BBQ SEASON IS NOT OVER

Casey Trees loves a b.b.q. Whether it's hamburgers or tofu dogs on the grill, we are happy. We love it so much we are exhibiting at the Third Annual Back to School BBQ hosted by Councilwoman Mary Cheh this Saturday, September 26, 2009 from 11 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. at Turtle Park (45th and Van Ness NW). The best part about this bbq is that grilled will be manned by District firefighters.

Come check out all the family-friendly activities including a game of kickball and be sure to say hi.

H IS FOR "HOLLA, CASEY TREES IS AT THE H STREET FESTIVAL"

H Street will be a rockin' this Saturday, September 19, 2009 from 12-6 p.m. I am talking live music, sake garden, decorated street cars, and yes... a moon bounce. If there is ever a reason to attend a street festival it is because of a moon bounce. I am not kidding. They are amazing.

Oh and of course Casey Trees will be there. We are everywhere. To make your tree purchasing and planting even easier, Frager's Hardware will be on hand with trees for purchase. Casey Trees will be at the booth right next door with our famous Tree Rebates. You purchase and plant the tree in DC and we will mail you a check for up to $50.00 per tree (3 trees max per property). For those of you who are math challenged (i.e. me) that can be up to $150.00.

So stop by our booth, say hi, pick up some information on our Programs and Classes, fall Community Tree Planting schedule, and interactive online tree tools.

1 Tree, 2 Trees, 3 Trees, 4 Trees....

Contributing Writer - Holli Howard, Director of Geographic Resources

Community Tree Inventories help neighborhoods, civic associations, schools, etc. locate and map existing trees, identify locations for new trees, and more broadly speaking, engage individuals and promote increased tree planting.

Casey Trees has partnered with several community groups to inventory trees in their neighborhood including Trees for Georgetown, Dupont Circle Citizen's Association, McLean Gardens, and most recently Crestwood.

This past Saturday, over 40 Crestwood residents with Casey Trees' staff and Citizen Foresters collected detailed information about the trees on private property including tree species, size, and health. The primary goals for this inventory were identification and structure of the neighborhood urban forest, location of spaces for future plantings and to raise community awareness. The results of the inventory will be analyzed, put into a report for the community, and the data will be added to our database to help us monitor the tree canopy of the District.

Options for groups following the Community Tree Inventory include hosting a Treescape Design Workshop - our landscape design experts come to you, applying for a Community Tree Planting, or taking advantage of our Tree Rebate.

If your group is interested in partnering with Casey Trees to do a Community Tree Inventory, contact me at hhoward@caseytrees.org or 202-349-1905.

And in case you are wondering the tree above was inventoried this past weekend. It is a large white oak - Quercus alba. Wouldn't it be nice to learn what trees are in your yard and neighborhood?

IN THE NEWS: CASEY TREES' TREE WALKS

Did you see it? Did you see it?

Casey Trees' Tree Walks were profiled in the Washington Post's Weekend Edition. Not too shabby.

The next Tree Walk will highlight trees in the historic Capitol Hill neighborhood and be a featured part of Cultural Tourism DC's fall WalkingTown, DC weekend event on September, 19 and 20, 2009 (10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.) and (10:00 a.m.) respectively. Not only will there will be three tours instead of just one, they will also all be free.

If you have been on the fence about signing up for a Tree Walk in the past this is the perfect opportunity to try us out. All you have to do is sign up. Registration for this special event will be done through Cultural Tourism.

Once you've been to one Tree Walk, you'll want to do each one that comes your way including the Frederick Douglass Home and Grounds in October and the National Arboretum's Gotelli Collection of Dwarf and Slow-Growing Conifers in November. To learn more about these and other programs and classes, click here.

FALL IS TREE PLANTING SEASON

Casey Trees will plant over 350 trees at 22 locations spread across all eight Wards this fall as part of our Community Tree Planting program. Each planted tree will help the District meet its Urban Tree Canopy (UTC) Goal of 40 percent, or 216,300 new trees, by 2035. That is a lot of trees.

Established in 2005, the CTP program provides tools, trees, and technical assistance to individuals and groups interested in adding trees - 10 or more - to apartment complexes, synagogues, churches, parks, and even private yards located in the District free of charge. Schools are eligible to request fewer trees.

The fall CTP schedule represents the most diverse collection of planting locations to date and includes a marina, cemetery, short-term shelter for young people, embassy, Fort Circle park, affordable apartment complex, traffic circle, university and five elementary schools. We are going to be busy and seeing all different parts of the City.

These trees are not going to plant themselves so we need your help. Sign up today and bring a friend. By introducing new folks to Casey Trees your are helping us to expand awareness about the important role trees play in making the District a more livable city.

Also think about submitting a CTP application. Requests received before November 30, 2009 are eligible for a spring (March - May) tree planting.

Click here to register and see you and soon.

CONFIDENCE AND A TREE FOR $10.00

I remember when I was in college I would flip through the course catalog a couple weeks before class registration opened and get way excited. Each class sounded better than the next. Somehow they even made Physics and Statistics sound exciting (they aren't). Of course I would then go to the first day of class and realize it was not going to be the sugary treat that I expected . Half of the time the content was completely different than written. What a let down.

I still take classes but now I make sure I know what I am going to get before I get there. I can tell you that Casey Trees classes and workshops are gold and the value is crazy insane - either free or just $10.00. I've spent that much on a hot dog - which may or may not have been green - at a DC United game.

For those of you have not signed up for a Treescape Design Workshop (Wed. Sept. 9 and Tues. Sept. 15, 6:30 p.m.-9:00 p.m.) yet, listen up. It's go time. This workshop is taught by seasoned landscape design professionals and arborists who not only know their stuff but how to make information on trees interesting and engaging.

You get to bring in simple sketches or photos of your yard and work with these folks to design a treescape plan that works for you. You say "I want shade". We will tell you where to plant. You say I" want seasonal color". We will say what tree to plant. You want to know how to plant a tree. We will tell you just what to do.

What you walk away with is a solid plan for your yard, direction, and confidence to get it done. Above is a sample landscaping plan from a previous Treescape Design Workshop attendee. You can see serious thought went into it - where existing trees and powers lines are located, how to maximize shade, and even options.

And let's talk about the FREE shade tree you get delivered to your house during the fall planting season. Not only do you not have to go to the store, struggle with which one to buy, worry about its health, or lug it back to your house, you get the tree for free. Who does that? Angels and Casey Trees.

Trees you can select from this season include:

• Red maple
• River birch
• American holly
• Southern magnolia
• Willow oak
• Bald cypress

Casey Trees is also open to taking the Treescape Design Workshop on the road. If your civic association, church group, etc. want to host a Treescape Design Workshop, all you have to do is provide the venue, guarantee 25 participants, and either pay $10.00 per person or host a meal/refreshments for all the attendees and instructors. Of course all the trees must be planted in DC.

Think about it and lets get some trees in the ground. Sign up here.

WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?

Just like with dating, you got to put yourself out there to get noticed. Casey Trees is no wallflower. We are out and about and want to get asked to the dance.

Coming up for us soon is Crafty Bastards! Arts & Crafts Fair on Saturday, October 3, 2009. We are proud to be a Community Sponsor of this great DC event.

Now in its 6th year, Crafty Bastards! Arts & Crafts Fair is an exhibition and sale of handmade alternative arts and crafts from independent artists presented by the Washington City Paper. The fair is all-day, outdoors, free to attend, and will offer goods for sale, food, entertainment, prizes, and more!

In other words, it is a smokin' fun time.

Stop by our booth - #56 - pick up a Tree Rebate Form or class schedule, check out the Water By-Cycle which will be on site, or just say "we love what you are doing!". Everyone loves a compliment.

SEPTEMBER IS HERE, SCHOOL IS IN

Contributing Writer - Mike Galvin, Deputy Director

It is that time of year again – back to teachers, back to books, and back to report cards. Bringing the report card home can be anxious time for students, but report cards are an important tool for the parents, the student, and the teachers to be able to measure progress and success.

Here at Casey Trees, we are also concerned about report cards. In spring 2009, Casey Trees launched the first annual Tree Report Card, the only independent evaluation of the District’s trees and tree canopy. As our mission is to restore, enhance, and protect the tree canopy of the Nation’s capital, knowing how that canopy is doing is very important to us. The first Tree Report Card yielded an overall “B” grade – not bad at all (something most students would be pleased to bring home). The Report Card did however identify some weak areas and areas for improvement.

In April of 2008, Mayor Fenty announced a Tree Canopy Cover goal for Washington, D.C. The goal is to have 40% of the land area of D.C covered with tree canopy by the year 2035. This will require the planting of 8,600 trees per year for 25 years.

It is pretty tough to cram for that kind of test. Please help D.C maintain a great grade for 2009 and volunteer to plant trees with us this fall. You can sign up for Tree Planting and Care events on our web site sign-up tool.

Thanks for helping us achieve our mission, and for helping DC’s tree canopy get a good grade for 2009. Good luck to all of our students as well; best wishes for success in the 2009-2010 school year.