The Newport Tree Society

2010 Tree of the Year Contest Begins on Arbor Day!

admin — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 21:33:00 +0000

–April 30 through November 30, 2010–

To celebrate the magnificent trees of Newport, the Newport Tree and Open Space Commission and the Newport Tree Society announce the second annual Tree of the Year Contest.

Take a photo of your favorite Newport tree and tell us why it should win the title of Newport’s Tree of the Year.

The 1st place winner will receive a beautiful professional photograph of the winning tree.

Visit our Rules and Regulations page for full instructions.

View the Contest Gallery to see the latest entries, and use our interactive Contest Map to see if someone has already entered your favorite tree into the contest!

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

Have a Tree Planted at Wholesale Cost

admin — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:10:43 +0000

The City of Newport’s 2010 Bare Root Tree Program is in full swing. Commit to caring for a young tree, and the City of Newport will provide one at wholesale cost and plant it for you! Does it get any better than that?

Take a peek at the list of available trees and download an application. The tree must be situated within 20 feet of a public roadside. Don’t forget to tell your neighbors. Limited supply.

MAY 2010 UPDATE: ALL TREES ARE SOLD OUT. Please visit our website in January 2011 to get a jump on the 2011 Bare Root Tree Program.

Grade Change Threatens Aquidneck Ave Trees

admin — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 22:37:59 +0000

Red Maples on Aquidneck Ave., suffering from a drastic grade change and soil compaction.

To witness an example of the damage that can result when trees suffer an inappropriate grade change, drive past the field of red maples on the west side of Aquidneck Avenue just south of Green End Avenue…

Trunk buried well above the flare.

Here, water pools around the base of a tree. The grade has been raised around it, with a pit left around the tree trunk, causing sitting water.

Earth has been piled up around the trunks of these trees – in areas, it appears to be possibly two feet or more above normal grade, a drastic change. The result of this recent trauma is already evident – their beautiful crimson fall display ended far too quickly as their leaves dropped earlier than that of other healthy red maples on the island. (The injured trees also include a group of Zelkova planted by the Town of Middletown.)

The red maple, acer rubrum, is a native tree and the State Tree of Rhode Island. Known for its brilliant deep scarlet autumn foliage, it is an important part of Aquidneck Island’s fall landscape. With a shallow root system, the red maple is sensitive to soil compaction and grade change.

Protect the root system up to and beyond the dripline.

While we’re referencing an extreme example, grade-related issues are much more common than you might think: often resulting in the death of a tree, this problem can occur during new tree planting, construction work…and even as a result of overmulching around a tree trunk.

As a general rule of thumb, to keep your trees healthy do not trench, cover up or compact the soil in the tree’s root zone (which extends up to 30 feet or more beyond the outer border of the tree’s canopy, called the ‘dripline’).

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.

Asian Longhorned Beetle Update

admin — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:55:37 +0000

Please take a moment to visit the Rhode Island Tree Council website to view some important updates on the Asian Longhorned Beetle infestation.

Asian Longhorned Beetle

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!”

Newport’s 2009 Arbor Day Celebration

admin — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 12:08:51 +0000

The City of Newport’s Tree & Open Space Commission & Rogers High School invite you to Arbor Day 2009.

Please join us to celebrate Arbor Day and to plant a Heritage River Birch tree in memory of Senator Claiborne Pell. The tree will be added to a grove of nine birch trees planted on Arbor Day in 1996 by Governor Almond and the students of Rogers High School in recognition of the retiring Senator’s contributions to education and the environment.

The original grove has thrived and fulfilled its intended purpose to shade the school library from excessive glare and to reduce energy consumption.

Friday, April 24 at 9am
Rogers High School
15 Wickham Rd, Newport

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