Friday, February 26, 2010

Emerald ash borer in Minneapolis

It was only a matter of time before the emerald ash borer, an invasive beetle that has the potential to wipe out all of Minnesota's ash trees, would cross the border from St. Paul into Minneapolis. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture confirmed yesterday that the pest had indeed been found in the Prospect Park neighborhood of Minneapolis, a mile or so from the St. Anthony Park neighborhood of St. Paul where it was spotted last year.

Tree Trust's administrative office is just minutes away from these sites of infestation, and the impending possibility of losing all 200,000 of the Twin Cities' ash trees echoes the crisis that sparked the creation of our organization: the devastation caused by Dutch elm disease in the 1970s. Tree Trust's founders responded to that crisis by training and paying un- and under-employed individuals to reforest our communities.

Today, our Green Futures initiative is poised to respond to the threat of emerald ash borer by getting new trees in the ground before the pest destroys the Twin Cities' ash trees. You can help us plant tomorrow's trees today with a donation to Green Futures, and your money will go even further thanks to a dollar-for-dollar match from a local family foundation that helped us launch the initiative.

Please remember: don't transport firewood! Buy it where you burn it to help slow the spread of emerald ash borer.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

St. Louis Park residents can buy trees for $35

The City of St. Louis Park has partnered with us for the second year in a row to offer 200 trees to its residents at $35 each. Do your part to re-leaf the city by planting one of these lovely trees this spring!

Varieties available are:
  • Sugar Maple ‘Fall Fiesta’ 
  • Black Hills Spruce 
  • Red Splendor Crabapple
  • White Oak
  • Quaking Aspen
  • River Birch
We'll accept orders through March 12, and the pick-up will be at the St. Louis Park Municipal Service Center (7305 Oxford St.) on Saturday, May 1, 2010 between 8:00 AM and 12:00 PM.

If you live in St. Louis Park, you can order a tree (or two) online at www.treetrust.org/orderhere. If you need a paper order form, you can get one at one of these places:
  • Nature Center, 8300 W. Franklin
  • City Hall, 5005 Minnetonka Blvd.
  • Rec Center, 3700 Monterey Dr.
Trees are in size 10 containers and will be 6 to 10 feet tall.

The City of St. Louis Park will host a tree workshop on March 30, 2010 at 7:00 PM at City Hall (5005 Minnetonka Blvd.). Residents who participate in the St. Louis Park Tree Sale are encouraged to attend and learn how to properly plant and care for their new trees.