SUMMER INSPECTOR PROGRAMSocial Pressure for Better Tree Health

Friends of TreesPortland, OR

Why social pressure for better tree health?

We feel that a neighbor is more likely to convince someone to care for their tree than we (or the city, or anyone else) are.

ABOUT FRIENDS OF TREES

To bring people in the Portland-Vancouver and Eugene-Springfield metro areas together to

plant and care for city trees and green spaces.

Mission Statement

Began 24 years ago. Non-profit that uses planting trees as a tool to build community.

Vancouver

Planting Programs Overview

• Neighborhood Trees(street & yard trees):

- 7 staff members

- About 1,800 volunteers

- Over 4,000 large (1.5”+ caliper) trees per season

• Green Spaces Initiative(natural area trees & shrubs):

- 3 staff members- About 1,700 volunteers- 23,000 smaller trees and shrubs per planting season

SUMMER INSPECTOR PROGRAM

POLLHow many currently have some form of monitoring

program for newly planted trees?

How many are wanting to start one?

How did it get started?

Grey-to-Green Initiative• Citizens voted for green infrastructure over gray

infrastructure, creating G2G Initiative

• Part 1: ‘Big Pipe’ installed underground to hold more stormwater overflow

• Part 2: City sets goal to plant 83,000 street trees

• FOT bid on and won contract with city to plant 20,000 street trees

• Scope of work included developing tree survival monitoring program

What is the goal?

Provide tree care education to new tree owners so that their trees will:

• survive their first growing season

• become long-term assets to their community

How do we do that?

• Mail watering postcard after rains stop (early May)• Educate new tree owners on the best practices of

general tree care through conversations and informative door-hangers (train the trainer technique)

• Record tree health data

Most inspectors just received trees through our planting program the previous year and this is the volunteer role

they chose.

New tree owner receives doorhanger (“report card”) and feels social pressure to better care for tree.

Neighbors now know each other. Trained inspector is resource to community.

Inspects 30 trees in their neighborhood.

VOLUNTEERS

Recruiting Volunteer

• Planting volunteers

• Internet – website, social media, email/treemail, listserves

• Outreach events

• Word of mouth

• Posters

• Yard signs

• Tree signs

Who are our Summer Inspectors? 250 volunteers per summer

Arborists

Tree recipients (past and present)

Crew Leaders

General public

WHAT TREES ARE WE INSPECTING?

MAINLY - Tier I: first year trees (trees inspected one summer only, twice during the summer)

Also - Tier II: 15% of trees planted 2 years ago (same trees inspected two summers in a row, once per summer). Measure caliper, height and width.Also - Tier Omega: 15% of trees planted in 2009-10 (same trees inspected annually - to be analyzed over extended period of time, once per summer).

Tier I Inspections for 2011-12 Planting Season

• Total of 4,782 newly planted trees inspected

• 86% new street trees

• 12% new yard trees

• 51 genera

• 134 species

• 97% survival rate for newly planted trees

Tier II & Tier Omega Inspections for 2011-12 Planting Season

• Tier II: 614 trees inspected (90.4% survival rate)

• Tier Omega: 473 trees inspected (89.9% survival rate)

TRAINING

When: first weekend in June

Morning session: classroom portion

Afternoon session: inspection route in neighborhood with certified arborist

Site Visits - 7 Health Conditions

• Site Conditions

– Soil moisture

– Mulch

– Weeds

• Tree Health

– Bark damage

– Broken branches

– Suckers

– Canopy assessment

Doorhangers

• 7 health conditions listed

• Circle thumbs up for pass

• Circle thumbs down for fail

• Websites for more

information on tree care

• Free mulch at our office

(arborist donations)

Getting data from volunteers

Provide link to shared Google document

(or mail spreadsheet, or drop off at our office)

Inspect twice per summer – separate doc per round:

– July 1 (Round 1)

– August 15 (Round 2)

ANALYZING INSPECTION RESULTS

Uploading Inspection Results

• Save Google document as Excel spreadsheet

• Customized Access database uploads information from Excel spreadsheet

• Point rating system tells us if tree is Good, Ok, Bad or Dead

Storage of Data

Database allows entry of detailed information such as:

• Genus, species, cultivar, stock size, stock type, nursery of origin, date planted, street address, homeowner contact information

• Volunteer inspector ratings and notes

• Staff can change health ratings and enter their own additional notes

• “Replace” checkbox available for any trees that will be replaced the next season

What do we do with all this data?

Determine why trees are dying:

• Neglect

• Transplant shock

Social Pressure comes to the rescue:– Counterintuitively, trees look better at end of summer

– Pressure from neighbor/inspector and doorhanger(report card) to better care for trees

Analyze which genus and species are thriving:

Genus

QtyDead

(Genus)

Qty Planted (Genus)

Percent Dead

(Genus)Species Breakdown, by Cultivar

Qty Dead (Species)

QtyPlanted

(Species)

Percent Dead

(Species)

Acer 36 796 4.52%Rocky Mtn Glow Maple 15 309 4.85%

Paperbark Maple 13 276 4.71%

Bigleaf Maple 4 42 9.52%

Flame Maple 3 83 3.61%

Quercus 19 248 7.66% Scarlet Oak 9 81 11.11%

Forest Green Oak 5 42 11.90%

Crimson Spire Oak 2 38 5.26%

Oregon White Oak 1 41 2.43%

Swamp White Oak 1 15 6.67%

Magnolia 17 182 9.34% Elizabeth Magnolia 12 47 25.53%Bracken’s Brown Beauty 8 22 36.36%

Lennei Magnolia 2 15 13.33%

Butterflies Magnolia 1 19 5.26%

Edith Bogue Magnolia 1 24 4.17%

Yulan Magnolia 1 15 6.67%

Compare tree health/survival between different parts of the city:

Analyze which root stocks have highest survival ratings:

Root StockTotal

Planted% of Total Planted

Total Dead

% of Root Stock Dead

Balled & Burlapped 2886 60.3% 92 3.1%Bare Root 650 13.5% 21 3.2%Containerized 818 17.1% 22 2.6%Root Control Bag 330 6.9% 8 2.4%Unknown 98 2% 3 3.0%

Table 7 – Root Stock of Trees - Comparison of Root Stock of Dead Trees for PS-12

Answer questions that will guide your program, such as:

Is a person more likely to care for their tree if they pay for it?(does not appear to be so)

Is a person more likely to care for their tree if they help plant it?(appears to be so)

Trees Rated "Dead"

Participation Qty% of Dead

Qty of Total Planted

% of Total Planted

Paid for Trees, Signed up to Volunteer 86 58.9% 3053 2.8%Paid for Trees, Did Not Plant 12 8.2% 473 2.5%Free Trees, Signed up to Volunteer 21 14.4% 626 3.4%Free Trees, Did Not Plant 19 13.0% 447 4.3%Free Trees, No Participation, No Tree Choice 8 5.5% 183 4.4%Total 146 4782

Table 13 – Tree Mortality and Treecipient Involvement

Monitoring Report

• Submit with grant requests to show success of our planting program

• Helps us market our planting program to future participants

• The information helps our program and other tree programs in the region

Monitoring Report Addresses:

• Condition & survival of newly planted trees

• Genus & species composition

• Performance trends based on genus, species & cultivar

• Assessment of planting conditions (stock type, time of year planted, location of planting )

• Condition & survival of 15% of 2 year-old trees (Tier II)

• Condition & survival of 15% of 2009-10 trees (Tier Omega)

In 20 Years

• Will have collected large amount of data on trees planted through our program

• Combine our tree data with other tree data collected by city, iTrees, and others

• Better understanding of species survival

• Handheld technology to collect data

• Educated citizens who value trees and know how to care for them

To view our Monitoring Report, or view this slideshow in closer detail, check out our blog posting here:

http://friendsoftrees.org/blog/2013/11/01/friends-of-trees-visits-pittsburgh

Susie Peterson

Neighborhood Trees Specialist

susiep@friendsoftrees.org

503-467-2516