(a)biotic Tree Tenders

Packed house last weekend at the Tree Tenders Course

Yeah! Emily and I recently became Tree Tenders. I know what you, the plant-snob reader, is thinking, but the Philadelphia Horticulture Society has done a really good job developing this program and it not is your grandmother's tree care seminar....but at the same time it unabashedly is just that. With instructors from Penn State Extension, Bartlett Tree Experts, Temple Department of Horticulture, and the Audubon Society, there was a lot of really great information for people of all skill levels. These were talks by people who love trees, what is there that can't be learned from people who are passionate and well read on their topic?

PHS promoting the Flower Show.  This year's theme is Great Britain.

The PHS Tree Tenders program offers hands-on tree care training in the five-county Philadelphia region. The training covers tree biology, identification, planting, proper care and working within your community. Established in 1993, PHS Tree Tenders has trained thousands of volunteers who plant and care for trees throughout the region.

If you live in Philadelphia or the ou can find a Tree Tender group near you and volunteer to help plant street trees in the Spring and Fall on this Interactive Map:

View Larger Map

There is a wealth of information for tree planting on this website. As with any source you should shop around a little and gather best practices from many places...not everyone agrees on everything when it comes to planting trees (or planting anything for that matter). And that is what Emily and I were doing: continued research, and the Tree Tender program was well worth it. We were amazed by the shear number of attendees, and it was exciting to see the interest in trees and what they can do for the health of our cities.

Videos on Tree Planting:

Watering



Mulching

Weeding, Cleaning and Protecting


Pruning

Micro Intervention: TreeVitalize

Photo Courtesy of PHS

The TreeVitalize Philadelphia Tree Planting Program supports neighborhood volunteer tree planting by supplying trees and limited services to help prepare planting locations. Organizations and groups in Philadelphia that are willing and able to organize a neighborhood volunteer tree planting event of at least 10 trees are provided those trees free of charge.

TreeVitalize is a program launched by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources in 2005 to increase tree canopy in urbanized areas.  The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) is the lead partner for TreeVitalize in southeastern Pennsylvania. PHS is a private non-profit organization that motivates people to improve the quality of life and create a sense of community through horticulture. Tree Tenders is a PHS training program offering free classes on tree biology, identification, planting, and proper care. Philadelphia Parks & Recreation staff oversees street tree planting and care within Philadelphia.

(a)biotic has found PHS to be a wonderful source for all things herbaceous and/or woody.  The link below is a wonderful resource for the amature and professional alike:

http://www.pennsylvaniahorticulturalsociety.org/phlgreen/current-trees.html

They are gearing up for the 2011 tree planting and are seeking volunteers and applications.  If approved a group can expect to be provided with:

• Between 10 and 100 trees to plant in your neighborhood, based on your group’s request, capacity, and level of experience. The number, species, and type of nursery stock (balled & burlap, container, or bare root) of trees approved will be determined by PHS and Philadelphia Parks & Recreation. Bare-root trees will be used wherever possible. 
• Cutting and removal of pavement, as needed and as funding allows. However, please note that if the property owner cancels the tree request after submitting the request form and the sidewalk has already been cut, the owner will be held responsible for the cost of replacing the pavement. (Property owners are also responsible for removing any stumps.) 
• Tree stakes and ties. 
• Priority enrollment for free PHS Tree Tenders training as well as other specialized trainings

For an application or information contact:

Mindy Maslin                                     Casey Combs                                  Liz Haegele

215-988-8844                                   215-988-8874                                  215-988-1618

mmaslin@pennhort.org                    ccombs@pennhort.org                    ehaegele@pennhort.org

Applications are due March 25, 2011