2024 Community and Urban Forestry Newsletter
*To view previous newsletters visit our website at CUF Newsletter *
Call for volunteers for tornado recovery tree planting.
On March 31, 2023, an EF3 tornado hit the city of Sullivan causing widespread damage and killing three people. Thanks to funding from the Arbor Day Foundation and FedEx, Community & Urban Forestry will be lead a tree planting recovery project in the impacted areas on Friday, April 26 from 9 a.m. to noon. Volunteers are needed to help plant and distribute free trees to Sullivan area residents and register volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering, email jroos@dnr.IN.gov
2024 Indiana Urban Forestry Symposium
Mark your calendar for December 3, 4 for the 2024 Indiana Urban Forestry Symposium held at Crown Hill Cemetery & Arboretum in Indianapolis. Agenda and registration will be announced soon.
Arbor Day Celebrations
Marion - Monday, April 22, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Gardens of Matter Park. Events include a raffle of rain barrels painted by local artists; an educational scavenger hunt for kids and families; an instructional Earth Day Community Paint Party, led by local artist Tashema Davis; and a nature-themed poetry reading hosted by the Poetry Society of Indiana and other local poets. More information.
Wesselman Woods - Saturday, April 20, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Wesselman Wood (551 N. Boeke Road, Evansville, IN 47711). Enjoy more than 4 miles of trails and the 5-acre nature playscape in celebration of planet Earth. You can also take part in guided hikes, animal encounters, food trucks, and activities from more than 20 partnering community organizations.
North Liberty - Friday, April 26, from 2:45-5 p.m. at North Liberty Library. Kids and parents are invited to enjoy tree-themed cookies a guess-the-age-of-the-tree contest, crafts, games, and more.
Bloomington - Friday, April 26, from 9 a.m. to noon at Crestmont Park playground (1100 N Illinois Ct., Bloomington IN 47404). The City of Bloomington will celebrate Arbor Day and 40 years of being a Tree City USA with the planting of 15 trees around the playground.
Community Spotlight
We are introducing a new segment to our newsletter called Community Spotlight. We will be sharing community urban forestry stories to keep you up to date with news from around the state and share in our accomplishments together. The first spotlight follows:
North Liberty is about 20 minutes southwest of South Bend in northern Indiana. The population is 1,600 people, many of whom have grown up in the area and have a passion for their community.
One of those people is Leslie VanOverbergh, who moved to North Liberty more than 30 years ago. Leslie is a founding member of North Liberty’s tree board.
Leslie VanOverbergh, Gerry Brown, Rick Klinedinst, and Kayla Valentiny began as a tree board of four members in 2019, looking to achieve the Tree City USA recognition for their town, which they accomplished in 2023.
The tree board members recognized the canopy was slowly shrinking without trees being replaced, and wondered about whether the canopy had enough diversity in species to survive if another pest like emerald ash borer. One of their first steps was completing a tree inventory of the town. With little to no budget, they couldn’t do it properly.
With some technical assistance from DNR-CUF, the North Liberty tree board began measuring and mapping trees last fall with help from the iTree Eco application. For every tree, they record species, location, diameter at breast height, and a rating of health. iTree keeps track of the tree locations, and afterward, iTree’s analysis tools break down overall canopy cover and species diversity.
So far, the board reports having many more sugar maples than expected, and their work on-the-ground has helped them spot places to plant and problem trees for removal. Although their work is far from finished, this is a big step. Their 2024 goals include focusing on outreach and completing their tree inventory. The accomplishments of North Liberty show that progress in urban forestry is not dependent on the number of people involved, but their passion and commitment.
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Tree Stewards
Registration is full for Scottsburg and West Lafayette
April 4, 5 - Scottsburg (Agenda)
April 18, 19 - West Lafayette (Agenda)
May 21, 22 - Auburn (Registration) (Agenda)
IAA Announcements
Introduction to Tree Appraisal-July 10, Fort Wayne
July 10, 8:30 a.m.- 4 p.m. ET
Registration Link
Certified Arborist Prep Course and Exam-July 17-18, Noblesville
July 17, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. ET
July 18, 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. ET, (exam to follow for eligible attendees)
Registration Link
TRAQ Renewal Course and Exam-Aug. 5, Franklin
Aug 5, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. ET
Registration Link
TRAQ Full Course and Exam-Aug. 6-8, Franklin
Aug. 6, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. ET
Aug. 7, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. ET
Aug. 8, 8 -11:30 a.m. ET (Exam)
Registration Link
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