Summary

In 2018 we celebrated our 50th birthday with two parties, one in Southern California, and the second in Northern California. The birthday parties also featured the presentation of the annual awards.

Financial Summary: Income

This year, our grant income rose to just over $1 M. We are delivering our second iteration of a tree planting and education program to mitigate carbon.

Financial Summary: Expenses

Our expenses, like our income, are generated from our program work.

Tree Planting Programs

Our key tree planting activity during 2018.

CIRCLE 1.0

In 2018, we continued to monitor the trees planted in 2016 and 2017. This year we replanted for the 25% of the trees originally planted that failed. The newly planted trees suffered a high amount of vandalism in open spaces that often led to tree death. Additionally, trees planted a year and a half before the drought ended, an unfavorable environment. See the full report.

CIRCLE 2.0

Our California Initiative to Reduce Carbon and Limit Emissions (CIRCLE2.0) was back planting trees in the spring. This second round of the program aimed to plant 1,650 trees in disadvantaged communities, and workshops to train tree stewards. Most of the tree planting events were held to celebrate Arbor Day.

FOUNTAIN GROVE REPLANTING

In April, we partnered with the Arbor Day Foundation to host volunteers for Comcast Cares Day at Fountain Grove in Santa Rosa to plant trees in the area affected by the 2017 wildfires. The neighborhood is rebuilding and planning for the future, with these restoration plantings taking into account the risk of wildfire and the need for an urban forest canopy.

Education & Outreach

As part of our ongoing mission to bring the benefits of the urban forest to all communities across California, we produce a number of items focused on education and outreach each year.

California Climate Trees Map

The CA Climate Trees Map highlights the important urban forestry work being funded by California Climate Investments and supported by CAL FIRE. The Map shows trees planted by more than 60 nonprofit organizations and government agencies across California using the public cap-and-trade funds.

iTree Planting Calculator

i-Tree Planting Calculator was designed to help applicants for grants to estimate the long-term environmental benefits from a tree-planting project. The focus is on greenhouse gases, but many other co-benefits are included.

Urban Trees Under Attack from Pests

Two exotic, invasive beetles that carry a dangerous fungus are causing increasingly extensive damage to Southern California’s urban trees. The potential loss of city trees to this disease complex can have a cascade of adverse effects on management costs and the ecoservices trees provide in landscaped areas. We produced a flyer to help get the word out.

New Partners for Smart Growth

The California Urban Forests Council, along with our regional Sacramento Valley and Bay Area councils, joined forces with the Forest Service, Davey, and Friends of the Urban Forest to create a parklet at the New Partners for Smart Growth conference held in San Francisco. Visitors were invited to look and learn about trees and could touch and smell the leaves and seeds that help us identify different trees.

Haiku Promotion

Our haiku poetry promotion kicked off in 2018 and encourages supporters and followers from across California to express their love of urban trees. Prizes were given for the top three entries as awarded by our panel of judges. The promotion proved popular and will be back next year.

Regional Councils

Local updates from our Regional Councils

1. The Bay Area Urban Forests Ecosystem Council

In partnership with the Bay Area Landscape Supervisors’ Forum (BALSF), the Bay Area council hosted a half-day workshop/training on sudden oak death for arborists.

2. Sacramento Valley Regional Urban Forests Council

The well-attended, Learn-at-Lunch series of workshops occurred every second month and covered topics including trees on school grounds, the cost of not maintaining trees, best practices for wildlife, nursery trees, and a session on sacred trees in time for the holidays.

3. San Joaquin Valley Urban Forest Council

In 2019 the leadership of the San Joaquin Valley regional council changed, with Mona Cummings, the CEO of Tree Fresno taking up the reins. The council is planning some events in collaboration with our programs next year.

4. Inland Urban Forest Council

Right tree, right place, is a common mantra in the urban forestry world. In February the IUFC hosted a workshop looking at basic tree care and the best tree for the planting position. The council also held a second workshop where participants could learn if and when an urban shade tree needs pruning.

5. San Diego Urban Forests Council

The San Diego regional council was very active in 2019; with regular meetings and events, including finishing the year with annual awards. The council also actively advocates for urban forestry with the city of San Diego, who in 2019 sought to decrease the tree trimming budget to zero.

6. LA/Orange County (Street Tree Seminar)

2019 was another busy year for the Street Tree Seminar with a full program of meetings, lectures, and two full-day symposiums. The winter symposium focused on building greener communities, while the summer program looked at having an urban forest survival plan. Street Tree Seminar also released the third edition of Street Trees Recommended for Southern California.

7. Central Coast Urban Forests Council

The Central Coast council with the city of San Luis Obispo co-hosted an urban forest awareness day in May that included a tree tour in Mission Plaza. In September, the regional council partnered with CaUFC to host the annual conference.