Tree board workshop brings groups together

More than 50 members of tree boards from across the state attended TUFC's workshop February 6 in Cookeville.

Participants learned about TUFC, shared problems and solutions they had in common, and set goals for several upcoming projects. The workshop was funded by a grant from the Tennessee Division of Forestry's Urban and Community Forestry Program, which provided lodging, meals, and handout materials.

TUFC board holds annual retreat

Board members, staff, and urban foresters gathered in Cookeville for TUFC's annual goal-setting retreat.

Officers for 2014 are president Josiah Lockard, secretary Erin Tharp, and treasurer Scott Johnson. Board members serving three-year terms are Chris Armour, Tammy Buchanan, Brian Campbell, Karen Davenport, Jim Duncan, Marti Foster, Jon Nessle, Betsy Porter, and Lydia R. Wiggins. Dalia Abbas, David Cook, Justin Stefanski, Jimmy Weyant, and Mason Young hold one-year appointments.

Ed Macie addresses forestry trends

Regional urban forester Ed Macie addressed TUFC board members at their recent retreat in Cookeville.

Macie identified a number of trending issues in urban forestry:

• Tree inventories and analysis. Enabled by online tools like iTree, cities are finding out what kind and how many trees they have.
• Management planning. Once they measure their trees, cities can begin to manage them.
• Readiness, response, recovery. Cities are increasingly preparing for weather and even insect disasters, developing best management practices for dealing with extreme weather patterns.
• More policy and ordinances to deal with tree canopy, privacy, and climate changes. More than 2,600 southern cities have tree ordinances.
• Professional capacity is increasing as more urban foresters are hired.
• Green infrastructure is increasingly important, especially for managing stormwater.
• Increasing threats from invasive species, natural disasters, and people (urbanization, tree topping, ignorance).
• The Green Age. "The Earth is a finite system and is designed well — we need to think about how the system works and build that into how we manage our cities," he said.
• The Human Dimension. Trees are like bicycle helmets, he said. "Before helmets were required, thousands of kids died from head injuries. Just like those helmets, trees save lives," he said.

TUFC West offers urban forestry advisor course

The West Tennessee chapter offers its fifth urban forestry advisor training course September 3 through October 1.

The five-week course provides 20 hours of instruction by local experts. Classes are held Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Memphis Botanic Garden.

Lectures and field work will cover tree biology, ID and selection, risk management, diagnostics, site analysis, tree inventory, construction protection, and the role of federal, state, and local agencies.

Cost is $85; class size is limited. Register

Forestry celebrates centennial

The Tennessee Division of Forestry celebrates a century of forest conservation, protection, and enhancement. Tennessee’s first state forester began work September 1, 1914, with a focus on wildfire control and reforestation. Today, the focus is still on wildfire control, but also on promoting forestland values and benefits, forest health, and forest productivity. More

State tree climb champ goes to national championship

Tennessee Tree Climb 2013 champion Aquilino Amador won the Masters Challenge at the recent ISA Southern climbing competition. He'll be representing Tennessee and ISA Southern at the upcoming national championship.

Monthly webinars teach tree board basics

Free webinars March 4 and April 1 help tree boards function more efficiently and effectively.

The webinar series offers insights into the political process, how to communicate your message, forest management opportunities, and engaging volunteers.

The series is useful to newly established boards as well as established boards seeking ideas for how to move forward or gain new energy and focus. Register

Promoting healthy and sustainable urban and community forests
in Tennessee

New, renewing TUFC members

Business

• Timberline Tree & Lawn

Nonprofit

• Dixon Gallery & Gardens

Gov/Utility/University

• Town of Collierville

Individual

• Jill Alliman
• Sandra Oxford
• Kathrine Stevenson