June 2012 Blog Posts (19)

Iowa DNR Forestry Bureau sent two fire engines, with crews,  to assist in the wildfires in Colorado.  A Type 3 engine left today for the San Juan National Forest, and  the DNR type 6 was sent to Waldo Canyon yesterday. 

DNR Forestry Bureau provides Wildland and prescribed fire training, and currently has 55 Red Carded individuals certified for Wildland firefighting.

Have Wildland fires affected you??…

A giant,700 year old Castanea sativa in Nantes, France.

From Defenders of Wild Life

Forests occupy one third of the Earth's land area and are found on all corners of the globe. While there are a few different types of forests, all forests have trees as the dominant plant type. 

Forests are…

http://hazard-herald.com/view/full_story/19000664/article-Buckhorn-home-to-nation%E2%80%99s-largest-river-birch…

A recent fascinating New York Times article, Tending the Body’s Microbial Garden, discusses the ecosystem of microbial wildlife that each human contains within…

In the fall it always makes me sad to see acorns dropped in the streets of my neighborhood only to be crushed by cars.  Golden acorn grit covers the streets.   I think to myself, what waste, that is food.  The crushed acorns have been human food for many different cultures. Being from California, our teachers explained to us how those that proceeded us crushed the acorns for acorn meal and baked them into bread using solar…

Among the Farm Bill amendments filed in the Senate is Amendment 2292 from Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) that would repeal the Urban and Community Forestry Program. This amendment has been marked as priority and could be voted on as early as today - Please reach out to your Senators TODAY to voice your opinion on the matter. To get their contact information click here

What is your favorite shade tree for your yard and why? 

Check out Brad's opinion below.  He share some good reasons for planting a deciduous tree, not to mention some mistakes to avoid. Don't forget to share your favorite.

The other day I asked my friend who has his own lawn care business…

http://www.golf.com/tour-and-news/us-open-golf-2012-%E2%80%93-cypress-trees-olympic-club-swallow-phil-mickelson-tee-shot

"According to a new study from Baltimore, a 10 percent increase in trees roughly equaled a 12 percent decrease in crime.  ‘It’s really pretty striking how strong this relationship is,’ says Austin Troy, director of the University of Vermont’s…

"People, like trees, can transform energy from the earth. Trees, like people, can be a source of helpful wisdom in our lives"  Ann Linnea

I just finished reading Ann Linnea's Keepers of the Trees,, A Guide to Re-Greening North America.  In sharing the true stories of a Tree Doctor, Big Tree Hunter, Tree Planter, Tree…

If you’ve explored the Khan Academy online, you may have discovered some entertaining videos with Vi Hart. With colorful “doodling” she illustrates patterns in nature, with questions and discoveries from several fields of science – all while she is supposedly bored in her math class. It’s a lot of fun.

Her videos are at http://www.khanacademy.org/math/vi-hart

The Mongol invasion scrubbed nearly 700 million tons of carbon from the atmosphere, according to surprising new research.

We have 3 winners in the "like me" contest with each winner receiving a $50.00 Home Depot Gift Card. The winning entries were:…

One tree will



- increase re-sale housing values by 6-9%.

- increase quality of life: physical, emotional and economic wellbeing.

- reduce storm water runoff by 35%.

- sequester 223 pounds of CO2…

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/06/03/3280478/learn-from-a-tree-graduates.html

I met with a bird-watching group this morning in Piedmont Park for one of their monthly walks in the park – something I’ve wanted to do for several years. With binoculars, field guides, and birding apps on iPhones, we began a long loop in the Park, which included the Northwoods and a short stretch on the Atlanta Beltline. Some of the highlights on this outing: a male wood duck perched above the water near the gazebo, a red-shouldered hawk, a female orchard oriole feeding her young, a…