March 2019 TreEnews

Meet the Tree Whisperer

Meet the Tree Whisperer
A Benefit Event for Canopy with Dave Muffly

Canopy is thrilled to honor Dave Muffly, the innovative and visionary arborist for Apple who was responsible for selecting, locating, and planting 9,000 trees within the 175-acre Apple Park campus.

A Stanford graduate and Canopy's first Program Director, Dave will share his passion for trees, oaks especially, and the wisdom he’s gained from 30 years of growing, planting, researching, and stewarding nearly 100,000 trees in numerous cities and communities.

Guests will enjoy a presentation by Dave Muffly followed by a Q&A session, and a delicious brunch among trees that Canopy and volunteers planted ten years ago at Eastside College Prep's campus.

Meet the Tree Whisperer
Sunday, June 2, 2019
10:00am to 1:00pm
Eastside College Preparatory School
1041 Myrtle St, East Palo Alto
Contact Development Director, Judy Sissener, at judy@canopy.org for any questions about tickets and sponsorships.

California Arbor Week March 7 - 14

Thank you for joining us last weekend for
Canopy's Arbor Week Celebration!


Palo Alto's Midtown Neighborhood Tree Planting

A big thank you to the volunteers and residents who came out on a rainy Saturday morning to plant 32 trees in the Midtown neighborhood! The rain didn't dampen spirits as an enthusiastic group gathered after the planting for a celebration at Hoover Park. Check out photos from the day on Flickr .

“Each year Arbor Day is celebrated by people throughout the nation, recognizing that forests and humans share an interdependence that should be nurtured. The ultimate success of Palo Alto is strongly correlated to the care of the natural resources that sustain us.” - Portion of the Arbor Day Proclamation


Mountain View Arbor Day Celebration
Mountain View Arbor Day
On March 19, Canopy participated in the City of Mountain View's  Arbor Day Celebration  at Pioneer Memorial Park. It was an impressive event complete with tree themed activities including a tree planting, tree walk, tree climbing demonstration, and arts and crafts.

At Canopy's Exploration Station kids explored nature and learned about interesting tree parts. We're excited to have been part of the event and we look forward to continuing to grow our programs in Mountain View!



Photo above (from left to right): Kammy Lo, Canopy's Board Vice-Chair; Ray Morneau, Board Member of formerly Mountain View Trees, now part of Canopy; and Natalie Brubaker, Canopy's Education Director.

Mountain View Leadership Tree Planting
On February 8th, Canopy had the opportunity to partner with the Chamber of Commerce Leadership Mountain View class of 2019 to plant trees at Cuesta Park. Canopy’s Board Vice-Chair, Kammy Lo, is a part of this 9-month leadership program for Mountain View community members.

Along with her class project partner, El Camino Hospital’s Director for Office of the CEO, Andreu Reall, they initiated the first Leadership Mountain View tree planting. The goal is to include the tree planting as a regular element of the leadership program every year. 

Special guest, Mayor Lisa Matichak, and the Class of 2019 all had a very rewarding volunteering experience. Many of the class members proudly planted their first tree that day!

From the Field
Canopy’s Junior Forester Leaders

This year, we’re thrilled to introduce Canopy’s Junior Forester Leaders! Teens from Menlo-Atherton High School are working with Canopy’s Education Director to lead 5th graders in tree-based lessons and activities.
Junior Foresters under a tree
Here is what two JFLs have to share about the program:

“My favorite part so far has definitely been getting to hang out with the kids. They have a lot of crazy energy and passion, which is really fun. I think my favorite day was the first day with the kids at Willow Oaks. They found an inch worm on one of the Liquidambar tree pods and it got them so excited. It wasn't planned, but they were so passionate about watching and protecting that one worm, which was fun to see.” - Karina Yum


“Our first day working with the students at Willow Oaks school was memorable. I was blown away by the students' receptiveness and capacity for sustaining their curiosity and creative thinking. It was touching to see such young kids engaged with nature, even just a leaf or seed pod.” - Aya Sugiura

Learn more about the Junior Forester Leaders who are leading students in the Junior Forester After-School Program at Willow Oaks School and Los Robles School.

Community Forestry School
Structural Pruning Basics
Would you like to learn how to prune young trees in your yard?

Pruning trees during their first few years, is critical to long-term health and vitality. In this interactive workshop, you’ll learn the art, science, and skill of young tree pruning with Canopy’s Program Director, Michael Hawkins, and other expert arborists. Gain additional pruning practice with on-the-spot coaching.

No prior experience necessary; we welcome all skill levels. Focus will be on pruning young shade trees, but concepts can be transferred to more mature trees and some fruit trees.
Structural Pruning Basics
Saturday, April 6, 2019
10:00am to 2:00pm
Cubberley Community Center (Room A7)
4000 Middlefield Rd, Palo Alto


Upcoming workshops:
Get to Know Our Native Oaks | May 18
Celebration for Community Foresters | June 8

For questions about the workshop, email michael@canopy.org .

From the Canopy Blog
Ask the Arborist: Tree Risk and Assessment for Homeowners
In this edition of “Ask the Arborist”, arborist Jason Shirar advises on common risks to your tree’s health and shares advice on how to deal with them.


Tree Spotlight: California Bay
Native to the Pacific Coast, the California bay tree has been integrated into US culture through food, medicine, and even currency. This aromatic tree represents the influence that native plants have on our landscape and on our society.

Thank you to Galyna Vakulenko of the Rhee Lab at Carnegie Institution for Science for preparing this post.


Trees in the News
Biodiversity thrives in Ethiopia's church forests
Since the early twentieth century, Ethiopia’s forest cover has diminished from 45% to just 5% in the present day. Now, in an effort to combat the loss of biodiversity, forest ecologist Alemayehu Wassie is working with Ethiopia’s orthodox churches to rebuild and maintain the once lush natural forests.



We're Hiring
Community Forestry Manager

We’re looking for a Community Forestry Manager whose primary responsibilities will include managing the Neighborhood Tree Planting program in both Palo Alto and East Palo Alto. The ideal candidate will have experience in either community organizing or urban forestry, and will develop a passion for both over time.


Help us spread the word!  We encourage Canopy friends to share the   job announcement   with folks in their network.

March Tree Gifts & Dedications
Michael Grove
In honor of Mike Grove

Nathan Conant-Wulff
In honor of Canopy, to celebrate trees and people

Louis Fried
In honor of Rosalind Hyman

Josephine Lo
In memory of Gloria Lo

Healthy Trees Make Healthy Communities!
Gifts from generous people like you help Canopy plant trees, educate children and adults, and foster sustainable environmental stewardship. 
Join us as a monthly supporter today!

Together we’ll ensure that everyone enjoys the benefits of a
vibrant urban canopy.
Bay Area Green Business

 Canopy's mission is to grow the urban forest in Midpeninsula communities for the benefit of all. Our vision is a day when every resident of the Midpeninsula can step outside to walk, play, and thrive under the shade of healthy trees.