campaign, dubbed the Tree of Innovation, debuted Sunday for the Oscars. (Merkley and Partners)"][/caption] The biggest news from an awards show last night: The Tree of Innovation from Mercedes Benz. The advertisement featured a 250-year-old tree that may or may not also be a ... http://friendsoftrees.org/blog/2010/03/08/tree-of-innovation-by-mercedes/ [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="This tree next to the Friends of Trees downspout basin is drawing a lot of attention right now. (FOT file)"][/caption] Today is March 5, and outside in Portland there are thousands of flowering trees and shrubs like this one outside the Friends of Trees office. Who knows what ... http://friendsoftrees.org/blog/2010/03/05/whats-flowering-now-march-5/ [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="There are 14 plantings remaining, Saturdays through April 10. (FOT file)"][/caption] Tomorrow's area plantings will be nothing short of spectacular. Both programs will be operating at three simultaneous plantings with all the intangible elements working together: a great weather forecast; celebrity speakers; high-profile planting locations; and the typical ... http://friendsoftrees.org/blog/2010/03/05/tomorrows-plantings-from-i-205-to-mt-tabor/ Six giant Black Walnut trees were felled yesterday on the Oregon State Hospital campus in Salem to make room for power lines and an improved intersection, reported The Statesman Journal. The trees were estimated to be between 75 and 100 years old. Excerpt from the story: Cuong Manh Nguyen took a break from ... http://friendsoftrees.org/blog/2010/03/05/old-black-walnut-trees-removed-in-salem/ [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="437" caption="Main Street in Milwaukie. Trees about this size and adjacent to Main Street were removed recently, according to The Portland Tribune."][/caption] The Portland Tribune reported yesterday that several large street trees in downtown Milwaukie were cut down recently in an effort to improve the block. Google street imaging ... http://friendsoftrees.org/blog/2010/03/05/tribune-reports-trees-cut-in-milwaukie/ [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="456" caption="This partnership with a local business helps Friends of Trees plant via its Gift Trees program. (CascadeWebDevelopment.com)"][/caption] Friends of Trees and Cascade Web Development have entered a partnership that aims to give back to business clients by planting trees. The local Web solutions company will donate a tree ... http://friendsoftrees.org/blog/2010/03/04/for-every-new-client-a-tree-is-planted/ [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="Jim Labbe, Audubon Society of Portland, next to the finished project of a street tree planting in Nijmegen, Netherlands. (jim-labbe.travellerspoint.com)"][/caption] An urban conservationist for the Audubon Society of Portland circulated a tree-related post from his travel blog that highlights a street tree planting in Nijmegen, Netherlands. Here is ... http://friendsoftrees.org/blog/2010/03/04/street-tree-planting-netherlands-style/ [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="449" caption="Street swales, like this one on Southeast Division, have been going in for several years all over Portland. (sierraclub.org) "][/caption] It has been a few years now and Portland continues to develop its infrastructure of street swales and curb extensions. The Bureau of Environmental Services (BES) developed and ... http://friendsoftrees.org/blog/2010/03/04/next-generation-street-trees-live-in-swales/ [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Volunteers finish up the final steps of  planting a street tree last Saturday in Vancouver. (Cynthia Thornton-Tang)"][/caption] Friends of Trees and its Neighborhood Trees program planted 175 street and yard trees in Vancouver Feb. 27. Over 100 volunteers came to the multi-neighborhood planting, which was sponsored by Northwest ... http://friendsoftrees.org/blog/2010/03/03/over-300-trees-already-planted-in-vancouver/ Nature Night next Tuesday at the Audubon Society will feature two tree climbers that have ascended some of the largest trees in the world. Brian French and Will Koomjain of Ascending the Giants will speak at the free lecture from 7-8:30 p.m. on their non-confrontational approach to Old Growth conservation and ... http://friendsoftrees.org/blog/2010/03/03/ascending-the-giants-presentation-next-week/ [caption id="" align="alignright" width="270" caption="The Portland Urban Forestry mailbox at their Delta Park location. (FOT file)"][/caption] Portland Urban Forestry is offering two internships, one to start this month and another in June. The unpaid intern will work for a duration of 300 hours on a variety of projects, like street tree inventory, ... http://friendsoftrees.org/blog/2010/03/02/portland-urban-forestry-offers-internships/ [caption id="" align="alignright" width="286" caption="A Salem man detonated explosives in an attempt to remove this tree last week. (Statesman Journal)"][/caption] The Statesman Journal in Salem got national attention last week after a man reportedly used explosives to remove a tree. Besides charges of disorderly conduct, possession of illegal fireworks and unlawful manufacture ... http://friendsoftrees.org/blog/2010/03/02/salem-tree-bomber-faces-multiple-charges/ This CBS news special aired last week and told the story of Herbie, the 240-year-old elm tree and Frank Knight, its 101-year-old caretaker. --Toshio Suzuki http://friendsoftrees.org/blog/2010/03/02/more-than-a-tree-friends-for-50-years/ [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="405" caption="Students at Harold Oliver Elementary School plant trees Feb. 19. (Barbara Hicks)"][/caption] By Kris Day The Global Forest project at Harold Oliver Elementary School in East Portland has grown by three trees this year! Jim Gersbach, project coordinator, and nine third grade students---along with Kate Farrington and ... http://friendsoftrees.org/blog/2010/03/01/elementary-school-grows-global-arboretum/ [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Ned Sodja, a 20-year veteran tree inspector for Portland Urban Forestry, agreed to take the editor of this blog on a ride-along last Thursday. (FOT file)"][/caption] Sometimes the street tree inspection is done before the pickup truck is parked. That's what comes with 20 years of experience as ... http://friendsoftrees.org/blog/2010/03/01/ride-along-unearths-tree-removal-policies-procedures/ Ned Sodja, a 20-year veteran tree inspector with Portland Urban Forestry, talks us through a tree removal inspection in Eastmoreland during a Friends of Trees ride-along yesterday. Check back with the blog on Monday for an in-depth feature on the ride-along that will include the 'hows' and 'whys' of residential tree ... http://friendsoftrees.org/blog/2010/02/26/65-second-portland-tree-removal-inspection/ [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="A team of planters at a Vancouver planting from 2008. (Brian Black)"][/caption] There are 14 Friends of Trees plantings remaining this season, from this Saturday through April 10. As of Feb. 26, thanks to volunteers, donors, partners and sponsors, Friends of Trees has planted 11,310 trees and shrubs ... http://friendsoftrees.org/blog/2010/02/26/another-reason-to-plant-chips-and-garden-burgers/