" A few minutes ago every tree was excited, bowing to the roaring storm, waving, swirling, tossing their branches in glorious enthusiasm like worship. But though to the outer ear these trees are now silent, their songs never cease."
THIS YEAR'S GOAL:
525
TREES
-JOHN MUIR
LATEST NEWS:
Exciting News!
We can officially call ourselves a non-profit!
It's time to apply for grants and solicit donations that are tax deductable (we need a water truck desperately).
Select "DONATE" from the menu above to contribute today.
" HE WHO PLANTS A
TREE
PLANTS A HOPE. "
Our Mission
Restore and maintain a vibrant urban forest in the City of Fredericksburg
Our Goals
1. Partner with the City of Fredericksburg on tree related efforts
2. Recruit and utilize volunteers with planting and maintaining trees for first two years of the tree
3. Recruit and partner with non profit groups throughout the City
4. Raise money through grants and fundraising events
5. Educate and offer training in proper tree care to volunteers and citizens
6. Educate the public on the benefits of trees
7. Preserve the natural forested areas and greenways within the city
Our Programs
(click one)
PRUNING
TREEPLANTING
FREE
FOR YOUR YARD
8 REASONS TO PLANT AN
URBAN FOREST
(click a number to learn more)
5
6
1
7
2
8
4
3
SEPTEMBER 2011
Saturday, September 24th –
10 a.m. - Noon
UMW students and parents will plant 40 trees along College Ave and on Campus
OCTOBER 2011
Saturday, October 1st
9 a.m. - Noon
Powhatan Park, Cowan Blvd –
WHAT'S THE PROJECT? We will plant the trees for the Powhatan Playground and the Police Department--where we will also help renew their memorial garden!
Saturday, October 8th
Huntington Hills Neighborhood
(off Route 3 near Staples)–
WHAT'S THE PROJECT? We will plant 50 trees in this neighborhood giving them some much needed shade.
Saturday, October 15th
Jackson & Kenmore St area
–
WHAT"S THE PROJECT? City employees and other volunteers will help plant trees around the Health Department highlighting the benefit of trees for community health.
Friday, October 21st
Hazel Hill low income housing and the Train Station.
Saturday, October 22nd--rain date
What're you getting yourself into?
We pre-drill the holes, so there is not a lot of physical work. You do need to be able to get down on your knees and push some dirt around. We supply all equipment including safety glasses, safety vests, shovels, pruners, rakes etc. All you need to bring is a positive attitude, and some cotton gloves! (If you don't have you're own, we'll spot you!)
Who helps us?
Everyone is welcome to come and help us plant. We ask that you let us know that you are coming so we can plan accordingly. Children must be accompanied by an adult since many of these planting dates are near city streets.
How to volunteer:
Step 1: Check out our calendar to see when our next plant will take place.
Step 2: send an RSVP to TreeFred_cox.net.
Step 3: Show up ready and willing to meaningful work!
Dear Lovers of the Earth,
Read our mission statement lately? We'll spare you the click and quote point 5 of 6: "We aim to educate and offer trainings in proper tree care to volunteers and citizens." Too often a well-itentioned citizen plants a tree without "doing thier homework" so to speak, and the tree fails. We hope to turn this trend around by making vital tips on planting, mulching and pruning readily available to you round-the-clck online! Start by selecting one of the folders below! Just one click can make a 100 years difference in the life of your legacy!
PLANTING 101
MULCHING 101
PRUNING 101
If only money grew on trees...
we'd be as rich as kings and have no need for a donations page.
In the meantime our sole source of income is government grants-- which we all know, in today's economy can be hard to come by.
Your donations mean the world to us.
When donating to tree Fredericksburg, you can rest assured that we'll make the best use of your money. Each and every dollar comes to back to you the in the form of a bigger and better city canopy!
Give the gift that keeps on giving.
DONATE A TREE NOW.
click here!
Carl Little
Anne Little
CALL US
(540)-207-4298
EMAIL US
treefred_cox.net
SEND SNAIL MAIL
Tree Fredericksburg
726 William Street
Fredericksburg, VA 22401
It takes only a short time to plant a tree, but how it is done can have a lasting influence. Mistakes made when planting tress are usually impossible to correct later. Shortcutting the planting process can cause the tree to fail after a short time, or to struggle for many years and never reach its full potential as a healthy vigorous addition to the landscape. Attention to detail taken at planting time will pay dividends for years. Click the following links to educate yourself on proper plantng techniques!
VIDEO TUTORIAL COMING SOON!
HOW TO PLANT TREES
TREE PLANTING GUIDLINES
TREE CARE FOR YOUR NEW TREE
What is the purpose of prunng the tree?
Structural pruning of maturing trees generally focuses on reducing the risk of failure from wind and snow loading. This can occur via two techniques: (1)REDUCTION, that is lowering of height and (2) THINNING, the removal of small-parallel-growing branches
What is the structural integrity of the branch union?
To evaluate the strucutal integrity of the branch union (crotch) compare the diameters of the trunk/parent branch with the side branch. Any side branch with a diameter larger than one-half of the adjacent trunk will be structually weak.
What is the aesthetic value of the branch?
Is the branch in question important to the tree's balance and appearance? If the branch were removed, would it create a major gap in the canopy?
Limitations on how much foliage/live wood
can be removed:
The amount of foliage and live wood that can be removed per season depends on the growth rate of the tree. As a rule-of-thumb for healthy trees, 10-15% of the foliage/live wood may be removed per season. For actively growing medium-age trees without growth limitation factors (such as a dry site or restricted rooting spread), up to 20% of the foliage may be removed per season. For young actively growing trees (in growth stage of life cycle) up to 25% of foliage may be removed per season.
Limitations on diameter of cut:
In an ideal world, all pruning cuts are two inches in diameter and smaller. Any pruning cut four inches and larger needs to take into account the increased risk for failure and reduced health associated with internal decay and cracking. Cuts on large branches often create new problems with high risks for failure!
Click the following links for additional literature:
GUIDE TO PRUNING OF EVERGREEN TREES
GUIDE TO PRUNING OF DECIDUOUS TRESS
STRUCTURAL PRUNING OF MATURING TREES
SUCCESSFUL PRUNING, NOT TREE TOPPING
Mulching Your Way To A
HAPPY
Incorrect mulching is a waste of time and money and is quickly becoming the number one cause of death of trees and shrubs. If your trees sporting off color leaves (pale or marbled), abnormally small leaves, poor twig growth, die-back of older branches or rotting, pealing trunk bark under the mulch, this could be a sign of severe mulching damage. Don't let your tree be just another statistic. Educate yourself and act now!
MULCH
OUT
NOT UP
DON'T place mulch directly against the tree's steam or trunk.
DO keep all mulch 3-4 inches away from the trunk of the tree or shrub, allowing the root flare zone to show just above the ground level.
DON"T pile mulch to high.
DO be precise. The depth of your mulch pile should be no greater than the heal of your hand (generally 2-4 inches). If using finely textured or double -shredded mulch, use 1-2 inches because these materials allow less oxygen to the root zone.
DON'T use shredded hardwood mulch., which forms a thick protective mat on the surface over the tree and does not allow water to penetrate.
DO use Virginia Fine instead! This family of mulch will hold water in, while still allowing rain to penetrate the soil.
STOP
VOLCANOES
VIDEO TUTORIAL
COMING SOON!
ARBORIST
TIP:
If a "fresh" look is desired each season, lightly raking the existing mulch can achieve a finished look. Applyng new matrial over old in successive years is the same as appying a too deep layer all at once.
URBAN FORESTS INCREASES AIR QUALITY
Our air ain't what it used to be. Gaseous "-ides" (nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxides) are continuously being released into our air and it's not exactly what the doctor recommended.
But rest assured, WE HAVE FOUNDA CURE: TREES!
Our leafy green friends act as natural sponges , soaking up airbourne pollutants and spitting out sweet clean oxygenon a regular basis! Awesome right? Studies show that American Urban Forests have already eliminated 800 tons of pollution from our atmosphere! Imagine how much is still left... and get plantin'!
URBAN FORESTS PROTECT OUR WATER
Trees act as natural pollution filters in not only air but water! Their canopies, trunks, roots, and associated soil act like a stormwater Brita, sifting polluted particulate matter out from groundwater flow. What's left over? Cleaner streams for us, and nutrients (like nitrogen, phophorus and potassium) that they can use for food!
It's really a win-win!
URBAN FORESTS SAVE ENERGY
Think of the trees in your yard. Do you have any that shade the sunny side of your house? Are any of them lined around the house like isulation? There's a reason for that! Properly place trees can realize savings up to 58%on daytime air conditioning and night-time heating! If applied nationwide to buildings not now benefiting from trees, the shade could reduce our nations consumption of oil by 500,000 barrels of oil/day! Wouldn't hate that, now would we?
EXTEND THE LIFE
OF PAVED SURFACES
Perhaps this is more than you ever wanted to know about asphalt, but the science behind it makes sense! The streets we drive/walk/run/bike on everyday are essentially made up of two things: (1) stone aggregate and (2) an oil binder. Without tree shade, the oil heats up and evaporates leaving the aggregate unprotected. Vehicles then loosen the aggregate and much like sandpaper, the loose aggregate grinds down the pavement. (Ya still with me? Almost done!)
With all this wear and tear, your average street has be resealed every 7-10 years costing local government the big bucks that (if we do say so ourselves) could be better spent!
The solution: PLANT MORE TREES, OF COURSE! The oil will not dry out as fast on a shaded street, thus deferring street maintenance!
Talk about learning something new everyday.
How many movies scenes have been shot from a movie vehicle with trees flying by? Enough to make the prove the point that closed spaced tree give the perception of speed, right? In real life, this trick works the exact same: Drivers may FEEL like their going fast, but their actual speed is slower than anticipated.
Slower cars = more control = safer driving.
URBAN FORESTS INCREASE TRAFFIC
SAFETY
URBAN FORESTS SUSTAIN
LOCAL
ECONOMIES
It's no secret that Fredericksburg's Old Civil War town charm is what attracts the most tourists. Every Robert E. Lee fan admit that their sould reason for being here is the battleground tour and complimentory musket, but we can bet that's not their only reason staying. TREES are proven to enhance community economic stability by promoting visitors to linger and shop longer along tree-lined streets.
Want more facts but less military references? Studies also show that apartments and offices in wooded areas rent more quickly and have higher occupancy rates.
TREES INCREASE REAL ESTATE VALUES
Urban forests often have substantial monetary values. A number of studies have shown that real estate agents and home buyers assign between 10 and 23 percent of the value of a residence to the trees on the property.
So go ahead, make the sound investment.
OK, on this one, the facts just speak for themselves:
FACT: Residents who live near trees have significantly better relations with and stronger ties to their neighbors.
FACT: Researchers found fewer reports of physical violence in homes that had trees outside the buildings.
FACT: Studies have shown that hospital patients with a view of trees out their windows recover much faster and with fewer complications than similar patients without such views.
URBAN FORESTS INCREASE QUALITY OF
LIFE
The Rundown:
Tree planting opportunities are offered every year in spring and fall. With each planting, we not only offer you an opportunity to help the community but a chance to gain up-to-the-minute knowledge of new techniques in handling plant materials!
Check out our calendar
and sign up to join our latest team of do-gooders.
You won't regret it.
PLANTING
Spare the finger-power! One click and this shortcut will take you right to our calendar page!
How the program works:
Tree Fredericksburg will gift any wiling resident with a free 15 gallon tree and plant it in their front yard. But there are a few stipulations:
First, and most importantly the placement of the tree must be within 15 feet of the curb. (This distance can make an 80 year difference in the lifespan of your tree!)
AND
Second, there must be adequate space in the front yard to accommodate a tree.
You think you're a good candidate?
Contact Us!
(Note: Tree species will be based on the available space in the yard, placement of overhead wires and available trees at that time. The homeowner can consult with us on the choice of trees and be given as much latitude as possible.)
Get educated.
Tree pruning classes are offered to the community every year. This skill, often overlooked by most planters, can make all the difference in the life of your tree. In just one afternoon you'll learn where to snip and what to leave alone. Deciduous Trees? Evergreens? Young shaders? Maturing shrubs? We've got you covered.
Classes aren't enough?
We are looking for tree stewards to help us prune and shape the trees that we plant. Hours are very flexible.
Contact us at (540)-373-4594 of treefred_cox.net!
