CASEY TREES GOES MOBILE

You won't see us doing wheelies, jumps or stunts but Casey Trees is going two-wheelin' as of this summer.

Casey Trees, well-known for launching innovative initiatives advancing urban forestry such the Annual Tree Report Card, Urban Tree Canopy Goal (40 percent by 2035), and the Casey Trees Map, is rolling out another one this summer - bicycle-mounted tree stewards.

Led by a Bicycle Crew Chief, Casey Trees High School Urban Forestry Summer Interns will be watering trees by bike - primarily in downtown DC. All bike stewards will be outfitted with helmets and be properly trained in bicycle safety and laws.

We strongly believe the bicycle crew pilot project has enormous potential.

First and foremost, bike tree stewards will allow Casey Trees to water trees with greater efficiency - no more fighting traffic, trying to locate street parking, etc. Second, our bicycle-mounted signage will remind pedestrians and drivers to water their trees especially during the hot summer months. Third, Casey Trees will become even more environmentally responsible. The bonus - Casey Trees will have some seriously fit staff and interns.

The industrial bike-trailer (preliminary design mockup above) to haul safety cones, hoses and the such is already ordered - now we just need a fleet of bikes for the interns to ride.

If you have an extra bike laying around, consider donating it to Casey Trees. We will put it to good use. Send a picture or description of the bike(s) to mfried@caseytrees.org and we will be in touch. We will even pick it up.

With your help, you will soon see a fancier version of the below hitting the streets of DC.

TREES GET SASSY IN TREES TALK BACK

Casey Trees is proud to co-sponsor Stuart-Hobson Middle School's spring musical production - Trees Talk Back in the Stuart-Hobson Auditorium (410 E Street, NE) on Friday, May 29, 2009 at 6:00 p.m. Tickets are $5.00 per person at the door. Ticket sales benefit the school's musical theatre ensemble.

Trees Talk Back follows the adventures of Lucille - a feisty teenager - as she learns about the value of protecting the environment from several green leafed friends including Tree-Tree and Pine, Apple and Willow Trees while warding off villains such as Apathy and DJ Heat Wave.

Education is key to Casey Trees mission of restoring, enhancing, and protecting the tree canopy of the Nation's Capital. Trees Talk Back provides Casey Trees a unique and fun way to introduce the importance of trees in urban environments to young individuals. When individuals learn why trees should be planted and protected at an early age, they are more likely to continue to care for them throughout their life and share the passion for trees with others.

We hope you will join us for Trees Talk Back on Friday, May 29, 2009 at 6:00 p.m.

****School groups may attend the performance for free on Thursday, May 28 (10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.) or Friday, May 29 (10:30 a.m.) by calling 202-698-4700.

MIKE GOES HOLLYWOOD

Want to live green? Casey Trees Deputy Director Mike Galvin plans on telling you how to do it easily and within your budget.

WUSA 9 invited Casey Trees to film a week of Green Tip of the Day segments with meteorologist Howard Bernstein. In one short hour, Mike became a star and five great tips were captured for future air dates.

Don't worry - we will be sure to share with you when each tip will air and if you miss the airings they will be posted on both the WUSA 9 and Casey Trees websites.

CASEY TREES IN HELSINKI?!

No, Casey Trees is unfortunately not opening a satellite office in Helsinki (which I would gladly volunteer to run) but our Executive Director, Mark Buscaino has recently taken the good message of urban forestry and the importance of tree care to Finland's Capital.

In March and April, twelve prominent Washingtonians from different professional disciplines made the long but worthy trek to Helsinki as part of Invitation to Helsinki - a unique program designed to build lasting relationships between Helsinki and D.C. Mission accomplished.

The result was a great cultural and knowledge exchange between all the participants and a fantastic new exhibit at the Embassy of Finland - My Helsinki. The exhibit is also accompanied by a fun, interactive website featuring journal entries from all the participants including our very own Mark.

My Helsinki runs May 2-31, 2009 (Friday - Sunday 11 a.m.-4 p.m.) at the Embassy of Finland located at 3301 Massachusetts Avenue, NW. The exhibit is free.

Click on the invitation above to visit the My Helsinki website.

NEW JOB OPPORTUNITY - BICYCLE CREW CAPTAIN

JOB TITLE:
Bicycle Crew Captain

REPORTS TO:
Urban Forestry Manager (under Director of Tree Planting)

JOB SUMMARY:

The mission of Casey Trees is to restore, enhance and protect the tree canopy of the Nation’s Capital.

Casey Trees is looking for a Bicycle Crew Captain to support our summer tree maintenance and outreach activities. The ideal candidate is an enthusiastic, highly motivated individual who enjoys working outdoors in small crew settings, and mentoring students. The candidate should be an experienced cyclist in good physical shape, and have strong interpersonal communication skills, as they will be an ambassador for Casey Trees in a highly visible role. A genuine interest in the conservation mission of the organization is a must.

RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:

• Operate a bicycle, towing a 6’ x 3’ trailer, in city traffic up to 20 miles per day
• Supervise and assist in training a crew of 1-3 high school students to cycle safely in the city
• Supervise and perform tree maintenance activities, primarily watering from a fire hydrant
• Maintain fleet of four bicycles and a trailer, perform routine maintenance and schedule repairs as necessary
• Maintain clear records of bicycle maintenance and outreach activities and expenses, time sheets for high school interns, and work performed on a daily basis
• Assist with other aspects of field operations and logistics as required for stewardship programs
• Complete a draft project analysis/report on experiences of pilot project


QUALIFICATIONS:
• Excellent communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills
• An interest in and commitment to urban conservation and community forestry activities
• Knowledge of bicycle safety and traffic laws


POSITION DURATION AND COMPENSATION:
This is a short-term, full time position from June 1 thru August 31. Compensation is $12.00/hour. Start/end dates are negotiable/flexible. Helmet and work shirts will be provided.


TO APPLY:
Please send letter of interest, resume, available start date, and contact information for three references to:

Matthew Fried, Urban Forestry Manager
Casey Trees 1123 11th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
Email: mfried@caseytrees.org (please put BICYCLE CREW CAPTAIN as subject of email)
Fax: 202.833.4092 Prefer no telephone inquires

All applications must be received by Friday, May 22, 2009.

Casey Trees is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

NEW ONLINE TOOL - CASEY TREES MAP

Have you checked out the new Casey Trees Map yet? If not, brace yourself, it's pretty amazing.

The roll out of the Casey Trees Map accompanied the announcement of Casey Trees Urban Tree Canopy (UTC) Goal of 40 percent by 2035 and features two interfaces - DC UTC and Casey Trees Tree Planting Maps.

The DC UTC Map allows individuals to determine the existing tree canopy and planting opportunities for any property or place in DC. The sample search above shows that while the majority of the property would not support any trees due to imperviousness (i.e. house blueprint, driveway, etc.), 28 percent would. By determining your property's planting potential, you can better identify how you can easily play role in re-greening your home, neighborhood and city.

The Casey Trees Tree Planting Map allows users to locate all 5,567 trees (and counting) Casey Trees has planted since 2003. You can search by address or place, tree species, and/or event planting name.

So give the Casey Trees Map a whirl and let us know what you think.

To learn more about the UTG Goal - 40 percent by 2035 - click here.