Coordinator’s Corner – April

Written by Ben Thompson, Urban and Community Forestry Program Manager on April 8, 2021. I recently spent some time away from work while my kids’ school was closed for spring break. It can be hard to take time off when there is so much important work to be done, but we all need time to …

Celebrating Arbor Day 2021

Welcome to “Arbor Month!” Gov. Jay Inslee  has officially proclaimed April 14th as Arbor Day in Washington State, and National Arbor Day is on Friday, April 30 this year. No matter how you plan to celebrate this year, we are excited to share this day with you — a day and month dedicated to trees. …

Announcing the 2021 Urban and Community Forestry Seminar Series

This year, due to the ongoing pandemic, DNR's Urban and Community Forestry Program will continue to offer our seminar series virtually. In the past, we covered the same topic 8 times traveling throughout the state to present in each region. This year, given how accessible online presentations are, we are changing our seminar format up …

Cheers for Springtime Tree Blooms!

Once a week we keep the spirit of Arbor Day and Month alive by featuring tree blooms residents may be seeing throughout their neighborhoods and along trails. Follow along on our DNR Facebook page as we focus mostly on native tree blooms this year. This spring especially, we are enjoying the lovely reminder of how …

Preparing Your Urban Forest for the Next Storm

Wind, ice, snow and wildfires can leave a city a mess. The snow and ice storms we experienced in western Washington earlier this year knocked out power lines and littered sidewalks, business districts and streets with limbs. Trees that were otherwise healthy and strong may have been damaged, and more frequently, the unhealthy and more …

2021 Conferences Seeking Speaker Proposals

Organizers for the Pacific Northwest ISA Annual Training Conference, which will be held throughout October 2021, AND organizers for the Arbor Day Foundation's annual Partners in Community Forestry Conference, scheduled for Nov. 17-18 in Louisville, KY are both currently seeking speaker proposals. Find out the details for each conference below: PNW ISA Annual Training Conference …

Coordinator’s Corner – March

This article starts with the good news that the Evergreen Communities Act (ECA), now referred to as Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 1216 (E2SHB 1216), has passed the state House of Representatives with a vote of 72-25, plus one excused vote. YES! As important as this moment is, I am taking a time to sit …

Urban Forestry Grants Awarded in 2021

As an increasing amount of communities throughout Washington work to boost awareness around the many benefits of trees, funding sources like those provided through the DNR’s Urban and Community Forestry program can lend valuable support. Today, we are announcing the approval of seven urban forestry grants, totaling $82,326 for projects including: ApplicantProject NameFunding RequestMatchGrant Type350 …

Here’s How to Celebrate Arbor Day 2021 During Covid

Washington State’s Arbor Day will be celebrated on Wednesday, April 14th this year. During normal, non-pandemic times, the weeks ahead are generally full of prepping for April’s big celebrations. However, this year, traditional public gatherings to celebrate Arbor Day are largely postponed or reduced in size due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.  Not to worry! …

Congrats to our 2020 Tree City, Line & Campus USA Partners!

Ninety-two cities and towns across Washington have earned the Tree City USA Award. Also receiving honors are 11 Tree Line USA Utility Companies and 13 Tree Campus USA Colleges and Universities in the state. Tree Campus USA Awards: DNR is pleased to announce that 10 institutions of higher education in Washington have been awarded the …

The complex issue of urban soils, people and trees

A couple years ago, during what I thought was a business-as-usual downtown park tree planting, my volunteer group came across a startling discovery. They were digging large holes for our 2” caliper trees then, at about 2 feet of digging, “clonk”— shovels started to hit a plane of bricks. The planting instantly became not-so-normal as …