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What can you do for your community forest?Recently, a query was posted on a community forestry listserv - “What can you do for your Community Forest?” The following is a compilation of answers you might be interested in. Over the winter decide which one(s) you can work on and get ready to GO!! (Courtesy of Mark Simon, NeighborWoods Coordinator, Sacramento Tree Foundation)
1. Remove grass from the base of the tree trunk. 2.Place mulch around the base of a tree. 3.Learn proper pruning. 4.Speak with and support your local municipal arborist. 5.Speak with elected officials about the value of trees. 6.Become a member of your local tree board. 7.Be active at city council meetings regarding the management of trees. 8.Speak with your mayor about trees. 9.Learn what your community is doing for trees. 10.Look closely at city, county, state and school district budgets for hidden funds related to trees and landscaping. 11.Take a walk and notice the trees. 12.Count the topped trees in your neighborhood. Spread the word about NOT topping. 13.Remind neighbors to remove tree stakes. 14.Volunteer to be a member of your school’s/church’s Building and Grounds Committee. If it doesn’t have one, create one. 15.Talk to a school class or a youth group about trees. 16.Talk with your city council and mayor about becoming a Tree City USA. 17.Read a book about trees and share what you learn with somebody. 18.Create an Arbor Day poster contest. 5th graders can participate in the National Arbor Day Foundation’s Arbor Day poster contest. For more information about poster contest visit the Arbor Day Foundation’s website at www.arborday.org/ and going to the education section. 19.Plan an Arbor Day celebration. 20.Take a photograph of your favorite tree and publish a story about it in the local paper. 21.Write your representatives about the value of the urban forest in your life. 22.Write a letter to the editor of you local paper appreciating the urban forest. 23.Engage children in planting something green and caring for it. 24.Inventory the trees in your yard, block, school, neighborhood, city. 25.Create a Master Treescape Plan for downtown and other heavily used areas. 26.Teach others about the right tree in the right place. 27.Teach others about the many benefits of trees. 28.Adopt a tree. Visit it often, care for it, and watch as it changes through seasons and years. 29.Engage youth and adult service groups to sponsor projects to benefit the urban forest. 30.Create community gardens on vacant lots.
For help with any of the above ideas contact Keep Northeast Nebraska Beautiful Coordinator, Donna Christiansen at 402-582-4233 (days) or 402-582-3872 (evenings) or drop Donna an email at rdchristi@plvwtelco.net and she would be glad to help you any way she can.
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