Canopy newsletter: fall planting recap, tree projects to take on over the winter, and upcoming training opportunities

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Forestry updates from Hennepin County

More than 1,000 trees planted throughout Hennepin County this fall

Tree planting projects

Hennepin County foresters had a busy fall working with partners and volunteers to transplant more than 1,000 trees from the county’s gravel-bed nursery to sites in 17 cities throughout the county.

Trees were planted along county roadways, at county libraries and facilities, at schools and parks, and in natural areas. This was done with the help of numerous partners, including cities, schools, libraries, non-profit organizations, numerous county departments and volunteers. The county’s Sentencing to Service program was an especially important partner, with crews providing helpful assistance at nearly every planting.

The trees were planted for a variety of reasons, including to enhance and diversify the tree canopy, mitigate for impacts of the emerald ash borer, restore ecosystems, and produce fruit to donate to those in need. The following are some highlights of the fall tree plantings.

Volunteer provide important hands-on help to plant hundreds of trees along county roadways

Volunteers plant trees on roadways

The county helped organize three large-scale tree plantings that resulted in about 300 trees being planted along Weaver Lake Road in Maple Grove, Winnetka Avenue in Golden Valley, and Minnetonka Boulevard in St. Louis Park.

The conditions for each tree planting varied widely – bright and sunny in Maple Grove, blustery with snow on the ground in St. Louis Park, and so rainy in Golden Valley that the planting had to be delayed. But the events shared one constant: volunteers came out in full force. Families, individuals, and people representing an array of groups and organizations all deserve a warm thanks from the county for a job very much appreciated and very well done.

Fruit tree orchards provide hands-on learning and help people in need

Fruit tree orchards were established at Prairie View Elementary School in Eden Prairie, Pioneer Park in Eden Prairie, and Noble Academy in Brooklyn Park. Students and community volunteers helped with the plantings, and the fruit from these orchards will be donated to people in need.

Fruit tree orchards

Mr. Decker's class of third graders at Prairie View Elementary were excited to help the county’s foresters plant fruit trees as a part of their edible outdoor classroom. After seeing a demonstration about the proper way to plant a tree, the students broke out into teams to plant a tree of their own.

"You won't get an A in tree planting unless I see some mud on those hands!" exclaimed Mr. Decker halfway through the planting, and it soon became apparent that every student really wanted an A! The students could begin to harvest the fruits of their labor from the apple, apricot, pear and plum trees they planted as early as next year.

Gravel-bed trees help improve natural areas

Gravel-bed trees

To help restore and improve ecosystems, about 345 trees were planted on three conservation easements the county maintains in Independence and Minnetrista. Hennepin County manages land on about 40 conservation easements throughout the county, and there are many benefits to planting trees from the gravel-bed nursery in those natural areas.

Due to blow down from wind storms, natural die-off, or damage from disease, trees needs to be replaced to keep the canopy closed in forested areas. This helps control the spread of invasive species and supports the growth of native shrubs, woodland grasses and sedges, and spring flowers.

The fibrous root system developed by trees grown in the gravel-bed nursery means they do not suffer as much transplanting shock as containerized or ball-and-burlapped trees do, and the hope is that this root system will help the gravel-bed trees survive in areas where little or no supplemental watering will occur.

Using the county’s gravel-bed nursery also means that trees and shrubs can be grown for specific projects, giving the county more control over the selection of specific native species needed for the remnant forest restorations. Additionally, gravel-bed trees have lower costs for labor and transportation, making it more affordable and feasible to work on larger restoration projects.

Partner with us on a planting project

Hennepin County foresters are available to help with planting projects, including with planning, getting trees, and recruiting volunteers. Contact Dustin Ellis at dustin.ellis@hennepin.us or 612-348-2259 to discuss partnership opportunities.

Tree stewards class empowers community volunteers

Tree stewards

In September, 20 tree enthusiasts attended Hennepin County’s first tree steward class, which is a community-based forestry education class taught by the University of Minnesota. Topics included proper tree planting, tree care (watering, mulching and pruning), pest and disease issues, and tree health assessments.

Participants walked away with more knowledge and confidence in tree identification and care, and many stewards attended the county's community tree plantings to try out their new skills. Hennepin County intends to host more tree steward classes in 2018 and partner with additional cities to train volunteers.

If you are interested in hosting a tree steward class or have a project or event that could use some help from trained volunteers, contact Jen Kullgren at jen.kullgren@hennepin.us or 612-596-1175.

Tree projects to tackle this winter

With the temperatures taking a dive this week, it seems like winter may be here to stay. But don’t let that slow you down – this is a great time of year to get some “treekeeping” done both inside and outside the office. Here are a few things that can safely be done this time of year:

  • Tree pruning: This is a preferred time of year to trim trees. For example, oaks and elms can be safely pruned without risk of infection. 
  • Bareroot tree orders: Get orders in soon as stock levels are sure to be getting low. The later your order gets in, the harder it is to get the trees you want.
  • Tree inventories: Although it can be harder to identify some trees this time of year, defects are more easily spotted when the foliage has fallen. 
  • Removals: Winter is a great time of year to remove landscape trees because damage to turf is minimal when the ground is frozen.
  • Emerald ash borer preparedness planning: If you haven’t already created a plan for addressing emerald ash borer, now is a great time to get started. Emerald ash borer is starting spread at a more rapid pace, and the more we can do to minimize the damage with injections and preemptive removals the better. Take a look at the county’s plan if you need a place to start.

Events and trainings

Rochester Arborist Workshop

Thursday, February 22, 2018, from 7:45 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Rochester International Event Center.

Learn the principles of growing and working safely with old trees. Learn more.

Minnesota Shade Tree Short Course

Tuesday, March 13, 2018, and Wednesday, March 14, 2018, at Bethel University in Arden Hills.

Discuss, debate and disseminate best practices on all things shade tree with fellow arborists. Learn more.

Tree mapping technologies for modern urban forest management

Wednesday, February 28, 2018, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Rockford Road Library in Crystal.

Learn to map, assess, analyze and manage urban tree data online using any device from anywhere with cloud-based GIS software. Learn more.

Hennepin County Environment and Energy

hennepin.us/trees

612-348-3777
environment@hennepin.us

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