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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Yesterday Friends of Trees’ Brighton West joined Angelica on the evening news to give Channel 2 viewers tree pruning tips for small trees.

How much more time does it take to prune a tree well than to prune a tree poorly?

“It’s the same amount of effort,” West explained, “and just a tiny bit of knowledge to get your trees healthy.”

Keep your trees healthy by pruning them properly and by watering them during the dry summer months. Friends of Trees also recommends hiring an ISA certified arborist to prune trees once every 5-7 years. 

Find more tree care tips on our web site and our blog, where Dr. Tree has offered advice on removing suckers and planting trees.

And remember: Street tree pruning often requires a permit. Check with your local government to learn more.

–TR

Dozens of new Neighborhood Coordinators attended Friends of Trees' July trainings. (FOT file)

By Kate Farrington

Last week Friends of Trees held three separate Neighborhood Coordinator trainings. Sunday’s was for new Neighborhood Coordinators, Tuesday’s was for Vancouver coordinators, and Thursday’s was for Portland coordinators. All three events were well attended.

Participants heard from Friends of Trees staff, Vancouver Urban Forestry, Portland Bureau of Environmental Services, and veteran Neighborhood Coordinators. The presentations explained the coordinators’ roles and the importance of a healthy urban forest.

Participants also enjoyed delicious donated pastries and bagels on Saturday and pizzas on Tuesday and Thursday.

At the trainings, Neighborhood Coordinators met for the first time with other volunteers who will assist them. The groups discussed outreach ideas and planting goals. It was great to see everyone working together and to watch Neighborhood Coordinators gear up for the upcoming planting season.

Thank you to all of our amazing Neighborhood Coordinators!

–Farrington is Neighborhood Outreach Coordinator for Friends of Trees.

West Hayden Island (Audubon Society of Portland)

The city of Portland is considering whether or not to annex more than 800 acres on the west side of Hayden Island. The Port of Portland owns most of the area, which is within the Metro Urban Growth Boundary.

At a City Council session on July 29, at 6 p.m., the West Hayden Island Community Working Group (CWG) will present its recommendations. The CWG is made of stakeholders from a wide range of interests, including recreation, natural resources and environmental groups, Hayden Island neighborhoods, the marine industry, area businesses, city of Portland, Metro and Port of Portland.

Key concerns involve the riparian cottonwood forest on West Hayden Island, where dozens of species live, including some that are endangered, and the need to expand the city’s port facilities to support the economic health of local industries.

The public is invited to comment on this stage of the project by testifying before City Council or by sending comments to the Council Clerk by mail at 1221 SW Fourth Avenue, Room 140, Portland, OR 97204 or by fax at 503-823-4571.

Watch the city of Portland Bureau of Planning & Sustainability’s web site for updates.

Other sources of information include the Port of Portland and the Audubon Society of Portland.

–Teri Ruch

Between Earth and Sky by Nalini M. Nadkarni

By Tom Atiyeh

Rarely could a book capture the spirit of my recent job transition as well as Nalini Nadkarni’s Between Earth and Sky.

The book was poignant for me as I moved from working at Opal Creek Ancient Forest Center, where staff members were stewards of thousand-year-old stands of Douglas-fir, Western Hemlock, Pacific Yew, and Western Redcedar, to my current work with the urban forest at Friends of Trees.

Between Earth and Sky was published in 2008, and it has taken me over a year to finish it, mainly for two reasons: I didn’t want it to end, and it helped me make the transition from the ancient to the urban.

A well-known environmental professor from Evergreen State College in Washington, Nadkarni weaves poetry and science to encompass forests from canopy to roots. Her view is similar to that of forest ecologist Dr. Jerry Franklin, who said at the conclusion of his recent Portland State University presentation, “There is as much life to explore below the surface as above.”

The 40 assembled poems and 20 pages of recommended reading in Nadkarni’s book will give the intrepid reader plenty to ruminate about and will inspire scholarly pursuits. Her anecdotes and reflections explain her own personal affinity for trees.

I have similar experiences of “knowing” trees at Opal Creek’s Cedar Flats. My childhood wilderness jaunts established landmarks there years before the trail was built to the Franklin Grove. I also “know” many trees along the Native American Whetstone Mountain Trail in Maine.

Recently I began making new tree acquaintances in the Collins Sanctuary adjacent to Forest Park in Portland. Some of the trees were introduced to me by Friends of Trees Executive Director Scott Fogarty, who showed me trees that he’d planted and called them old friends.

Dr. Nadkarni began her tree journey at age nine, when she wrote, illustrated and self-published Among the Birds – My Guide to Climbing Trees. History and life are captured in her new publication, which includes different perspectives on trees and descriptions of their benefits, including goods and services, shelter, protection, health, time measurement, and spirituality.

Her message near the end of her missive relates directly to a theme at Friends of Trees: Right Tree–Right Place.

Trees providing a final benefit as wind breaks along the Oregon coast. (Tom Atiyeh)

Between Earth and Sky goes far in describing the full measure of trees’ contributions to our lives, whether within or far from the city, whether at the beginning or end of their lives. I thought of this on a recent visit to a wind-blown section of the Oregon coast, where I saw trees providing their final benefit as wind-shelter on the beach.

I recommend adding Between Earth and Sky to your permanent reference library.

–Atiyeh is the Chief Development Officer of Friends of Trees

A happy new tree owner - courtesy of Friends of Trees, 2.13.10 (FoT File)

By Andy Meeks

Did you know that urban street and yard trees increase air and water quality, improve neighborhood livability, help mitigate stormwater runoff, boost property values, and help beautify neighborhoods?

Would you like to meet your neighbors, develop valuable organizing skills, and have fun while helping Friends of Trees reach our ambitious goal of planting about 6,000 street and yard trees in Portland and Vancouver this season?

If any of these possibilities intrigue or even inspire you, consider becoming a Neighborhood Coordinator with Friends of Trees for our 2010-11 planting season! The trainings will be held on Saturday, July 10 from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. with a second session on either Tuesday, July 13 (Vancouver) or Thursday, July 15 (Portland) from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.  (See locations below.)

Neighborhood coordinators make a Friends of Trees planting event possible by talking to neighbors about planting trees, keeping track of homeowner inquiries and tree requests, and helping organize a neighborhood planting event with support from the Friends of Trees staff.

No experience is necessary! We’ll train you in all aspects of this role and support you throughout the planting season as you raise awareness of the planting event, help your neighbors order trees, and organize the logistics of planting day.

Neighborhood coordinators typically work in teams as adjacent neighborhoods are grouped into planting events together. Scheduling is very flexible and most work can be done at home. The typical time commitment is approximately 80 hours from mid-summer until the planting event occurs between November and March. (Dates vary depending on neighborhoods.)

If you have any questions or would like to sign up for these trainings, please e-mail Jesse Batty or call him at 503-282-8846 ext. 25.  We hope to work with you!

===

FIRST SESSION: This session is required for all prospective neighborhood coordinators. It is intended to give a broad introduction to Friends of Trees and the Neighborhood Trees program, as well as information about the neighborhood coordinator’s roles, responsibilities and strategies needed to get the job done.

Saturday, July 10, from 9 a.m. to 12 noon at PCC Cascade Campus (Terrell Hall – Room 122) at 705 N Killingsworth in Portland.

AND

SECOND SESSION: This session will be an opportunity for new and returning neighborhood coordinators to meet each other, talk about ideas, and learn more about our online ordering system.

Tuesday, July 13, 6 to 8 p.m. at the Firstenburg Community Center – 700 Northeast 136th Avenue, Vancouver, WA – in Community Room A. This session is for Vancouver Neighborhood Coordinators only.

OR

Thursday, July 15, 6 to 8 p.m. at the Kaiser Town Hall – 3704 N Interstate Avenue, Portland, OR. This session is for Portland Neighborhoods Coordinators only.

Meeks is the Volunteer & Outreach Specialist with Friends of Trees.

Caring for our soil (Oregon Tilth)

If you’re a landscape professional and want to learn about organic land care, this is the workshop for you.

Oregon Tilth’s August 19 workshop at Clackamas Community College will focus on organic land care principles and applications, including soil balancing and testing, soil biology, and plant pathology.

The class will involve classroom and outdoor time, including hands-on learning and observation. Participants will receive a copy of the Oregon Tilth Organic Land Care Policies and Standards.

Organic Land Care Workshop
8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Clairmont Hall, Room C-118
Clackamas Community College
Oregon City Campus
19600 Molalla Avenue
Oregon City

Lunch is included in the $75 registration fee.

Visit Oregon Tilth for details and registration.

–Teri Ruch

Jack Johnson "By the Sea"

Friends of Trees is teaming up with Jack Johnson on his 2010 “To The Sea” Tour and at “All At Once,” a social action network connecting nonprofits with people who want to become active in their local and world community.

“All At Once” comes to life online at www.AllAtOnce.org and at every Jack Johnson concert in the Village Green, a collection of interactive booths where you can learn and be inspired as you connect with local nonprofits.

HOW YOU CAN TAKE ACTION

1) Visit Friends of Trees and Garry the Oak at the October 3 Jack Johnson concert at the Amphitheater at Clark County in Ridgefield, Washington.

2) When you visit us in the Village Green at the concert, get your Village Green Passport stamped and enter to win a chance to view the concert from the stage.

3) Help Friends of Trees raise funds! Jack Johnson’s new charity is matching every dollar contributed to us at the show or directly to our organization between now and October 15 up to $2,500.

Make a contribution now, designate it as a contribution to be matched by Jack Johnson, and your money will be doubled by the Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation!

–Teri Ruch

From left: Portland Bureau of Environmental Services' Mike Rosen; Friends of Trees Board Member and J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co. Communications Director Nancy Buley; Friends of Trees Executive Director Scott Fogarty; and U.S. Congressman Kurt Schrader during an April visit.

Congratulations to Friends of Trees Board Member Nancy Buley, who was honored at the annual Oregon Community Trees (OCT) Urban and Community Forestry Conference this month for her tireless advocacy on behalf of urban tree planting.

Nancy is communications director for J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co., which received Friends of Trees’ 2010 Business Leadership Award last month. In April, Nancy traveled to Washington, D.C., where she lobbied for tree-planting legislation with the Alliance for Community Trees and Friends of Trees.

Now in their 17th year, the annual awards, jointly hosted by OCT and the Oregon Department of Forestry, recognize the accomplishments of individuals, groups, and businesses who go the extra mile to enhance and maintain healthy community forests.

–Teri Ruch

Summer sunset over an extensive urban forest. (spacingtoronto.ca)

By Kris Day

The annual Oregon Urban Forestry Conference, this year titled Seed to City, will be taking place next week in Portland’s nursery-laden hinterlands on June 2 and 3. Covering a broad range of topics, this educational event should appeal to a wide range of associated professionals and interested community members. This year’s focus is on following the journey of an urban tree from its humble origins amongst thousands in a production nursery to its stately tenure as a member of an urban forest in a city near you.

Day one, at the J. Frank Schmidt & Son Nursery in Boring, Oregon, will be held in “the field” and will include nursery tours, demonstrations, and informative discussions on new trends and tree selections. Day two will take place at the Oregon Garden Resort in Silverton, Oregon, and will showcase new research on improvements in root development in nursery stock, the induced sterility of especially prolific trees (i.e. potentially invasive trees), and selective root and stem pruning that can lead to the increased health and stability of urban trees. Afternoon sessions will address the management of our urban forests with presentations on planting standards and citywide strategies for increased canopy development.

Events like this help to bring together a wide spectrum of opinion and expertise from different aspects of urban forestry. Here, where new ideas and experiences can be shared, new alliances may be made and existing ones further developed. To join in, visit the Oregon Community Trees website for daily agendas and to register.

Kris Day is a Neighborhood Trees Specialist with Friends of Trees.