TreEnews - May 2016

Coming up at Canopy

Japanese Maple - one of many trees to see on this walk

Greenmeadow Tree Walk this Saturday, May 14, 10am - 12pm

Meet at the Greenmeadow Community Center - 303 Parkside Drive, Palo Alto

Join Canopy and tree expert Peter Jensen, landscape architect for the City of Palo Alto, to explore both the trees and understory plants of the Greenmeadow neighborhood. In addition to a great variety of trees -- from Sugar Maples to Cork Oaks to Torrey Pines -- we'll discover other aspects of urban landscape ecology and learn how to make a good match between trees and their understory neighbors.
RSVP online or email shannon@canopy.org.

June Tree Walk: "Strange Oaks of Stanford" with Dave Muffly

Saturday, June 11, 10am - 12pm

Exact meeting location TBD

Stanford is home to a rich mosaic of diverse tree species, including an impressive variety of oaks. Join expert arborist and oak specialist Dave Muffly for this unique exploration of the strange, wonderful, and often obscure tree species thriving on the Stanford campus. RSVP online or email shannon@canopy.org.

Palo Alto Young Tree Care Survey

Two Training and Survey Dates:

June 25 and July 16, 9am - 12pm

Meeting locations TBD

Each year, Canopy volunteers and partners comb through Palo Alto neighborhoods to survey the health of hundreds of young street trees, and guide the city's young tree care efforts. This is a fun, flexible volunteer opportunity for all ages -- and a great way to learn your street trees! Volunteers are welcome to attend one or both sessions, and check out a survey to complete on their own time.
Learn more about the survey or sign up to volunteer.

There's still time to get your gift MATCHED through May 31st

Thank you so much to everyone who has donated this Spring and helped us secure valuable matching grants!

We have 3 more weeks to secure the full value of generous matching grants from the Canopy Board and anonymous donors.

Would you consider a gift for urban trees and nature today?

"If you can only plant one tree, plant it in a city."

- David Nowak, U.S. Forest Service

Local SOD blitzes this month

SOD Blitz - Call for volunteers

Peninsula and South Bay Blitzes happening May 14, 27, and 28

Full details available from UC Berkeley

Calling all citizen scientists!

Every year, the Forest Pathology and Mycology Lab at U.C. Berkeley tracks the areas affected by Sudden Oak Death throughout Northern California, using volunteer-based surveys, called "blitzes."

If you'd like to help, there are four nearby blitzes coming up this month:

Saturday May 14: Portola Valley, Los Altos Hills
Friday, May 27: Santa Cruz
Saturday, May 28: Los Gatos

Details and the full blitz schedule available here. See "Trees in the News" below for an article in the L.A. Times about the spread of SOD and the fungus that causes it.

Here come the bugs!

Have you noticed crawling caterpillars, delicate chrysalises, or fluttering moths around oak trees?

Spring is the season for a variety of insects, including the California Oak Moth, Western Tussock Moth, and Leafroller. They attack oaks primarily, and occasionally wander onto other shrubs and trees.

Why are there so many bugs this year?

These insect populations explode every five to ten years. This year, their large numbers coincide with the plentiful rain that generated robust tree, shrub, and grass shoot growth -- supplies of tender food for caterpillars.

We can expect two to three generations of insects this year, with the summer populations being the most damaging to trees.

Congratulations! Friends and partners receive well-deserved awards

Long-time volunteer and board member Marty Deggeller receives Avenidas Lifetimes of Achievement Award

Marty Deggeller_ volunteer extraordinaire

If you've ever been to a Canopy tree planting, tree care day, or workshop, chances are that you've met Marty Deggeller.

Marty started volunteering with Canopy in 1997, shortly after he retired as an aerospace engineer, and not long after Canopy itself was established.

Over the last 20 years, Marty has helped make Canopy the organization it is today. He has served 18 years on Canopy's Board, many of those years as Board Chair. He has served on Canopy committees, strengthening our programs, enhancing our strategy, and supporting the Canopy staff in big ways.

In addition, he's led countless tree plantings and service days, mentored dozens of teen interns, and taught thousands of volunteers not only how to plant trees, but why it's so important.

Since 2002, Marty has also been an active volunteer and leader in Kiwanis Club of Palo Alto. Marty and his fellow Kiwanis Club members foster a spirit of collaboration, partnering with organizations like Canopy so that we can all accomplish more together.

Congratulations, Marty, on your immensely deserved award, and thank you for your years of inspiration and dedication. We wouldn't be where we are today without you!

Kiwanis Club of Palo Alto honored with 2016 Tall Tree Award

Members of the Kiwanis Club of Palo Alto help plant trees at MLK Park in East Palo Alto earlier this year (January, 2016).

Canopy is thrilled to congratulate our partners at the Kiwanis Club of Palo Alto for their 2016 Tall Tree Award, presented by the Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce at a ceremony on May 4th.

Each year, the Tall Tree Awards recognize individuals and organizations that have shown exceptional civic contributions and service to the community. Canopy was very proud to receive a Tall Tree award in 2008.

This year, the Kiwanis Club of Palo Alto was honored for the myriad ways that they support and empower local youth, and for their key role in beautifying and greening the community (including their wonderful support for Canopy's tree planting programs!).

As stated in their nominating letter, "All of this work is done with great enthusiasm, energy, and compassion of each member." We couldn't agree more. Congratulations, Kiwanis Club members, and thank you for all of your incredible work!

Trees in the News

Sudden Oak Death continues to spread, but new computer modeling may help

According to new computer modeling, 'sudden oak death,' caused by a deadly fungus that emerged in 1995, continues to spread statewide.

The region has already lost millions of oak trees from Big Sur to Oregon, with over 50 million acres of land at risk. By 2020 the fungus is predicted to accelerate due to large regions of affected trees and weather conditions that invite infection.

Yet there is one bright spot. Researchers have found that restoring and treating small forests locally is a cost-effective way to manage the disease. Scientists are using the computer model to help local management efforts and prioritize trees for protection.