Tree Action

Fall 2007

We're often asked, by people who know we do tree preservation work, how old we think a certain large, elegant tree might be.
                       
My husband, David, will joke, "Let's cut it down and count the rings."
                       
RITree, by now, is sturdy and mature, with well-formed branches reaching out into the lives of many Rhode Islanders. Luckily, we can trace our history while leaving our organization intact.
                       
This summer, RITree has been doing just that, as we work on a new 5-year Plan, the third since our beginnings in the early 1990s. It is encouraging to see how many of our goals we have accomplished, such as establishment of the Tree Steward Course, with its endowment. There are ongoing areas of endeavor, like public awareness, outreach, and the need for strong partnerships with other environmental groups. And there are new priorities, like stronger advocacy and a greater voice in the related fields of arboriculture and urban forestry. Even our mission statement is up for review, to be sure it still articulates, clearly and fully, the spirit of where we want to be going in the future.It is remarkable work to be doing, looking both backwards and forwards on behalf of all our members. 
                       
And I think I speak for everyone who has been a part of the Review Team, when I say it has been an honor to feel engaged and inspired by our shared past and future.  We are a beautiful tree, and our rings are growing.

This Tree Action was written by Marguerite Flanders, who is Executive Secretary and Project Coordinator for the Tree Council, but in real life Margie, as we call her, is a Poet. She lives in Wakefield with her husband David, who also is very active on the council.  Both stay very busy with local environmental organizations and issues.
 
Spring 2007
 

Arbor Day is celebrated in Rhode Island on the last Friday in April. This year that date falls on Friday, April 27. By the time this newsletter reaches you, RITree will be in the last stages of planning for this annual “tree holiday.” We’re proud to announce that this year’s festivities should be as fun-filled, entertaining, and socially satisfying as those held in the past. We hope you’ll join us at one or more of these events. Here’s a brief review of some of the things you can do to help us celebrate.

 

Our Arbor Day season actually kicks off with the children’s Arbor Day Poster Contest. The contest has been expanded this year beyond grade 5, to also include grades 6,7& 8. Our congratulations to the winners! You can view the winning posters on RITree Web page
www.RITree.org. Keep checking back throughout April, for notices of events in your community as well.

 

Two educational lectures, featuring RITree’s Technical Advisor, John Campanini were
planned. On Saturday, John participated in the Master Gardener’s Spring Seminar helded at the URI, Kingston Campus. ‘Selecting and Caring For Urban Trees’ was the subject of the talk. On Tuesday evening, April 26 at 7:30pm, he’ll be at the Barrington Public Library giving a talk entitled, ‘Community Trees: An Invaluable Yet Diminishing Resource.’ The public is invited to attend. For more information on how to register please contact Lauri Burke of the Barrington Public Library at 401-247-1920 ext 316.

 

Last, but not least, will be the Arbor Day tree planting ceremonies. As of this writing, there are 58 groups (garden clubs, cities and towns, non-profits, etc.), scheduled to hold one or more planting events across Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts. A total of 82 trees will be distributed by RITree to be used for the ceremonial plantings. Most events will take place on Friday, April 27th, but others will occur on either the Saturday before or after this date. Group applications show that schools, public parks, community centers, and even historic buildings/sites will benefit from the Arbor Day plantings. They also show that at least one Arbor Day event will take place in at least 30 of the 39 cities and towns in Rhode Island. So there’s a good chance one is being held near you. Call Jeanne Current at RITree 401-861-1995 for the time, date and location of an Arbor Day planting ceremony either in your community or close by.

 

Finally, The Mihailides Family Trust is once again sponsoring RITree’s Arbor Day Program in 2007. This is the 4th year in a row they have done so. Very little of the above would have been possible without their help. We thank the Mihailides Family for their generous support and look forward to continuing this very successful partnership in the future.

Director of the Arbor Day
Program is Steven Pilz, ASLA

 

Fall 2006

As I write this, the last oak leaves are stirring in a gentle breeze, as if deciding whether to let go or not. Maybe we’re like that too, not quite ready to admit winter is on the way, but sensing it is time.

So we were grateful to have been sent two inspiring pieces of writing by RITree Board members that remind us of the comfort and encouragement we all derive from the beautiful trees that surround us here in Rhode Island.

The first was sent by Chris Fletcher, a long time member of the Board who now serves as Advisor. His article, Preservation of a Living Legacy, tells of his encounter with the “Gilded Age of Landscape” in Newport, first as a child visiting the Breakers with his family, and 30 years later, working as an arborist for the Bartlett Tree Company, inventorying trees.  His appreciation for the heritage of elegant architecture combined with well-planned landscapes is infused with his love of trees.  It also speaks to his understanding of how the history of Newport is based on the belief “that American culture would be the highest expression of western achievement.” 

When we preserve and maintain our Urban Forests, we are aspiring to honor the past as well as make our mark on the future. Chris addresses this dual responsibility eloquently, from the perspective of his personal experience and his professional expertise. This article, and others by Chris, will be posted on the RITree Web page, www.ritree.org. Check them out.

Craig Hotchkiss, Board member and Landscape Architect, shared with us a charming story called The Tale of Two Wandering Trees, written by T.M.Dyer, principal designer for 3NXT Inc., a recreational design firm. It follows the travels of Andy Ash and his Tulip Poplar friend Teresa, from their beginnings in a nursery, to adoption by a family, and beyond. Their challenges and continued adventures are chronicled.

But there is no space here to tell of how they came to end up happily living as part of the Ninigret Park Disc Golf Course. For that, you’ll have to go to our Web page, where this moving story, full of the wisdom of tree planting and the vision of how to include trees in education and recreation, will be posted soon. We also hope that Craig, who is passionate about both Disc Golf and Environmental Education, will write about his work in the future.

Both pieces do more than tell a story or give information about trees. They remind us how the presence of trees in our lives and communities offers us ready access to a sense of beauty and meaning on a daily basis. Reading them makes me more committed than ever to assuring that this gift be available to everyone who lives in Rhode Island for centuries to come. I hope you’ll feel the same,  as you watch the trees go dormant, already preparing for a new spring.

by Marguerite Flanders