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April 2023
NCUFC eNews
Protecting, Sustaining, Advocating
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NC Community Tree Webinar Series ... On break for April!
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There will be no webinar in April. NCUFC staff is focusing on migrating all of its contact records, event registration forms and member communication templates (newsletters, announcements, webinars, etc.) to its new customer relations management database.
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Carolina Canopy Workshop: Foundational Skills Road Show
Presenters...
Jeffery Kish, Bartlett Tree Experts, Assistant Division Manager
Barb Fair, NCSU Associate Professor and Cooperative Extension Specialist
Manufacture reps, Husqvarna and Vermeer
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Thursday 13 October 2023, 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Watauga County Extension Service Conference Center, Boone
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Carolina Canopy Workshop: Soil Management Road Show
Presenters...
Barb Fair, NCSU Associate Professor and Cooperative Extension Specialist
Cyndi Lauderdale, NCSU Cooperative Extension Agent/Wilson County
Kevin Heifferon, Assistant Director, City of Greenville/Public Works
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Tuesday 18 April 2023, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Greenfield Terrace/Barnes-Ebron Taft Community Center, Greenville
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Thursday 9 October 2023, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Train Station / Multi-Purpose Program Room, Kannapolis
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UPCOMING PARNTER EVENTS
NC Bradford Pear Bounty 2023 Events
In 2023, the Council is joining forces again with the NC Cooperative Extension, NC Forest Service and NC Wildlife Federation to help landowners swap a Bradford pear tree for a native North Carolina Tree.
- Saturday 22 April, Newton (Catawba County)
- Saturday 21 October, Wilmington
- Saturday 28 October, Sanford
If you wish to volunteer, contact Leslie Moorman.
You can now follow NC Bradford Pear Bounty on Facebook.
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Southeast Trees and Law Symposium
Presenters...
Barb Fair, NCSU Associate Professor and Cooperative Extension Specialist
Mark Duntemann, Natural Path Urban Forestry (Illinois)
Joe Samnik, Expert Tree Consultant (Florida)
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Friday 16 June 2023, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- NCSU McKimmon Conference Center, Raleigh
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PlanIT Geo Webinar: Tree Canopy Analysis Around the World
Panelists representing The Netherlands, UK and USA...
Simon Needle, Urban Forestry and Nature Lead, Birmingham City Council
Heather Wilson, Program Manager Sr. of Urban Forestry, City of Lexington
Rob Davis, City Forester, City of Grand Junction
Dirk Voets, Remote Sensing Specialist Remote, Cobra Groeninzicht
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Wednesday 12 April, 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
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1 ISA CEU, submitted after attending webinar
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USFS Urban Forest Connections Webinar Series:
A State to Local Model for Producing Climate-Adapted Urban Trees
Presenters...
Fred Raley, Tree Improvement Coordinator, Texas A&M Forest Service
Carol Brady, Conservation Seedling Program Manager, New Mexico Forestry Division
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Wednesday 12 April, 1:00 to 2:15 p.m.
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Tree Biomechanics - Tree Decay Testing Workshop
Presenters...
Chris Luley, PhD, President, Urban Forest Diagnostics, LLC
Frank Rinn, Inventor of RESISTOGRAPH and ARBOTOM; Owner of RINNTECH
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Thursday 27 - Friday 28 April, Lioncrest Ballroom at the Biltmore Estate, Asheville
- Registration limited to 75 individuals
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Executive Director for Alliance for Cape Fear Trees
Click here for a full job description. Cover letter, resume and three professional references must be submitted to allianceforcapetrees.hiring@gmail.com by 15 May 2023.
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Community Tree Canopy Preservation Division, City of Charlotte
Multiple positions are available, with varying closing dates. Click on the following links for specific information.
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Post your jobs with NCUFC!
Does your agency, organization or business have jobs to announce? Send them to Kathryn Reis for posting on our Career in Arboriculture and in NCUFC eNews!
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Alert: Communication disruptions may occur in next few weeks
This month NCUFC staff is transferring all of its member relations management activities to a new platform. This transfer impacts how NCUFC (1) processes membership payments and event registrations, (2) administers webinars, and (3) communicates with NCUWG members (newsletters, event announcements).
Please start monitoring your Spam and Junk folders. In either late April or early May, all NCUWG communications will most likely originate from the EveryAction platform, instead of Constant Contact. Hopefully your access to NCUFC communications will not be temporarily disrupted!
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Please complete 2023 Member Survey: Volunteer Interests
The Board of Directors and staff of NCUFC want to create volunteer programs that appeal to you. Please take about ten minutes to complete the 2023 Member Survey: Volunteer Interests by 1 May 2023. The Board will review survey results during its May meeting. If you have questions about the survey or problems accessing it, please email Kathryn Reis.
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Five daily habits that support trees and our Earth
by Kate Bollkin, Community Educator and Certified Arborist at TreesCharlotte
Earth Day occurs on Saturday 22 April and National Arbor Day occurs on Friday 28 April. Although we love supporting our planet by planting trees, North Carolina’s tree planting season is sadly over by the time these late-April holidays come around. This is why North Carolina celebrates Arbor Day every year on the first Friday after 15 March.
Aside from planting trees, how else can you support trees when celebrating Earth Day and National Arbor Day?
Below I outline five ways in which you can change your daily habits. By adopting any or all of these new lifestyles, you can affect the health and resiliency of Earth's largest forests, even ones located thousands of miles away from us.
Reduce meat consumption
We love burgers as much as the next guy, but did you know meat, especially beef, production is one of the leading causes of deforestation? Today humans clearcut forests at alarming rates to make room for cattle grazing and soy production (cow feed). By reducing your consumption of beef, and other land-intensive agricultural products (such as palm oil), you will help protect our precious remaining forests. If going vegetarian or vegan is not possible for you, consider limiting your meat consumption as much as possible.
Vote with your dollar
When you purchase tree-based products, choose brands that use recycled or ethically sourced paper and lumber. Many products have a “Made from Recycled Paper” logo on them. When looking for lumber, do your best to always purchase wood that earns the mark of approval from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Only lumber that meets specific harvesting standards can receive FSC certification. If you purchase lumber lacking the FSC mark, you risk supporting an illegal logging operation.
Reduce > reuse > recycle
Although it is great to purchase sustainably-sourced or recycled paper, there are additional steps you can take that may even limit your purchase of paper!
Firs, you can reduce the need for paper products by using long-lasting, reusable products. For instance, you can swap paper towels for washable rags, use canvas totes in place of paper bags, or only print documents when necessary. Second, when you do use paper products, reuse them until it is not possible anymore. Third, when all other options have been exhausted, recycle for paper product.
Spread the word
We see tens of thousands of trees being removed on private property. Just about everyone has a story of a neighbor, friend, or family member who cut down healthy trees in their yard. It may not seem like much, but talking to others about the value of trees and urban canopy preservation can go a long way. Even just saving one tree can make a huge impact.
Vote in elections
Although the daily actions of individuals play a significant role in the fate of our natural and urban forests, current policy at the local to global levels determine how many trees communities can plant, manage and preserve. When policies for tree protection are weak, acts of deforestation occur more easily. Knowing where policymakers stand on the issue of trees is important. Do your research then get out there and vote!
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"In a Nutshell" blog features two interviews
What animated character does pine pollen look like?
How far can pine pollen travel?
Why is mentoring so important for novice arborists?
What are the pros and cons of owning your own business?
To learn the answers to those questions while exploring the field of urban forestry from the perspective of a college senior, read the blog In a Nutshell. Emma Howrilla, NCUFC's intern from NC State, created this blog last month. To date, she has interviewed Wendy Williams, an arborist at Elon University, and Andrew Wagner, a climbing arborist at Catawba Tree Experts. Emma has also shared facts about oak and pine pollen and the history of National Arbor Day.
Share In a Nutshell with youth in your community!
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NCUFC now accepting Legacy Tree Fund grant applications
The NC Legacy Tree Fund Grant provides funding to local governments, community groups, and schools for tree-planting projects that conserve energy, improve air quality, and protect water quality.
NCUFC prioritizes planting projects that focus on:
- storm recovery
- environmental justice issues (e.g., establishing tree canopy in areas historically devoid of trees)
- significant volunteer engagement
- meaningful environmental education
The application deadline is Wednesday 31 May 2023. NCUFC will contact grant awardees by 30 June 2023. Approved projects run 1 September 2023 to 31 May 2024.
Visit the Legacy Tree Fund webpage to learn more about the grant and how to apply. While there, Read our "Then & Now" stories about past LTF awardees!
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Partners for Green Growth Funds available
by Kacy Cook, Green Growth Toolbox Coordinator
at NC Wildlife Resources Commission
The NC Wildlife Commission has cost-share funds available to assist you with conservation-related planning projects, especially for “greening” development-related plans and ordinances. Please refer to our webpage and Idea Submission Form for information of the types of projects that qualify.
The Project Ideas Submission form is due 24 April 2023 (contact us for an extension). Full applications are by invitation only. Invited applications will be due 16 May. Applicants that qualify to submit a full application will be notified by 30 August. All projects should begin by 1 July or 15 October and be completed in 18 months or less.
Questions? Concact Kacy Cook at 910-638-4887 or Brooke Massa at 919-630-3086.
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Urban trees equal wildlife habitat
Snags, or dead trees, are marvelous sources of habitat for wildlife, from insects and amphibians to mammals and birds. Burrowing insects not only support tree decomposition but they are a constant food source for insectivores, like woodpeckers and nuthatches. Branches yield excellent perches for all types of birds. Snag cavities provide a suite of small animals with refuge from storms and/or a safe nesting space.
Tree leaves also afford urban wildlife with quality habitat. Luna moths lay their eggs on fallen leaves. Spiders and other invertebrates depend on fallen leaves to insulate themselves when searching for food, which in turn become a source of food for rummaging birds.
I suspect most of you already know these benefits of snags. But do your clients? The Urban Forest Initiative at the University of Kentucky provides excellent talking points on habitat trees and leaves for wildlife, as well as the role urban forests play in neotropical bird migration and habitat provision for butterflies, moths and bees.
Click on the above links to learn more about each wildlife feature of urban forests. You also will find excellent gardening tips to diversify wildlife habitat in your yard.
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Historian Ben Wilson releases Urban Jungle: The History and Future of Nature in the City
Goodreads
In this exhilarating look at cities, past and future, Ben Wilson proposes that, in our world of rising seas and threatening weather, the natural world may prove the city's savior
"Illuminating...Wilson leaves readers with hope about the future of efforts to preserve the ecosystems that surround us, as well as a new perspective that looks beyond the concrete and asphalt when walking along a city’s streets."— Associated Press.
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New urban forestry podcast
PlanIT Geo
The Internet of Nature Podcast, created and hosted by Dr. Nadina Galle, uses interviews with thought-leaders and innovators to answer the question: Can nature and technology — long viewed as opposing forces — work together to create liveable cities and improve public health?
This collaboration was born out of a shared enthusiasm for trees and technology. As pioneers of urban forestry software, PlanIT Geo worked with Dr. Galle to select nine key topics facing the future of urban forestry. Dr. Galle will interview experts from the public, private, or nonprofit sectors to unpack each topic and discuss the implications for cities of the future.
Podcast guests include the following individuals:
- Leslie Birches, Executive Director at Society of Municipal Arborists
- Jad Daley, CEO of American Forests
- Tom Ebeling, Community Arborist at Openlands
- Alex Hancock, Urban Forestry Climate Consultant at PlanIT Geo
- Ian Hanou, CEO and Founder of PlanIT Geo
- Brett KenCairn, Senior Policy Advisor for Climate and Environment at City of Boulder
- Dan Lambe, CEO of Arbor Day Foundation
- Tobin Mitnick, Actor, Comedian and Naturalist
- Vivek Shandas, Founder of CAPA Strategies
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How to help flooded trees or shrubs
by, Davey Resource Group
Spring is on its way, and with it usually comes melting ice from winter, as well as quite a bit of rainfall – depending on your region.
After all, they don’t say April showers for nothing.
And climate change has also increased precipitation in some regions of the U.S., so flooding in these areas is more likely.
But it can make you wonder, “How does flooding affect trees?” and “How do you care for a waterlogged tree?”
Let’s talk about how to help waterlogged trees recover, so you can be prepared for spring’s rainy season.
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