Happy Arbor Week! (or is it?)
Maine traditionally celebrates Arbor Day/Week in the third full week of May, as late April (National Arbor Day is the last Friday in April) often finds Northern Maine still with frozen ground. This year the third week of May isn't the same as the third FULL week of May - but hey, it's never a bad thing to celebrate trees - no matter what day it is!
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Augusta, Maine – The Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry's (DACF) Project Canopy, Maine's Urban and Community Forestry Program led by the Maine Forest Service (MFS), is thrilled to announce the selected grant proposals for the 2023 funding cycle. This year's review process, marked by careful evaluation and alignment with program goals, resulted in funding all submitted proposals, totaling $121,798.00. MFS received nine Tree Planting and Maintenance Grant proposals and seven Planning and Education proposals.
"We are delighted to see the response to the 2023 Project Canopy grant funding cycle," said Amanda Beal, DACF Commissioner. "The submitted proposals were of exceptional quality, demonstrating the dedication and commitment of communities and organizations across Maine to promote tree planting and education."
The grant applications reflected diverse projects, addressing various community needs and opportunities. Seven of the 16 applications received were submitted by new communities and organizations, highlighting the growing interest and engagement in the Project Canopy program. Read more...
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 Governing - Plants, trees and streams may welcome rainfall into their homes, but humans not so much. In the urban areas where 8 out of 10 Americans live, impervious surfaces — rooftops, roads, sidewalks, parking lots — are built above and below to keep water out.
By some estimates, impervious materials cover more than a quarter of all urban land in the U.S. Coverage can vary greatly from city to city; one study of 20 metropolitan areas found a range from about 18 percent to more than 60 percent. Parking lots alone cover more than 5 percent of developed land in the lower 48 states.
This kind of development disrupts natural stormwater storage and discharge systems. In addition, people and businesses sometimes choose to settle in places where stormwater is likely to collect. Gutters, pipes, storm drains and other infrastructure are needed to carry stormwater away from residents. Read more...
Trees are moving north from global warming. Look up how your city could change.
 Washington Post - By the end of the century, Alabama cherry trees might find themselves unwelcome in Montgomery, replaced by blue jacarandas, now native to Latin America. In Washington, D.C., cabbage palmettos — the state tree of Florida and South Carolina — could thrive, while Fraser firs — popular as Christmas trees — could die out.
As greenhouse gas emissions nudge temperatures higher, trees’ growing ranges are shifting northward, projections from the U.S. Forest Service show. Trees near the southern edge of their geographic ranges — what scientists refer to as “plant hardiness zones” — will be left behind, while northern latitudes will welcome new species from the south. Read more...
 Bowdoin - "Happy Arbor Day!" Keisha Payson, director of Bowdoin's sustainability office, greeted the group who had congregated at the Bowdoin Organic Garden on Harpswell Road. Arbor Day is a worldwide day of observance when people are encouraged to plant trees.
Jan Santerre from the Maine Forest Service stopped by to join the ceremonial tree planting. She was the first at the state level to approve Bowdoin's Tree Campus Higher Education application before sending it to the national Arbor Day Foundation for final review. "Bowdoin did an outstanding job," she said. "Well done!" Read more...
An Introduction to Forest Carbon
To Save the Forest, Should We Move the Trees?
The Open Space Institute is pleased to announce one-on-one community engagement consultant support for applicants to the 2023 round of the Land and Climate Grant Program. The support, part of a new pilot program, is exclusively available to applicants in the northern New England states of Vermont, New Hampshire, or Maine. Land and Climate Grant recipients selected for this pilot will have access to 40 hours of consultant support over the course of the 12-month grant term.
Land trusts, other nonprofit organizations, and state or federally recognized tribes in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine are eligible for this community engagement support offering.
Please contact OSI Conservation Planning Manager Hallie Schwab at hschwab@osiny.org to express your interest in this opportunity, or with any questions. To be considered, applicants should contact OSI before the June 8th grant application deadline.
Job Opening: Executive Director, Kennebec County Soil & Water Conservation District
May 26 - Invasive Forest Plant Insect and Pathogen Workshop: Identification and Control Strategies. Orono & Bradley
Jun 15 - Managing your Woodlot for Wildlife, Smyrna Mills.
Jun 15, 17 - Forest Health and Pest Workshop with Maine Forest Service Entomologists
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