Archive for the ‘Trees’ Category
Posted by Our Green Atlanta on July 24, 2010
Trees Atlanta is encouraging Atlanta residents to attend a training opportunity to expand and gain specialized knowledge about trees and tree care. The more people we have out there looking out for our urban forests, the better! And Trees Atlanta is one of the best organizations to make it happen.
The Trees Atlanta TreeKeepers Certification Program is Trees Atlanta’s volunteer training and certification program that applies skill, appreciation, and pride to the stewardship of our urban forest. TreeKeepers consists of seven workshops, including indoor & outdoor activities, presentations, and engaging hands-on demonstrations. Each three-hour session takes place at the Trees Atlanta Kendeda Center, and is taught by Trees Atlanta staff or community tree professionals. Upon completion of the program, which includes volunteering 24 hours to tree projects, graduates will receive an official TreeKeepers hat, a native tree, a training manual, and a signed TreeKeepers certificate, as well as opportunities to put their new knowledge into action. Register now!
Training will take place on the following dates from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. with a light breakfast served beforehand: August 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th, and September 11th, 18th, and 25th. The cost is $65 and TreeKeepers will receive an official TreeKeepers hat, a manual, a native tree, and a signed certificate when they have volunteered 24 hours to tree projects, whether with Trees Atlanta or another organization.
To assist toward the completion of these hours, Trees Atlanta has regular planting, tree care, and forest restoration projects where TreeKeeper leadership is valued. Additionally, TreeKeepers may choose to work independently in their own community.
Don’t forget to register now! You can also contact Bethany at Trees Atlanta at 404-681-4898.
Posted in Education, Trees | Tagged: Atlanta volunteering, Trees Atlanta events, Atlanta tree plantings, urban forest, urban tree canopy, Trees Atlanta TreeKeepers Certification Program, Atlanta tree planting classes | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Our Green Atlanta on July 23, 2010
Thanks to Katherine for passing along the following information about a new way for families to get involved replanting trees in Atlanta:
I wanted to share info on a new social networking community for tree enthusiasts called The Grove (www.AmericanGrove.org/thegrove). The site launched this spring to encourage families to plant more trees in their neighborhoods, and we have our own community on the site – the Georgia Grove (http://www.americangrove.org/ga/).
The goal of the site is to inspire people to plant trees to counteract our shrinking urban tree canopy. The Grove helps potential tree planters get started by including a tree match tool that pairs tree meanings with life events — such as the birth of a child — or to honor the memory of a loved one. The site also shares tree care and planting tips and articles about sustainable living. Visitors to The Grove can even upload pictures with captions of trees they planted.
I hope this site can serve as a fun tool to help us keep Atlanta green.
Me, too!
Posted in Environment, Trees | Tagged: Atlanta tree plantings, American Grove, Georgia Grove, urban tree canopy, neighborhood tree plantings | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Our Green Atlanta on April 30, 2010
Trees Atlanta invites you to join them for their second annual "City in the Arboretum Conference" this year with a theme of "Bringing the Arboretum Home." Click the image above to register!
Atlanta is known as “The City of Trees” thanks to our canopy of ancient oaks and mature trees, but we still have work to do to expand our greenspaces and plant and preserve native tree species. At this second annual “City in the Arboretum Conference: Bringing the Arboretum Home,” Trees Atlanta will share with guests how to do just that. 25 years ago, Trees Atlanta began their mission to plant trees throughout the city and, as a part of that, have developed seven neighborhood arboreta for educational, scientific, and aesthetic purposes.
Here is more information about the goals of both the Arboreta Program and the Arboretum Conference:
The goals of the Arboreta Program:
- To educate the public about trees and tree species.
- To increase the biodiversity of our urban forest.
- To create new citizen advocates for trees.
The goals of the Conference:
- Share information, tools, and resources to implement arboreta projects and support Trees Atlanta’s mission.
- Connect citizens, neighborhood arboretum leaders, and city leaders through facilitated discussion and networking. We will create a cohort of tree advocates and supporters!
The objectives of the Conference:
- Provide background and accomplishments of BeltLine Arboretum and Neigborhood Arboreta programs.
- Discuss opportunities for getting involved and upcoming events (such as tree walks, maintenance days, and more).
- Learn how to leverage a neighborhood arboretum as a neighborhood asset and attraction.
- Understand arboreta themes and collections, and how to properly document them.
- Discuss the importance of biodiversity.
- Learn basic tree care needs.
- Hear from keynote speakers and professional horticulturalists.
- Facilitate learning, dialog, and feedback that address current and future program needs. Arboreta leaders will exchange successes and challenges in an open forum.
- Take a walking tour of the Inman Park arboretum.
The Arboretum Conference will take place on May 22nd, 2010, from 8:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. You can get all the details and register online right now on the Trees Atlanta website!
Thanks to Robby Astrove with Trees Atlanta for sending this along!
Posted in Education, Events, Trees, Volunteer | Tagged: Arboretum Conference, BeltLine arboretum, Georgia native trees, Trees Atlanta arboretum, Trees Atlanta events, urban forest, West End arboretum | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Our Green Atlanta on March 7, 2010
On a large double-lot at the corner of North Highland Avenue and St. Charles Place in Virginia Highland sits the neighborhood’s newest park – New Highland Park. As a fundraiser to get the park out of the ground, the Virginia Highland Civic Association is hosting the “Hard-to-Find Edible Plant Sale” with fruiting trees and bushes for your garden. You can pre-order online now through 4 p.m. on Friday, March 12th and then you can pick up your fruit plants at the actual sale on Saturday.
Selections include apple, fig, plum and persimmon trees; olive trees; blackberry, blueberry, and raspberry bushes; pineapple guave; muscadine vines; pomegranate / quince; strawberry plants; and much more. Check out the full catalog of fruit trees and bushes here!
- What: The Virginia Highland Hard-to-Find Edible Plants Sale
- When: Saturday, March 13th, 2010 from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. (or pre-order online through March 12th)
- Where: At New Highland Park at the intersection of St. Charles Place and North Highland, across from Belly (Atlanta, 30306)
I’ll be ordering my fruit bushes later today – for now, it’s time for me to head out and play in my own garden for a bit!
Posted in Events, Gardening, Trees | Tagged: local atlanta parks, Atlanta fundraisers, Atlanta plant sales, neighborhood plant sales, fruit trees, Atlanta tree sales, New Highland Park, Virginia Highland parks, Virginia Highland Civic Association, blueberry bushes | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Our Green Atlanta on February 11, 2010
The forecast for snow may be deceiving, but spring is right around the corner! And the time is here to start planting – at least one tree – in honor of Arbor Day. Every year, Georgia celebrates Arbor Day on the third Friday of every month, which is Friday, February 19th in 2010. Arbor Day in Atlanta wouldn’t be complete without Trees Atlanta and the trees of the Fernbank Science Center forest, which is why they’re teaming up to bring you two events on Saturday, February 20th.
Fernbank Science Center Arbor Day Tree Sale
From 8 a.m. until noon, the Fernbank Science Center will hold a plant sale with trees and shrubs in honor of Arbor Day. The sale will only go until noon, so make sure you get there in time. Click here for a map of the Science Center’s location. Their plant sales are usually in the back parking lot to the right of the building, but if you have any questions, you can contact Mary Larsen, Volunteer Coordinator at 678-874-7116 or larsenm@fc.dekalb.k12.ga.us.
Atlanta’s Champion Tree Search & Walk
Calling all Atlanta Champion Trees! Trees Atlanta is now accepting big tree nominations for the Atlanta Champion Tree Search. Unsure how to evaluate a big tree? This weekend on February 13, 2010, from 1:30 – 3:30 p.m., Robby of Trees Atlanta along with Fernbank Museum of Natural History will be conducting a guided walk through the Fernbank forest to practice identifying and measuring trees! Please RSVP for the workshop by emailing Robby at robby@treesatlanta.org.
Other Arbor Day events
The tree celebration continues with Trees Atlanta’s free-and-open-to-the-public Arbor Day Photography Exhibit on Friday, February 19, 2010 from 6:30 – 9:00 p.m. Photo will feature tree images by noted Atlanta photographers Kathryn Kolb and David Knox. So mark your calendar and head to the Trees Atlanta Kendeda Center, 225 Chester Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30316. The opening will serve as the official launch party for their”My Favorite Tree” Photo Contest, sponsored by a grant from the Georgia Forestry Commission. Check the Trees Atlanta website for info on applications and contest details – coming soon!
Posted in Education, Gardening, Trees | Tagged: Arbor Day Photography Exhibit, Atlanta plant sales, Atlanta tree sales, Champion Tree Walk, Fernbank Forest, Fernbank Natural History Museum, Fernbank Science Center, Trees Atlanta | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Our Green Atlanta on January 3, 2010
Even little Christmas trees (like mine above) need to be mulched! You can recycle your Atlanta Christmas tree with Keep Atlanta Beautiful on January 9th, 2010.
Size doesn’t matter when it comes to recycling your Christmas tree this year. Keep Atlanta Beautiful invites metro Atlanta and Decatur residents to transform their Christmas trees into mulch this year with their annual “Bring One for the Chipper” program. As an added bonus, after saving your tree from a sad fate in a landfill, you can even request a pile of mulch for your own yard! Here’s how, direct from the Keep Atlanta Beautiful website:
The mulch from these trees has been used for playgrounds, local government beautification projects, and residential yards. The high quality, weed-free and pest-free mulch can be obtained for your large-scale landscaping project free of charge. Contact Davey Tree Service at 770-451-7911 for more information or download the Mulch Request Form.
This year’s event will take place at two Home Depots here in Atlanta from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, January 9th, 2010:
- 650 Ponce de Leon Avenue (map it!)
- 2525 Piedmont Avenue, Atlanta (map it!)
And Keep Atlanta Beautiful would like to extend a big thanks to Boy Scout Troop 298 for their service in helping unload the trees this year!
Don’t live in Atlanta? Just click here for the Keep Georgia Beautiful website where you can type in your zip code to find a recycling drop off point near you.
So come be one of thousands of Georgians recycling their trees into useful organic material and keeping them out of a landfill! Peggy Denby, the Executive Director of Keep Atlanta Beautiful, thanks you and encourages you to spread the word! You can also check out their website for more information.
Posted in Donate, Recycling, Trees | Tagged: Atlanta recycling programs, Bring One for the Chipper, Christmas tree recycling, free mulch, Keep Atlanta Beautiful, tree recycling Georgia | 1 Comment »
Posted by Our Green Atlanta on December 5, 2009
Volunteers came out to plant native Georgia trees in Edgewood with Trees Atlanta!
This morning, dozens of volunteers braved the windy, chilly weather to come out to Whitefoord Elementary School in Edgewood to help Trees Atlanta plant over 50 new, native Georgia trees around the playground and surrounding streets (at least there was no snow as predicted). After a demonstration on how to properly plant a large, 15+ gallon tree from Trees Atlanta leader Greg, students from the school, volunteer groups, individuals, and Trees Atlanta regular volunteers grabbed shovels and pick axes and starting moving dirt. Blake, who’s been with Trees Atlanta for about a year, led the project and helped coordinate our volunteer groups, distribute the trees, and run the water truck (fed by the huge rain collection systems at the headquarter’s LEED-certified building). Angel Poventud, one of the most active volunteers with both Trees Atlanta and the Atlanta BeltLine, was also on-hand to guide the tree planting.
After we finished at Whitefoord, we moved down Hosea Williams to Coan Middle School where we planting a long line of trees behind the school. I also discovered an Edgewood community garden that I didn’t know about before (more to come on that soon).
Do you know how much it costs to plant each tree with Trees Atlanta? Between the cost of the tree itself, the watering and mulching for three years after planting, and pruning for five years, it all adds up to about $150 per sapling. Not too bad considering that spans five years worth of work and is an invaluable resource for Atlanta’s urban tree canopy and air quality!
If you’re interested in volunteering with Trees Atlanta, please visit www.TreesAtlanta.org and sign up to receive Susan’s weekly emails that will let you know where the projects are for that weekend. Projects are every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Posted in Trees, Volunteer | Tagged: Atlanta volunteering, Trees Atlanta events, Atlanta tree plantings, Whitefoord Elementary School, Coan Middle School, Georgia native trees | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Our Green Atlanta on August 11, 2009
Festival season is still going strong here and Atlanta has two great green festivals coming up this September 26th, 2009! The first is Fall in the 4th, a celebration of the Historic Fourth Ward Park breaking ground in the Poncey-Highland neighborhood behind City Hall East. Take a photo, because that big cracked and dusty parking lot next to the Masquerade on North Avenue is about to be transformed into a lush, grassy park featuring a stormwater retention pond, skate park, the BeltLine trail and transit, and more! So come on out and support this Fall in the 4th fundraiser for the Historic Fourth Ward Park! And, if you’re going anyway, why not stop by and volunteer for a shift at the Atlanta BeltLine booth? We’re looking for a few good volunteers to help tell our neighbors about the BeltLine project which will go right through Historic Fourth Ward Park!
- What: Fall in the 4th with live music, food & drinks, an artists’ market, and more!
- Where: by the Masquerade off of North Avenue and North Angier
- When: September 26th, 2009 from 12 – 7 p.m.
- Why: to raise money for the Historic Fourth Ward Park Conservancy
The Druid Hills Environmental Club is throwing the second party, which is their 3rd annual fundraiser for Trees Atlanta. Below is an announcement from Matthew Tyler of the Druid Hills Environmental Club:
I just wanted to let everyone know that there will be a benefit concert for Trees Atlanta, Fall Fest, on Saturday, September 26th at the Trees Atlanta headquarters! There will be a lot of great local bands food from Raging Burrito, and presentations from several organizations like Green Peace, the Georgia Conservancy, and WonderRoot. All ages are welcome (we are trying to get as much age diversity as possible this year), the music is family-friendly and there will be a lot of fun things to do for everyone. This is our third year and we are expecting 250+ people this year!
Here is the facebook page! Be sure to become a fan and be on the lookout for the event invitation and share it with everyone you know!
- What: Druid Hills Environmental Club’s Fall Fest with live music
- Where: Trees Atlanta’s Kendeda Center on Chester Avenue (map it!)
- When: September 26th, 2009 from 3 – 7:30 p.m.
- Cost: $10
- Why: to support Trees Atlanta and making Atlanta a greener, more environmentally-friendly city!
Posted in Atlanta BeltLine, Developments, Events, Trees | Tagged: local atlanta parks, Atlanta BeltLine, Trees Atlanta events, Historic Fourth Ward Park, local Atlanta festivals, green festivals | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Our Green Atlanta on July 30, 2009
You can find nature preserves in Atlanta, Decatur, and anywhere in the United States and beyond with the Nature Conservancy’s mapping system! The Nature Conservancy’s map catalogued environmentally protected lands and waters across the globe in both google maps and google earth, with colored balloons denoting present, past, and partner preserves.
Check out the Nature Conservancy's map of preserved lands and protected waters across the globe!
You can learn more about the Nature Conservancy and their initiatives on their website by clicking here! Their mission, as stated on their site, is:
“to preserve the plants, animals, and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive.”
Posted in Environment, Parks, Trees | Tagged: conservation, Nature Conservancy, nature preserves Atlanta, protected lands | Leave a Comment »
