May 2023

Plants and actinomycetes- allies in the fight for resources

Dr. Oleksandr Gromyko,

Ivan Franko National University of L'viv

What do alder, sea buckthorn, and black locust have in common? At first glance, nothing but these and many other plants form close interactions with bacteria. Bacteria can improve mineral nutrition and this allows plants to live on poor soil, enhances their resilience to stress factors, and enables them to absorb carbon dioxide more efficiently. For some plants, these interactions are so important that bacteria enter their roots and form special structures called nodules. Very often, actinomycetes can be found inside the nodules, as well as inside and on the surface of many plant organs.

What's so special about actinomycetes? That they are small factories for producing compounds. Besides improving mineral nutrition, these organisms can synthesize various chemical compounds. We have been using antibiotics produced by actinomycetes for almost 100 years. Besides antibiotics, they also produce fungicides, antiparasitic, and herbicidal compounds. These compounds can protect the tree organism from pests.

During the previous grant from TREE Fund #14-JK-01, we studied the biological properties of actinomycetes from the Collection of Antibiotic Producing Microorganisms of Ivan Franko National University of Lviv and identified antagonists of tree pathogens, as well as strains capable of producing phyto-stimulating compounds, including auxins, siderophores, etc. After completing the project, we investigated the direct effect of some actinomycetes on plant seed germination and obtained positive results, namely accelerated root growth and increased content of pigments, sugars, and amino acids. Further research on actinomycetes will allow us to develop effective biofertilizers for plants.

TREE Fund names Dr. Paul Putman as its new President and Chief Executive Officer

Tree Research and Education Endowment Fund (TREE Fund) is pleased to announce the selection and hire, following an extensive national search, of its new President and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Paul Putman, who will take the reins effective July 2023.

“TREE Fund’s Trustees are truly excited to have Dr. Putman joining the organization as our new President and CEO,” says Dr. Arnold “Beau” Brodbeck, who chairs TREE Fund’s Board. “Paul brings a unique set of fundraising, communication, and leadership skills that will help advance TREE Fund’s mission of funding research and education to support the professions of arboriculture and urban forestry.”

See the full press release HERE.

Would you like to support TREE Fund and meet some amazing people?

We already have 15 brand-new riders at this year's Tour des Trees! We'd love to see you there too!

If you have ever thought of riding the Tour des Trees, this is certainly the year to do it! We'll be riding a beautiful route and making several stops, connecting our riders with the local communities in Nevada and California so that we can talk trees and spread the word on their importance to our way of life.



Join us and make lifelong connections, both personally and professionally. This year's Tour des Trees takes place from September 26 to October 2, with five days of riding and 380+ miles. Part-time ride options available, too.

For more information and to register, visit www.treefund.org/tourdestrees.

Can't ride in Lake Tahoe but want to ride your bike and support TREE Fund?

Our brand new TdT 350/350 Challenge is a great way to help support TREE Fund on your own time and at your own speed. Ride 350 miles and raise $350 before August 30 and you'll receive a custom cycling shirt. The earlier you register, the more time you have! Register for free today at www.treefund.org/virtual-ride-option.

Lead Donors

We are deeply grateful to the following people and organizations who contributed $2,500 or more to the TREE Fund in March 2023:

Altec/ Styslinger Foundation, Inc.

Wisconsin Arborist Association

Steven Geist

Wright Service Corp.

See the full list of lead donors who make our vital tree research and education work possible on our website.

TREE Fund Ramblings: Mentions and thanks TREE Fund has recently received.

Kayla Stuart

College students are notoriously known for having financial hardships as they study at their institutions, and I am no exception to that. After being motivated by various factors in my life I decided to step into the unknown and pursue a degree in urban forestry. I returned to college after being a Licenced Practical Nurse for almost 8 years, purchasing my first home, and raising two children.

This has been one of the most rewarding and fulfilling decisions I have made in my life. I am not in a position to accrue loads of student debt due to my unique situation, so I have applied for multiple scholarships since starting this journey. This year I was elated to learn that I was the fortunate recipient of the TREE Fund’s John Wright Memorial Scholarship. The award from this scholarship went towards my tuition, supplies, fees, as well as gave me the opportunity to attend several enriching conferences. The burden of ‘How am I going to afford this?’ was eliminated by the TREE Fund scholarship and the impact has reached both my academic and personal life.

I recognize that the scholarship process is much more than just drawing a name out of a hat, and it is very competitive, yet rewarding. Receiving this award is both an honor and a motivator for me to continue pursuing my goals of urban forestry work within divested communities, and I am pleased to have recently been accepted to complete a Master’s Degree. I hope this scholarship will remain available for future students like myself, because when we see that others will invest in us we can grow to our fullest potential

Free Webinars

TREE Fund is proud to partner with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System to bring you free education offerings. We are now able to accommodate up to 3,000 participants! 

Our next webinar topic and date will be announced soon. Stay tuned.

TREE Fund’s 1-hour webinars are free and offer 1.0 CEU credit for live broadcasts from the International Society of Arboriculture and the Society of American Foresters. Registration and information will become available on our website approximately two weeks before each webinar date.

Missed a webinar? Watch it anytime on our website.

CEU Credit for Recorded Webinar

TREE Fund now offers ISA CEU credits for one recorded webinar: "Loading of a Tie-in Point While Climbing." If you missed this webinar, you can now watch the recording and earn ISA CEU credits by completing a 20 question quiz with 80% accuracy. Learn more on our website.

TREE Fund is a 501(c)3 nonprofit whose mission is to support scientific discovery and dissemination of new knowledge in the fields of arboriculture and urban forestry.