See how the fun theory inspired people in Sweden to climb stairs rather than ride the escalator.

Check out the fun theory at Plant It Portland. See how fun it is to plant trees with Friends of Trees!

–TR

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

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

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.

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

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

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

Board members Sky O'Callahan and Nancy Buley chat at Friends of Trees' May 2010 Leadership Awards Luncheon (Greg Tudor)

Sky, his wife Skipper, and their son Conor (16) live on a farm south of Oregon City with their friends, Sue and Chip. The two families have formed a double-sized family on the farm for 25 years, with Conor growing up like a brother to Sue and Chip’s son, Seth, who’s now attending college.

Sky has planted trees on the farm, which features an orchard, ducks that lay eggs for the extended family, and an organic garden that provides them with fresh produce. He was first introduced to city tree planting at a Friends of Trees event sponsored by The Standard, where he works as Assistant Vice President of Customer Support.

A year ago he made a pledge to plant 100 trees, some on his farm and others in neighborhoods. He hopes that Friends of Trees will help him reach—or surpass—his goal.

Sky credits his Boy Scout troop in the Los Angeles area, where he grew up, for laying the “foundation for my love of trees.” His troop often backpacked in Yosemite and Sequoia National parks. Sky left Los Angeles in 1985 “in large part because I was tired of cement and wanted more trees and actual seasons.”

Boy Scouts and trees continue to be part of the family picture. Conor is a Star Scout and enjoys the large old trees at his church camp at Mt. Adams.

Sky also plays guitar and sings in addition to reading, hiking, and enjoying baseball.

–Teri Ruch

Friends of Trees’ new Plant It Portland yard signs and door hangers are popping up across Portland. You can add green (and colorful signs) to your neighborhood, too.

Just find a tree for your home and encourage your friends and neighbors to find their trees at Friends of Trees, too. With everyone’s help, Plant It Portland will add thousands of street and yard trees to Portland neighborhoods during the next three years.

The trees will shade our homes, beautify our neighborhoods, and keep our rivers healthy.

Find your tree here!

Many thanks to the amazing team at Frank Creative for creating the fun and friendly Plant It Portland campaign, and to nationally-recognized, local artist Amy Ruppel, who designed the artwork for the campaign.

Learn more about Plant It Portland and how easy it is to plant with us. Together we can make Portland the greenest city in the world.

–Teri Ruch

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.

Water your trees during these hot summer days! (Chijo Takeda)

Help your trees through these hot summer days!

Trees should be watered for the first three summers after planting. Friends of Trees recommends that you water them deeply with five to ten gallons twice a week.

Here are two great ways to keep your trees watered. Watch our video on using ooze tubes and our video on watering with a bucket with holes drilled in the bottom.

Also, adding mulch in an 18-inch radius around the base of your tree will help the soil retain moisture. Just be sure to clear mulch away from the trunk in a three-inch radius to avoid moisture-induced problems.

Trees can be your best friends during the summer. Our video from last July shows a nearly 50-degree difference between sun-baked pavement and shaded concrete!

--Teri Ruch

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.

Planting street trees with Friends of Trees (FoT file)

If you have attended a workshop on identifying trees in Portland or already know Portland’s tree species, Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) invites you to sign up for its Neighborhood Street Tree Inventory Training on June 26, from 9 a.m. to noon, at Bethany Lutheran Church, 4330 NE 37th Ave.

According to PP&R, a street tree inventory can provide your neighborhood with essential data for planning stewardship activities, such as species and size distribution, available planting spaces, and maintenance needs of trees in your area.

Inventory data can also be used to quantify ecosystem services provided by trees, such as air quality improvement and stormwater retention.

Join City Nature staff and learn to conduct an inventory using paper forms or a handheld computer. Participants will practice collecting data, including tree species and a tree health rating.

Learn to correctly determine where street trees can be planted using city guidelines working around utilities, meters, and traffic signs. Opportunities to work with staff to complete a local tree inventory and neighborhood stewardship plan will be discussed.

The workshop is free but advance registration is required.

Participants are encouraged to dress for the weather and to bring their favorite tree identification book.

Register online or contact Autumn Montegna at 503-701-7622 or autumn.montegna@portlandoregon.gov.

–Teri Ruch

Hosui Asian Pear (FOT File)

By Greg Tudor

Interested in your food security? Want to add a lovely tree to your yard? Consider picking up a fruit tree from Friends of Trees.

Thanks to generous donations from several nurseries in the Willamette Valley, we are able to offer a great variety of apples, pears, plums, cherries, grapes and more for a fraction of the cost. Due to the high level of interest, we are limiting participants to three trees per household, with a small suggested donation per tree. It’s a great way to add some flavor and interest to your garden, and help support Friends of Trees.

In addition to all the incredible fruit trees, we will also be slashing prices on our leftover street and yard tree stock. Need an elm for your yard? This is where to pick it up.

Representatives from Friends of Trees, the Portland Fruit Tree Project and the Urban Forestry Division of Portland Parks & Recreation will be on hand to help you select the right tree for the right place.

Where: Friends of Trees, 3117 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Portland 97212

When: Saturday, April 24, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

For more information, please contact Greg Tudor at 503-282-8846 ext. 12 or GregT@FriendsofTrees.org.

Tudor is Volunteer & Outreach Manager for Friends of Trees.

Members of last season's urban canopy outreach team, clockwise from top-left: Tom Cogswell; Elizabeth Wren Shiffler; Gehron Burkholder; and Dimitra Giannakoulias. (FOT file)

The city of Portland is looking for up to 10 new employees to work on increasing the area’s tree canopy on behalf of the Grey to Green (G2G) Initiative.

As a G2G partner with the Bureau of Environmental Services (BES), Friends of Trees works closely with these city staffers to get the right street and yard trees planted in the right spot.

The part-time positions average between 25-30 hours a week, and pay $14.98 an hour.

Read a complete description of qualifications and how to apply below:

We are developing innovative ways to grow and document Portland’s urban forest and to educate citizens about the importance of planting trees.  Outreach staff are the public face of our effort, providing extensive face-to-face and telephone contact with residents as we offer them new tree-planting opportunities.

Ideal candidates will be personable, creative and adaptable, comfortable with door-to-door canvassing, community outreach and education, and enthusiastic about planting trees as a means of improving Portland’s environment.  This announcement will be used to fill up to 10 part-time, summer positions.

Required Qualifications:

• Excellent people skills, a positive attitude, and self-motivation
• Previous experience in canvassing, customer service, or other outreach work
• Experience representing a governmental or other organization to the public
• Strong awareness of and commitment to environmental restoration
• Willingness and ability to work full shifts on foot, in the field, in varying weather conditions
• Ability to work successfully with others in a team environment
• Applicants must be able to provide their own transportation to and from field work in neighborhoods across North, Northeast, and Southeast Portland.
• Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and have a valid driver’s license accompanied by an acceptable driving record.

Desired Qualifications:

• Knowledge/experience of stormwater management and/or urban forestry issues
• Previous experience with detailed data entry, database software, and GIS software
• Ability to speak a language other than English

Duties will include, but may not be limited to:

• Contacting property owners, primarily door-to-door as well as over the telephone, to provide information and promote participation in tree planting initiatives
• Recording and maintaining accurate field data of potential tree planting locations
• Entering field data into GIS software
• Supporting community outreach programs, including tabling at events
• Attending staff meetings and training sessions

Work will begin in early June and will continue through early September, with a possibility of a few outreach staff staying on until the end of the year.  The work schedule will generally be Tuesdays to Saturdays, mid-afternoons to early evenings, with occasional Sunday shifts, for an average of 25-30 hours per week. Approximately 75% of this time will be spent in the field, with the remainder consisting of office work and tabling at outreach events.  Pay is $14.98 per hour with no additional benefits for these seasonal, part-time positions.

Please apply with a brief, relevant resume and cover letter by e-mail or US Mail to the address below.  Please limit your combined resume/cover letter submissions to a total of three typed pages.   All materials must be received by 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, April 21.  Interviews will be held during the second full week of May.  We look forward to your application.  Please submit materials to:

Kenneth Carter, Sr. HR Analyst
Portland Bureau of Human Resources
1120 SW 5th Avenue – Room 404
Portland, Oregon 97204
Phone: 503-823-4217
Kenneth.Carter@portlandoregon.gov

Contact Matt Krueger (503-823-2978) or Jennifer Karps (503-823-2263) with questions. The City of Portland is an equal opportunity employer.