Even as the FY18 federal budget picture for UCF is unclear, President Trump's FY19 proposed budget zeroes out urban and community forestry. We who treasure this world of endeavor--urban forestry--are charged with communicating its value (economic and intangible) to our legislators, and to do so year-round. We can [...]
A drone’s aerial perspective on a red oak (Quercus rubra), infected with oak wilt, in Brooklyn’s Green-Wood Cemetery. NYSDEC recently launched its use of drones for things like monitoring coastal erosion on Lake Ontario, exploration of bat caves in Mineville, restoration of beach dunes on [...]
James taking tree pics in Melbourne. All photos courtesy James Kaechele New York Tree Trust Development Director James Kaechele joined the Council Board last summer. The Council is lucky to have the contributions of this powerhouse who has achieved so much at 33! Here’s James [...]
Tree of Merit: Hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana) Story and photos by Cene Ketcham, Extension Arborist, Casey Trees Hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana) is an attractive small to medium tree with big urban credentials. However, compared to other urban-tough trees like red maple, ginkgo, and honeylocust, hophornbeam has been regrettably underutilized. [...]
February Taking Root Newsletter is Here! Click here to subscribe to Taking Root, the monthly newsletter of our NYS Urban Forestry Council. See newsletter archives here.
The 2016 National Association of State Foresters (NASF) Survey, “State Foresters by the Numbers,” shows that even as the funding for Urban and Community Forestry through state agencies has declined, the number of communities served has gone up. In 2016, overall funding support for state forestry agency [...]
from Perlmutter and Rivas Plata, NC State, “Urban Lichens: Environmental Indicators” presentation Lichens have been studied as bioindicators of air quality for more than 100 years. A terrific presentation called Urban Lichens: Environmental Indicators from NC State researchers dives deep into worldwide studies of lichens [...]
NYC Parks Commissioner Liam Kavanagh. Photo by Michelle Sutton, from 2016 SMA Conference 2016 Last month, NYC Parks First Deputy Commissioner Liam Kavanagh came and spoke with the Council Board at their meeting at the NYSDEC Region 2 office on Long Island. Commissioner Kavanagh discussed three [...]
Callery pear foliage and fruit. Photo by Brett O’Brien I moved from Rochester to the Hudson Valley in 2010. In the eight years since, I’ve noticed a steady proliferation of escaped Callery pears in the Valley. From one undeveloped bowl of land at a busy [...]
Thanks once again to the tireless Danielle Watson, Assistant Director of Government Affairs & External Relations for the Society of American Foresters, for this legislative update on the federal Urban and Community Forestry budget for FY 2018. As readers know, Congress is still trying to negotiate a deal [...]