April 24th, 2013

Hello Urban Forests Friends,

Here’s what’s happening in urban and community forestry:

Thanks for all you do for urban forestry!

Regards,

Sonali Shah
Communications Manager
California Urban Forests Council

Upcoming Invest From the Ground Up local campaigns

Invest From the Ground Up logo

Invest From the Ground is in full bloom with our local campaigns in Santee, San Diego & East Hollywood, LA.

We have some exciting local events planned, see below to learn more about two campaigns coming up and if you live close by, we hope you’ll join us:

Invest From the Ground Up – Santee, San Diego  – A campaign focused on water and trees: the benefits, the truths and more.  We hosting an educational and fun filled day at Santee Lakes for homeowners on May 4th. Learn more

Invest From the Ground Up – East Hollywood, LA – A campaigned focus on the benefits of trees on business and on public health. Two events:  Tree Planting on May 18th and Business Improvement Forum on June 4th — both in East Hollywood. Learn more. We are  fortunate to have Dr. Kathy Wolf and Dr. Dick Jackson speaking at the Forum!

Urban Forest Protocol Revision

The Urban Forest Protocol provides guidance to quantify and verify GHG reductions from a planned set of tree planting and maintenance activities implemented to permanently increase carbon storage through trees.
The Climate Action Reserve has received feedback that the initial version of the protocol presents significant hurdles to the successful implementation of urban forest offset projects. A revision is being developed to make it more feasible for these projects to be implemented while still meeting regulatory-quality standards for carbon offset development.

As such, the Reserve is using a stakeholder-driven process, including a workgroup, to develop the revision. For more information on how you can join the workgroup or serve as an observer of the process, visit this page.

Resolutions for the Urban Forest

It’s never too late for resolutions. Check out this great blog by an urban forest advocate, landscape architect and CaUFC member, Laura Kelly.

Thank you Laura and our board member Isabelle Minn for pointing out how CaUFC is helping urban forestry and how you can too by joining us:

There are many benefits to CaUFC membership, including:

  • Connecting to educational workshops and resources in your region,
  • Learning about creative uses of urban forestry through regular e-newsletters, and
  • Joining the growing number of Californians who believe trees make a positive impact on our health, communities, and environment

dogwood tree in bloom

Dogwood Blooms

Some call flowering dogwood the “queen” of North American forests. Graceful branching, unique blossoms, red berries and red fall foliage makes it unforgettable. The showy “flowers” are, in fact, not flowers but bracts that subtend and surround a group or boss of 20 to 30 real flowers. These true flowers are less than one quarter inch in size. The actual flowers of Cornus florida are not white.

Unfortunately, the tree is being attacked by a disease called Dogwood anthracnose and is in some stress at higher elevations. Dogwood has a natural range throughout the eastern United States but can survive in California as well and adds beauty and grace where it exists!

Check out this photo gallery of some beautiful Dogwood blooms

photo of dogwood tree

Free Fruit for All!
California’s first public orchard blossoms in L.A

The renovated Del Aire Park in Los Angeles County, with 27 fruit trees and eight grapevines, officially opened to the public at the start of the year.

The county paid $4 million for the improvements — and used a little creative financing as the fruit trees were paid for from funds designated for civic art. The purpose was to blend food and aesthetics into ‘edible art’.

“Community gardens and farmers markets are truly the town centers of our communities. These are the places where people gather and get to know each other” said County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas.

Read the full story.

UF Poster Contest for 3rd, 4th and 5th Graders
Know any 3rd, 4th, or 5th Grade Students interested in Trees or Art? Check out the California ReLeaf Arbor Week Poster Contest

Students are asked to create original artwork on the theme “The Trees in my Community are an Urban Forest.”

Submission deadline: Feb 15, 2013

Winners will be featured at the State Fair and awarded cash prizes provided by the California Community Forests Foundation.

Contest rules, classroom curriculum, and prize list are available here.

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