The blog and e-news incarnation of TAKING ROOT (TR) began in March of 2014. Blog entries get posted weekly, and with this one, we’re up to 45 posts. In total the TR blog has been viewed over 8000 times! Thank you to all who read the blog, write for it, share it with others, send in ideas, and those who have been game to be profiled. Here are the top seven most-viewed TR blog posts of 2014.
David Moore: Get to Know Him! This entry set a new high bar! David shares about his work as a city forester for NYC Parks and prior position with NYRP, his connection to the North Country including his family’s woodlot in the Adirondacks, and his side career as a DJ and dance music producer.
ReLeaf 2014: Horticulture at Hofstra: This 240-acre campus/arboretum with more than 12,000 trees representing 625 species and varieties really knocked our socks off. This post starts off with a great interview with Hofstra Arboretum Director Fred Soviero, who gave a superb tour during our conference.
Nina Bassuk: Behind the Scenes in the Bassuk-Trowbridge landscape: People are naturally curious about what the nine-acre landscape of the world’s foremost street tree expert and her equally accomplished landscape architect husband is like. Hints: thousands upon thousands of bulbs; dealing with deer; capitalizing on 19th century top soil for veggies, and embracing Petasites for the wet spots. Read about it here.
New, Free UHI Guide to Woody Shrubs for Stormwater Retention: It seems this fantastic new reference, prepared by Ethan Dropkin and Nina Bassuk, is something the urban forestry community is hankering for. Includes design specs for various stormwater retention practices and a very comprehensive plant guide. Read here.
Vinnie Drzewucki on Tackling Dendrophobia/The Public’s Fear of Trees: This blog post is based on a great talk CCE Nassau County Horticulture Educator Vinnie Drzewucki gave at ReLeaf 2014. It gives great ideas for helping allay peoples’ fears. Did you know more people die from encounters with jellyfish than from tree-related incidents? Btw, it’s pronounced “Sha-VOOT-ski.”
The Story of BROW: Planting Street Trees Beyond the Right-of-Way–and What it Means for New Yorkers: Urban forestry consultant and BROW proponent Al Wegener gives a most interesting history of BROW, its legality, and how it might be applied in our municipalities. Read about it here.
Getting to Know Council Founder Nancy Wolf: Lots of folks wanted to know about more about the dynamic cofounder of our Council and its prime mover and shaker for many years. Nancy was also the founding editor of TAKING ROOT. Read here about her career, education, childhood, and many interests, including her farm in Virginia.