The Newport Tree Society » Community News

2010 Tree of the Year!

admin — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 08:57:14 +0000

The Newport Tree and Open Space Commission has chosen Newport’s 2010 Tree of the Year:

This beautiful Ginkgo biloba was nominated by Kathryn Lucey, who said:

“There are many Ginkgos along Newport’s streets, but
this is by far the most magnificent–especially in the Fall.”

The Ginkgo biloba is the last surviving species of this unusual genus.

A ‘living fossil,’ the Ginkgo tree (or Maidenhair) is one of the oldest surviving plant species on earth (over 280 million years old!). At one time native to New England, and considered one of the most primitive plants on earth today, it was long thought to be extinct in the wild. There is still debate about this. Although surviving stands of Ginkgo have been discovered in China, it is not known if they were cultivated or if they constitute a truly wild, native population of Ginkgo.

Ginkgo trees can be male or female. If you have a female Ginkgo, be careful to rake up fruit in the fall; it quickly becomes rancid.

Upcoming Events in New England

admin — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 16:11:05 +0000

RI TREE STEWARD COURSE, May 3rd – June 7th
HEALTHY YARDS, SAFE WATERS CONFERENCE, March 19th, 2011
BEEKEEPING TALK, March 1, 2011

RI TREE STEWARD COURSE

Become A Rhode Island Tree Steward
Spring 2011 RITree Steward Course

This is a must take course for either the plant novice or plant professional who wants to learn how to properly plant and care for trees. Class topics will include planting, pruning, tree identification, soils management, plant health care and tree biology. The skills workshop will feature the actual execution of planting, pruning and tree inventorying skills learned in the classroom.

The Spring 2011 RITree Stewards Education Course will be held on Tuesday evenings from 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM starting May 3rd – June 7th. Registration is $95.00 and includes course manual. Course size is limited to 30 persons. Please sign up at. http://www.ritree.org/event-registration or call the office at 401-764-5885 to register by phone. Visa, Master Card and checks accepted.

Location: FMM Peace Barn, 399 Fruit Hill Avenue, North Providence.
The skills workshop will take place on Saturday, June 4th from 9 AM – 2:30 PM (lunch included) Location: RI Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery in Exeter, RI.

HEALTHY YARDS, SAFE WATERS CONFERENCE

Saturday, March 19th, 2011
10:00am – 3:00pm
Kroon Hall, Yale University
New Haven, CT

This conference will highlight the positive relationship between organic land care, a beautiful yard, healthy eating and healthier local and global environment. Hosted by the NOFA Organic Land Care Program and the Yale School of Forestry and Environment Studies, this conference is designed for homeowners and property managers, and will teach you how to transition your yard to organic and explain why organic practices are crucial to the health of our lands and water.

The conference will be held at Kroon Hall, a beautiful green building on the campus of Yale University in New Haven, CT.
Biodiversity, climate change, water quantity and quality and other important environmental factors are closely connected with, and influenced by, the way we landscape our yards and communities. The conference will feature interesting and informative workshops, including: Plant Choices and Site Analysis, Rain Garden Installation, Composting, the Importance of Watersheds, Your Yard and the Long Island Sound, Children and Wildlife, Why Go Organic?, and a panel discussion on innovative strategies and local initiatives. It will also provide a unique opportunity to consult with local NOFA Accredited Organic Landscapers about your landscape concerns or with gardening questions.

The day will include breakout sessions focusing on three tracks for: community leaders, environmentalists, and do-it-yourselfers. The conference will cost $25 and will include a delicious lunch.

For more information, please visit www.organiclandcare.net, www.ctnofa.org, or visit 203-888-5146.

The conference is supported by a grant to CT NOFA from the Watershed Fund of the South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority.

BEEKEEPING TALK

March 1, 2011
6:30 pm–7:30 pm
Portsmouth Free Public Library
2658 E Main Rd, Portsmouth, RI 02871

Join us at Portsmouth Free Public Library on Tuesday, February 8 at 6:30 PM as Sanne Kure-Jensen, NOFA Accredited Organic Land Care Professional, URI Master Gardener, and beekeeper presents an overview on beekeeping in RI. Learn how to build equipment (woodenware), install bees, check on the colony and harvest honey. This session will also briefly review candles and other products like salves and cosmetics made with beeswax, honey or propolis. Sanne will stress organics and their importance in the home garden and lawn. Attendees will learn where to get more information including the RI Beekeepers Association spring Bee School: a 5-week course run each spring.
This program is free and open to the public. Seating is limited so please stop by or call the Library at 683-9457 to register.
Website: http://www.portsmouthlibrary.org
Phone: 401-683-9457
Email: carolyn.magnus@gmail.com
Price: Free
For directions, see http://portsmouth.patch.com/events/bees-and-beekeeping.

The Newport Arboretum in the News

admin — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 01:22:27 +0000

Newport’s trees and The Newport Arboretum made a splash in the news this past week, including an important lecture about Newport’s ailing beeches given by Dr. Bruce Fraedrich from Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories and Chris Fletcher of Bartlett Tree Experts. Click on a picture to view the article:

"Saving the Trees" (Newport Daily News, November 2010)

"Tree People Announce Arboretum" (Newport This Week, November 2010)

"Newport Tree Society Announces 'The Newport Arboretum' - Initiative to Save Rare Trees" (Newport Seen, November, 2010)

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT The Newport Arboretum

admin — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 17:55:16 +0000

Our fall fundraiser, Saplings & Spirits, was a smashing success this past Thursday, October 28th. Those of you who attended heard our exciting announcement: The Newport Tree Society is proud to announce the upcoming launch of The Newport Arboretum, New England’s first citywide arboretum. Stay tuned for more news as we continue preparations for the launch of The Newport Arboretum in Spring 2011. We are working to complete our Tree Walks Series and establish our online citywide interactive Tree Survey. Click the image below to see an overview of the first phase of The Newport Arboretum:

November 3rd: Saving Newport’s Beeches

admin — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 14:23:51 +0000

Newport’s signature copper beech trees have flourished in the city’s mild coastal climate for over 150 years, but now they are being threatened by blight. Loss of these large-scale specimen trees radically changes the historic character of the city’s neighborhoods. On Wednesday, November 3, at 11 a.m., experts from Bartlett Tree Experts will lead a discussion of the threat, and present an overview of Newport’s great variety of trees and how to maintain them. Admission is free, but advance registration is requested. Register online for Saving Newport’s Historic Trees, or call (401) 847-1000 ext 154.

Newport’s 2010 Arbor Day Celebration

admin — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 20:22:21 +0000

The City of Newport’s Tree & Open Space Commission & the Cranston Calvert Elementary School invite you to Arbor Day 2010.

Please join the fourth grade class of the Cranston Calvert Elementary School to celebrate Arbor Day by planting three Kwanzan Cherry trees on the grounds of the Newport Transporation and Visitors Center.
Sponsored by the Economic Development Department, the planting is part of a larger effort to beutify the center and neighborhood as well as to provide better screening for abutters.

Friday, April 30 at 10 am
Newport Transportation & Visitors Center
Gladys Carr Bolhouse Rd & Second St.

For more information, contact Scott Wheeler,
Tree & Parks Supervisor at 845-5802 or swheeler@cityofnewport.com

February 25th Lecture Event

admin — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 21:42:26 +0000

“Forests in Crisis: A Sustainable Solution”
Lecture Sponsored by the Newport Tree Society

The Newport Tree Society is pleased to welcome Florence Reed of Sustainable Harvest International, our guest speaker for this year’s lecture event. Sustainable Harvest International (SHI) addresses the tropical deforestation crisis by providing farmers with sustainable alternatives to slash-and-burn agriculture.

SHI assists local farmers, cooperatives, environmental organizations and indigenous groups in adopting sustainable land-use practices such as reforestation, agro-forestry and organic farming. These practices allow rural people to raise their standard of living while planting trees, rather than clearing forest.

Please join us in welcoming SHI Founder, Florence Reed, who will speak about SHI’s ongoing work.

Free admission and light refreshments. All attendees will receive a complimentary copy of our first Newport Tree Walk.

February 25, 2010
The Pell Center (Corner of Bellevue Ave & Ruggles Ave)
6 pm - Social hour/refreshments
7 pm - Lecture

Please forward this message….You can also help us by posting the following at your workplace or on community bulletin boards:

Link to 8.5×11 Event Poster

Link to 11×17 Event Poster

1st Newport Tree Walk Available Online!

admin — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 19:40:18 +0000

Our first Newport Tree Walk map is now available online – scroll down to the map below, or click here to download a printable version of the Colonial Tree Walk. To learn more about the fascinating history behind Newport’s urban forest, the goals behind the creation of these tree walks, and how you can help support this program, please read on…

Newport, “One Vast Arboretum”

At the height of the Gilded Age, ‘Tree Hunters’ loaded newfound specimens from across the globe onto ships bound for New England. Carefully propagated at the Arnold Arboretum in Boston, young saplings quickly found their way to the mansions and villas springing up along Bellevue Avenue.

Newport gardeners planted these rare trees on grand landscapes designed by legends such as Frederick Law Olmsted and Ernest Bowditch. Today, thanks to these aging giants which count among our nation’s most magnificent specimen trees, our city can be aptly described as….

“…one vast arboretum.” - Richard Champlin, Trees of Newport, 1976

Arbor Tourism in Newport

Rarely does an urban environment combine all of the cultural attractions of a city with natural beauty on a grand scale. Even more rare is to find this beauty woven in and out of city streetscapes, as our most venerable trees are.

Newport is blessed with an historic harbor, a romantic, rocky coastline, sandy beaches, historic parkscapes, and a wildlife refuge. The greater island area offers unparalleled agritourism in the form of orchards, vineyards and farms. We have just scratched the surface of the educational and economic possibilities offered by ecotourism programs in and around Newport.

The Newport Tree Society proposes that a robust Arbor Tourism & Education program should be a cornerstone in the ongoing effort to use our resources wisely: acting as stewards of our natural environment, educating our citizens, and supporting our local economy.

Our trees are among our city’s greatest natural assets. Yet our urban forest is taken for granted – our students can’t identify our most common tree species; the city’s renowned Copper Beech population is failing at an alarming rate; private citizens are failing to protect their trees; and too few of us are planting to create the forest that will greet the next generation.

Appreciation follows knowledge. A property owner whose tree is highlighted on a Newport Tree Walk will have an increased respect for the jewel that is under his protection. A student who can proudly teach his parents the difference between a fern-leaved and copper beech will look with new curiosity at the trees in his own backyard.

Ultimately, program objectives include:

Teaching citizens and visitors about Newport’s exceptional specimen trees and the historic landscapes that grace the City
Encouraging a love of nature in our students by supporting meaningful, hands-on educational experiences
Fostering tree planting on private property in Newport
Engaging our citizens in tree stewardship, with an eye on the long-term health of Newport’s tree canopy

Newport Tree Walks

The Newport Tree Society is creating a ‘necklace’ of five to seven Tree Walk loops, including maps and supporting materials. Our first walk, The Colonial Tree Walk, begins at the Museum of Newport History (click on the map to view a printable PDF file):

Tree Walk #1: The Colonial Tree Walk

Sponsor a Tree Walk

Tree Walk Corporate Sponsors are sought for each tree walk. Sponsors will be highlighted on our website and on all printed materials. Contact us to discuss sponsorship.

Tree Walk Advisors

The Tree Walks are designed under the guidance of a group of local tree experts, including:

Harry Eudenbach – Professional gardener, with an extensive knowledge of Newport’s historic landscapes and the gardeners who cared for them
Tim Brown – RI-DEM Licensed Arborist; RI Certified Horticulturist, Owner, T.J. Brown Landscaping, Inc.
Robert Currier – ISA Certified Arborist; CRMC Certified Invasives Manager; RI Certified Horticulturist; Manager, T.J. Brown Landscaping, Inc.
Scott Wheeler – ISA Certified Arborist; Newport Tree & Parks Supervisor (Tree Warden)
Kristyn Woodland – RI Certified Horticulturist; NOFA Accredited Land Care Professional; CRMC Certified Invasives Manager; Manager, T.J Brown Landscaping, Inc.

Restoring a Storied American Tree (Nov 14)

admin — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:02:54 +0000

2009 marked the start of an exciting partnership between the URI Master Gardener Association and the South Kingstown Land Trust which combined efforts to create the American Chestnut Orchard Research Project. All the site preparation has been accomplished and soon the research will begin.

On Saturday, November 14 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., two representatives of The American Chestnut Foundation will visit URI to deliver a presentation entitled “American Chestnut Restoration: South Kingstown, RI and Beyond.” Kendra Gurney, New England Regional Science Coordinator for the foundation and Yvonne Federowicz, vice president of the foundation’s Massachusetts/Rhode Island chapter, will present the illustrated talk and be able to answer questions on the exciting efforts being waged to bring back to our forests American Chestnut trees which figured significantly in American history. This event is free.

Note: This program will be held in Weaver Auditorium in the Coastal Institute building on the Kingston campus. Construction is the area has eliminated parking along Flagg Road. Enter the campus via Upper College Road, go straight until you pass the Kirk Engineering Complex on the left. Take a left onto East Alumni Avenue to access lots and roadways where parking is available in the area of the Mallon Outreach Center. It’s a short walk to the Coastal Institute building whose main entrance fronts Flagg Road. Click here for map.

Contact Rudi Hempe for more information: rudi20@cox.net

Many Thanks to David Brown

admin — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 19:46:43 +0000

On May 13th, the Tree and Open Space Commission, in collaboration with the Tree Society, planted a memorial tree in Morton Park to thank David Brown for his many years of dedicated service to the City of Newport (and his continuing service in the future).

An Aesculus x carnea ‘Briotii’ (Briotti red horse chestnut) was planted in the southeast corner along Coggeshall Ave. Mr. Brown noted that the tree “was named in 1858 for a nurseryman at Trianon-Versailles palace or villa grounds near Paris, and may have stemmed from a hybrid known in Germany before 1820. You can be sure that my walks will include detours to that part of Morton Park pretty often to see how it’s looking!”