Take Root

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

What Is the Value of a Tree? Why Should it Matter to Me?

Can a forester measure the exact value of a tree? Maybe, maybe not, but according to CreateHere’s new tree tags, the value of the pine at the end of this post is $855 over the next fifteen years.

Citizen Forester Coordinator, Michael Wurzel is using the National Tree Benefits Calculator to estimate the value that individual trees provide to the city while promoting CreateHere’s newest environmental initiative, the Citizen Forester program. Sometimes, the benefits that trees provide, both economic and other, are not so obvious.

So what benefits do trees provide, and how are they measured? According to the website, the national tree benefits calculator:

“... is intended to be simple and accessible. As such, this tool should be considered a starting point for understanding trees’ value in the community, rather than a scientific accounting of precise values.”

Trees have value to individuals, neighborhoods, communities, and cities as a whole. While the Tree Benefits Calculator can roughly measure a trees economic value in terms of storm water, electricity, air quality, property value, natural gas, and CO2, trees provide practically innumerable other benefits too. Those benefits include: decreased crime, reduced stress, increased privacy, reduced noise pollution, increased wildlife, increased scenic beauty and many more. Through proper landscaping, trees soften the harsh divide between built environments and natural ones.

Interested in learning more about trees? Check out www.takerootchattanooga.com to sign up for a Citizen Forester Workshop this Fall!

Posted by Michael on 08/17 at 01:09 PM
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Monday, July 18, 2011

Party Honors Tree Planting Efforts of the Past, Celebrates Citizen Forester

The Chattanooga green community rallied at the Crash Pad this past Thursday to celebrate tree planting and beautification efforts of the past and present. To learn more about the history of those efforts check out this Chattanooga Tree History. Not only did we honor the Citizen Foresters of the past, but also we launched a new forestry initiative open to the publci. To participate, take a class and become a Citizen Forester. Sign Up Now

Check out the awards that were given out during the celebration:

The Sapling Award: A young tree is called a sapling. In the new roots, skinny trunk, small branches and fresh leaves of a sapling exist the potential for future growth and development of a whole forest. Earlier this year, Jonathan Lehman created the TAUT educational initiative to ensure that the youth of Chattanooga remain educated and inspired to sustain and strengthen the waves of positive change occurring in the city. In partnership with Jonathan Lehman and the TAUT initiative, Citizen Forester hopes to introduce an elementary curriculum to children in schools throughout Hamilton County. For his work in this effort, I would like to award Jonathan the Sapling Award for the creation of a new forestry initiative. Certainly, the future of any forest depends on its saplings.

Olive Branch Award: To extend an olive branch is an act of peace and partnership. The olive branch represents a medium through which to engage individuals and organizations around a common idea. The Take Root logo is certainly an olive branch, extended to the community, as a rallying point for engagement, environmental stewardship, and pride in our city. For their effort in creating Take Root’s olive branch to the community at large, we would like to honor Leslie Jensen-Inman on behalf of the UTC Arts and Graphic Design Department, with the olive branch award.

The Aspen Grove Award: An Aspen grove is stand of trees like no other because each tree is connected through a shared root system. A single aspen tree can live a hundred of years, but a grove of aspen trees can live for tens of thousands of years. Just as aspens work together in a grove to perpetuate their species, the members of the Chattanooga Tree Commission work together to educate citizens, make recommendations to city officials, and inform elected leaders about the value that a thriving tree canopy provides our city. In honor of their leadership and guidance to our city on forestry issues, I would like to award Glen Craig on behalf of the Tree Commission, the Aspen Grove Award. We hope that, like an Aspen Grove, the Tree Commission continues to thrive in its roles and responsibilities to Chattanooga forestry efforts far into the future.

Jane and Johnny Appleseed Award: In American mythology, Johnny Appleseed was a free spirit who roamed the Midwest carelessly planting apple seeds wherever his travels took him, and while this figure might fit appropriately into a child’s tale, the truth about Johnny Appleseed is far more nuanced. Appleseed spent years an apprentice at an apple orchard in the east. He eventually moved to the Midwest, where he dedicated himself assiduously to the expansion of apple cultivation. Appleseed carefully planted and maintained his apple orchards in this new frontier. There was little that was haphazard or careless about his work. In light of Appleseed’s dedication to the cultivation of apple trees, I would like to award Paola and Hill Craddock the Jane and Johnny Appleseed Awards for their great contribution to the propagation and support of native plant species, especially the American Chestnut.

The Giving Tree Award: Shell Silverstein’s children’s book, The Giving Tree, is about the relationship between a boy and a tree. We all remember that as the boy grows, the tree generously provides what the boy wants. Our foundation partners, the Benwood and Lyndhurst Foundations, have given generously to the Take Root initiative, and through their generosity as well as partnerships with innumerable other individuals and organizations, Take Root has been a great success for the city and its people. The initiative planted over 1400 trees in three years, which doubled the downtown urban tree canopy from seven and a half to 15% tree cover. Consider that the Benwood and Lyndhurst Foundations each invested more than $100,000 to purchase and plant the 1400 Take Root trees, and the sizable investments of each foundation will pay off handsomely. According to the national tree benefits calculator, each of those 1400 trees provide an estimated $50 per year in measurable environmental and economic benefits. That adds up to $70,000 per year. That means, within three years, our foundations’ investment in trees will have paid itself off. Fifteen years from now as those 1400 Take Root trees grown and matured, they will have given an accumulated $1,050,000 in measurable economic and environmental benefits to the city, and that number doesn’t include benefits like better shade, stronger communities ties, increased business at establishments with trees, reduced crime, lower stress, reduced noise pollution and other factors that are difficult to quantify. Like the Giving Tree, our foundations have given generously to bolster and support Chattanooga’s tree canopy. For this, I would like to present awards to Kristy Huntley of behalf of the Benwood Foundation and Sarah Morgan on behalf of the Lyndhurst Foundation with the Giving Tree awards.

Heritage Tree Award: What is a Heritage Tree? A Heritage Tree may possess distinct size, form, age, location, or historical significance. It may be one of the largest or oldest trees in a community or it simply may be an outstanding specimen of a desirable species. However a Heritage tree is designated, one fact remains, its great importance to the community in which it stands. Over two decades ago, Dr. John Huckaba, his wife Ann, the Chamber of Commerce, and a plethora of volunteers known as the Green Team, undertook and completed ambitious beautification efforts within the city. Their goal: to make Chattanooga not only the best, but also most beautiful mid sized city in the country. We would like to honor Ann Huckaba, on behalf of the efforts of Chamber and Green Team, with the Heritage Tree award. Like a Heritage Tree, their work is of great historical significance.

The Old Growth Award Copy: Old growth trees have lived hundreds or thousands of years. They are mature giants of great ecological and economic value. Some might say, they are priceless and irreplaceable. In light of Gene Hyde’s long standing and invaluable work to the city of Chattanooga as City Forester, we would like to present him with the Old Growth Award.

Posted by Michael on 07/18 at 11:57 AM
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Monday, July 11, 2011

Take Root teams up with Social Media

Take Root has finally teamed up with Social Media. Check out our new Facebook Page here @ Take Root Chattanooga.

Posted by Michael on 07/11 at 10:39 AM
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Tuesday, June 28, 2011

It’s time to reengage…look out for tree bags tagged

It’s time to reengage…starting with tree bags tagged.

The Name: Take Root.

The Initiative: to double the urban tree canopy in Chattanooga’s downtown core from 8% canopy cover to 15%.

The Outcome: between 2007 and 2010, Chattanooga’s department of Urban Forestry planted about 1400 trees in Chattanooga’s downtown core. As these 1400 Take Root trees grow and mature, they should provide more than enough canopy cover to ensure that Chattanooga hits its 15% downtown tree canopy cover goal.

Yet funders and concerned citizens want to know: how can we ensure that these young trees not only survive but also thrive in a downtown environment?

The Answer: Tree bags. aka gator bags

Chattanooga’s urban foresters have chosen to use gator bags to ensure that young trees get plenty of water during Tennessee’s hot and dry summer months. Two hundred of the youngest most drought susceptible Take Root trees have gator bags around their trunks guaranteeing they receive a slow and steady stream of water to their roots even when the rains don’t come.

Chattanoogans, all 200 gator bags have been tagged with the Take Root logo. These bags will catch your eye and make you ponder.  Are you proud of your city and its scenic beauty? Glad you put down your roots here? Enjoy seeing more trees downtown?

The future: To learn more or get involved, sign up online for a Citizen Forester class or come to the Crash Pad on July 14th at 5:30 PM to celebrate the launch of Citizen Forester and enjoy local music, food, and beverages.

Posted by Michael on 06/28 at 01:07 PM
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Monday, November 16, 2009

Highland Park kicks off 2009-10 planting season

Several Highland Park residents eagerly jump-started the planting season on a crisp and sunny November 7th.  Volunteers helped to plant 19 trees; the most ever planted in a single day by volunteers!  Nice job Highland Park!  Black Tupelo and Trident Maple trees were planted on the East and South side, respectively, of Tatum Park.  Preston Roberts from Take Root and Jon Nessle of the Chattanooga Tree Commission gave a demonstration of proper tree planting technique, and then volunteers went to work. Take Root extends a hearty “Thank You” to the following Highland Park volunteers:

Bill Jamieson, Jason Kelley, Emily Steinhour, Sarah Miller, Skip Miller, Sherry Roberts, Avery Ashby, Greg O’Dea, Alice O’Dea, Lisa Flint, Fred Flint, Shari Jump, Mike Jump, Ava Moore, Margaret Kovatch, Bob Langgood, Danna Bailey, J.Ed Marston, Jay Craven, Judith Schorr, Carol Killebrew Meyers

Posted by Preston Roberts on 11/16 at 10:49 AM
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Sunday, June 14, 2009

Take Root Wins State-wide Award

Representatives for Take Root traveled to Nashville on June 12th to receive the 2009 GOVERNOR’S ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP AWARD in the Agriculture & Forestry category.  This prestigious award recognizes outstanding organizations and people who work innovatively and cooperatively toward environmental health and sustainablilty in Tennessee.  Read the press release below for more details.
Governor’s Award Press Release

Posted by Preston Roberts on 06/14 at 05:07 PM
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Tuesday, May 05, 2009

Redbud trees in bloom

“Why are redbud trees called redbud if the flowers are purple?”  This is an often-asked question.  The answer is that the buds on each branch are in fact red throughout the winter and before they bloom into purple flowers in the early springtime.  The purple blooms get all the attention, but the red-colored buds on the trees are the namesake.  The blooms have come and gone and are now being replaced by heart-shape leaves for the rest of the growing season.

Posted by Preston Roberts on 05/05 at 08:07 AM
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Friday, March 20, 2009

Welcome to the new website!

Take Root is proud to launch our most recent tool for promoting community engagement and sustainable living in Chattanooga: a newly renovated takerootchattanooga.com.

We’re practitioners of the “dig in” style of civic engagement—we’ve planted over 600 trees in Chattanooga that testify to that. But we also believe that civic engagement is for everyone. This site expands our ability to work directly with Chattanooga’s neighborhoods, and get people excited about the work that gives us joy.

On this site, you’ll find ways to donate directly to Take Root, but you can also pledge your time towards our projects and plantings. If you live in the Take Root zone, check out our list of tree profiles to see what trees we’ll be planting in your neighborhood. You can also give directly to a neighborhood by visiting our donation page.

In one year, we’ve enjoyed digging around in the mud, planting trees for Chattanooga’s bright, green future. We’ve brought our friends and neighbors together to commit to our city, and now we ask you: plant trees with us.

Posted by Admin on 03/20 at 11:53 AM
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