Goshen Tree Tenders, in collaboration with West Goshen Township and other local volunteers, on November 17th planted 10 bare-root trees to enhance the beauty of four parks spread throughout the Township’s extensive park system. The event was part of a tree-planting initiative taking place throughout the greater Philadelphia region that was organized by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. The Phillie Phanatic helped kick off this event at the Philadelphia Naval Yard. Two trees planted in West Goshen were donated by the Philadelphia Phillies in honor of Rhys Hoskins and Maikel Franco under the Phillies’ "Home Runs for Trees” program.
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Photo Captions:
-Tree Planting of Goshen Tree Tenders aided by West Goshen Lions Club, Friends of West Goshen Parks and other volunteers (l to r, Regina Smith, Dan Mallach, Katy Mallach, Tara Muenz (kneeling), Susan Charkes, Susan Batten, Tom Walsh, Eunice Alexander, Bob Stratton)
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-A Rhys Hoskins tree, one of the Phillies "Home Runs for Trees” donated to Goshen Tree Tenders
-Goshen Tree Tenders teaching bare-root planting method.
-Careful pruning of damaged branch before planting
-Some benefits of trees are unseen but essential. “I Am Your Breath of Fresh Air”
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Almost 1000 trees were planted in our region with PHS support, undergirded by a grant from Pennsylvania’s TreeVitalize program. Annual funding from TreeVitalize is used to subsidize the cost to municipalities and others of purchasing trees.
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Goshen Tree Tenders is a group of volunteers in East and West Goshen Townships who are trained in proper methods of tree planting and tree care. The training by PHS is conducted periodically so that citizens may share their expertise to improve tree health and canopy coverage. Most groups focus on a particular locale; however, Tree Tenders are encouraged to share their expertise wherever they go.
The trees provided for this event had intact and naturally growing root systems, which have been found to lead to the highest chance of establishing themselves well and thriving. Three- to four-foot wide holes were dug as well as trenches created for longer roots. GTT was assisted in the hard work of preparation for the event by the West Goshen Township Public Works Department, whose staff pre-dug holes and fetched trees – finishing just ahead of the recent snowstorm. Members of the West Goshen Lions Club and the Friends of West Goshen Parks joined GTT in planting these trees.
The GTT also received generous support from Sherwin-Williams Paint Store #3819 on West Chester Pike, which donated buckets for the group’s use; from many employees and volunteers of the Brandywine Conservancy, who contributed gallon jugs for watering; and from West Chester University, which loaned specialty tools.
After a thorough training and tree-planting demonstration by the GTT, three additional Cumulus Serviceberry trees (Amelanchier x laevis ‘Cumulus’) were planted in West Goshen Community Park. These will provide lovely yellow-orange-red fall color. Later in the afternoon, six additional trees were planted: four Street Keeper Honeylocusts (Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis Street Keeper® ('Draves')) in Hamlet Crest Park for spring fragrance and yellow fall color, a Basswood (Tilia americana ‘Redmondi’) in Coopersmith Park for spring fragrance and attractiveness to butterflies, and a Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor) for water absorption in a low-lying and very wet section and golden-orange-brown fall color in of Barker Park.
Besides fall color and absorption of stormwater runoff, trees provide shade, windbreaks, storage of carbon, and, especially if native, food for pollinators and birds and other wildlife. Most birds rely on insects, particularly to nourish their young, and most insects only inhabit specific native vegetation. A surprising number of mammals also feed on insects.
The November 17th training covered:
-advantages of the bare-root method,
-why the fall dormant period is the ideal time to plant,
-tool use and personal safety,
-the proper handling of bare-root trees,
-allowable pruning,
-identification of the root flare, hole preparation, and filling without amendments,
-staking/tieing,
-mulching (“Mulch for a Healthy Tree”, West Goshen Township Newsletter, Vol 25, No. 4, Summer 2018, page 4),
-watering and the essential aftercare, including tie removal and guarding against fertilizer and soil compaction.
In addition to planting, GTT has worked with area businesses to demonstrate tree-pit care. The group plans to do some non-climbing pruning of damaged, diseased, or dead branches this winter and monitoring for spotted lanternfly eggs. The group will note the geographic coordinates of Ailanthus trees (Tree-of-Heaven), which is the primary host for spotted lanternfly (SLF). Goshen residents are encouraged to report possible Ailanthus trees to GTT at: elatoad64@gmail.com. This winter and early spring residents are asked to scrape off into a plastic bag using the edge of a credit card eggs identified as SLF and to destroy them by adding a little rubbing alcohol to the bag, then disposing of it.
Those wishing to join in the care of trees in their area should contact:
-Beaver Family TT (Erin Beaver, 610-286-6716) [Elverson]
-Downingtown TT (Maura Sheehan, 610-269-7911) [Downingtown Borough]
-Goshen Area TT (Eunice Alexander, 484-727-8528) [E Goshen, W Goshen]
-Kennett Square TT (Selma Billheimer, 917-597-8779) [Kennett Square]
-Malvern TT (Bobbi Tower, 610-296-2745) [Malvern Borough]
-Newtown Square TT (Janet Elliott, 610-353-2444) [Newtown Sq., Edgmont, Willistown]
-Phoenixville Area TT (Paul Kusko, 610-933-1540) [Phoenixville Borough, Wilmer]
-Southern Chester County TT (Kathleen Aviles, 302-562-9568) [West Grove & more]
-Tsuga TT (Harriet Stone, 61-469-9050) [E Vincent, W Vincent]
-Turks Head TT (Kim Walters, 603-498-7425) [W Chester Borough]
-Valley Forge TT (Victoria Skelly, 610-251-9377) [Chesterbrook, Tredyffrin]
-West Whiteland TT (Janice Gottesfeld, 610-692-8357) [Exton, W Whiteland]
The educational and practical focus of Tree Tenders leads residents, institutions, businesses and houses of worship in Chester County to plant and tend trees. Some are drawn by their interest in aesthetics and stewardship of our open spaces, others are looking to minimize wet basements and floods through stormwater management, still others to the support of biodiversity and habitat. Perhaps it is not for those reasons but out of a desire to clean air and water of pollutants, to store carbon, or simply to gain shade for hot summer days that you will care for trees.
About PHS
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society is a nonprofit organization, founded in 1827, dedicated to creating beauty and building community through gardening, greening and learning. With more than 64,000 members, PHS offers programs and events for gardeners of all levels, and works with volunteers, organizations, agencies and businesses to create and maintain vibrant green spaces. Proceeds from the PHS Philadelphia Flower Show and donations support PHS programs, including Plant One Million. For information, visit PHSonline.org.
Plant One Million is the largest multi-state tree campaign in the nation and intends to plant one million trees throughout 13 counties in southeastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, and Delaware.
This goal will restore the tree canopy cover—the area of land shaded by trees—in the Greater Philadelphia Region to 30 percent. PHS is pleased to partner with the Philadelphia Parks & Recreation’s TreePhilly program, the DCNR TreeVitalize program and others to achieve our collective vision of a greener and healthier region.
About PHS’ Tree Tenders Program
Since 1993, the training program has graduated more than 4,000 Tree Tenders® in the Greater Philadelphia area. Working in neighborhood groups, the program’s volunteers are responsible for planting more than 2,000 trees annually.
The strong growth in participating groups indicates the pride and sense of purpose volunteers feel as a result of improving their neighborhoods. For more information, please visit https://phsonline.org/.
The Basic Training is a seven-hour course ($40 total cost) with classroom and hands-on sessions on:
- Tree biology
- Tree identification
- Stresses trees face
- Proper planting, maintenance, and pruning practices
- How to organize a community tree planting
Upon completion, a Tree Tender is poised to be an informed advocate for growth of tree canopy. By mulching, watering, pruning, and collecting data, volunteers help build and re-build a healthy vital resource.
Provided periodically, those interested in Basic Training may reserve a space by registering online at https://phsonline.org/programs/tree-tenders/ or contacting Mindy Maslin at mmaslin@pennhort.org or 215-988-8844. The late-winter training is set for Saturdays, January 26 and February 2, 2019 from 8:30am-1pm in Philadelphia.
About Pennsylvania’s TreeVitalize Program
TreeVitalize is a statewide program for the restoration of tree cover. A public-private partnership established and managed by the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), TreeVitalize helps communities plan for, plant, and care for trees. TreeVitalize offers a broad range of services, including educational trainings to support sustainable urban and community forestry programs across the state.
Contact
To learn more about any aspect of this Press Release, please contact:
Eunice Alexander, GTT Group Leader
1101 Fern Hill Road
West Chester, PA 19380
610-692-0923 (H) 484-727-8528 (C) Elatoad64@gmail.com
Photographs courtesy of Tara Muenz.
