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Loftness Adds Lightweight Mulching Head For Compact Excavators
Jessica Schwartz
Partnering To Plant 50,000 Trees
Arbor Day Foundation & Founders Brewing To Help Restore Three Forests The Arbor Day Foundation is partnering with Founders Brewing Co. to plant a total of 50,000 trees in three forests across the U.S. in 2022. Each project – located in Florida, Michigan, and Oregon – will focus reforestation efforts on lands that have suffered significant declines in tree population due to centuries of deforestation and recent natural disasters. Lake Louisa State Park in central Florida is in much need of native longleaf pine trees to restore endemic habitats for many species of regional plants and wildlife. Throughout Michigan, recovery efforts in multiple forests and public lands are being carried out alongside the state’s Department of Natural Resources to replant ecosystems that have been lost to decades of deforestation beginning in the late 19th century. In the Pacific Northwest, trees are in critical need following the 2020 Holiday Farm Fire which burned more than 170,000 acres of the Willamette National Forest within the McKenzie River Valley – the municipal water source for the city of Eugene, OR. Over the course of 40 years, the trees planted through this partnership are projected to sequester over 43,530 tons of CO2 and remove over 200 tons of air pollution from the atmosphere. “We are thrilled to be working with such an environmentally dedicated and passionate partner like Founders,” said Dan Lambe, Chief Executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “As one of their primary pillars of business, sustainability is ingrained into everything they do.” ...
Summer Tree Watering: Measurable Tips For When & How Much
It’s hot and dry and you suspect your client’s trees need watering. But how do you know for sure, and how much water is needed? After all, overwatering isn’t healthy either. So how do you make an informed plan for those without irrigation systems? The Arbor Day Foundation offers these simple and measurable tips. The Screwdriver Test. There’s a simple step you can take to see if a tree needs water. Using a long screwdriver with a minimum six-inch blade, probe into the ground in several locations under the drip line (the furthest edge of the tree’s canopy). If you are having difficulty probing to a six to eight-inch depth and natural rainfall is not in the forecast, then you should begin a watering regime, or inform clients of the necessity. The Bucket Test. Typically, a garden hose running at a moderate rate will disperse 5 to 10 gallons of water per minute. This is an important thing to know about a client’s hose — so test it. Using a five-gallon bucket, time how long it takes the hose to fill it up. Knowing the hose’s flow rate will help you make informed decisions regarding watering duration for the property’s trees, as the general rule of thumb is to give the tree around 10 gallons of water per inch of trunk diameter. Young Trees. As you know, new trees, or those planted within the last two years that have trunks less than one inch in diameter, require more frequent watering. ...
12 Quick Growing Trees That Throw Shade On Hot Summer Days
It’s hot out there. Last week, over 40 million people across 18 states from Montana to Georgia were under some type of heat alert. What can help? Trees. Particularly shade trees. According to the Arbor Day Foundation, here are 12 fast-growing ones. 1. Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides). With the widest natural range of any tree in North America, the quaking aspen is also the largest living organism, growing in clones that reproduce primarily by sending up sprouts from their roots. In fact, a clone in Minnesota has been estimated to be thousands of years old. While not a tree for all places, planted in the right location, the quaking aspen is a delight of color, movement, and sound. Zones 1-7 2. Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra). Dubbed “one of the handsomest, cleanest, and stateliest trees in North America” by naturalist Joseph S. Illick, the northern red oak is valued for its adaptability and usefulness, including its hardiness in urban settings. This medium to large tree is also known for its brilliant fall color and great value to wildlife. Zones 3-8 3. Northern Catalpa (Catalpa speciosa) This is a tree that demands attention. White, showy flowers. Giant heart-shaped leaves. Dangling bean-like seed pods. Twisting trunk and branches. While not ideal for every location, this unique and hardy tree is a fast grower that finds a home in parks and yards throughout the country. Zones 4-8 4. Red Sunset Maple (Acer rubrum ‘Franksred’). One of the best red maple cultivars, this tree ...
Arbor Day 2021: Tracking Tree Benefits & Posting For Planting
I have an Autumn Flame red maple that I planted in my backyard probably about 15 years ago. I forget how much I paid for it, but according to calculations, this tree alone has saved about $46.08 in total benefits just this year. Specifically, over the course of a year my tree: sequesters about 36.39 lbs of CO2; intercepts 1,501.7 gallons of rainfall to avoid 229.3 gallons of runoff; removes 82.63 ounces of ozone; saves 46.05 kWh in electricity; and avoids 149.34 lbs of carbon dioxide emissions. Since its planting, my maple has stored about $849.61 worth of CO2, and over its lifetime will save 80,537.23 lbs of CO2. Clearly, my tree is much busier than I imagined. I planted it for shade and beauty, but it’s nice to know of all the other important work it is doing in combatting climate change—especially in honor of Arbor Day today. How did I get the numbers on my tree? I ran across a site, linked from the NY state Department of Environmental Conservation page on Arbor Day, called mytree.itreetools.org, a simple web application that will calculate the benefits of trees in your neighborhood. You only have to know a few key facts about your tree: the species, condition, diameter, and sun exposure. Developed in 2006, i-Tree is actually a free software suite from the USDA Forest Service that can be used to strengthen advocacy efforts by quantifying the environmental benefits of trees. According to the i-Tree site, “…thousands of communities, non-profits, ...
