Casey Trees

Casey Trees is proud to promote urban forestry awareness and education through a diverse collection of lectures, workshops, demonstrations, celebrations, and tree walks. Programs and classes are taught by locally and nationally renowned experts, many of whom are Casey Trees staff.

All classes and programs are FREE unless stated.  Advance registration is required for all activities.  To sign up, click on the event date below.

Upcoming Programs and Classes

                                          September                         October                          November                  

Festival

Columbia Heights Day

Come visit Casey Trees during Columbia Heights Day this Saturday. Live music, local artists, family activities and food make up this neighborhood celebration. The Chariots, Armchairs, Belladonna and Flex Matthews perform.

Tree Walk

School Yard Arboretum Tree Walk

Jim Woodworth, Director of Tree Planting, Casey Trees

Description: Tour one of the greenest public school campuses in the District of Columbia, where Casey Trees has worked closely with the Murch Home School Association in a five year effort to plant over one hundred trees, and over thirty different species of native and non-native trees. Experience a living outdoor classroom, hone your tree ID skills and witness the many functions of trees at work in a vibrant public space.

Class

Our Urban Forest: Historical Roots, Enduring Legacies, Future Challenges

Dr. Geoffrey L Buckley, Ohio University

This class will focus on three areas:

• The origins and meaning of tree planting in the public landscape of European cities from the sixteenth through the nineteenth centuries.
• The roots of urban urban forestry in the U.S. from the nineteenth century to the present.
• Urban forest management as it has played out in Baltimore, Maryland since 1912 – the year the city passed its first street tree ordinance.

More specifically, we will consider urban trees as providers of ecosystem services; examine the social, cultural, and economic benefits (and costs) of expanding urban tree canopy; and explore social and environmental justice issues tied to the uneven and inequitable distribution of trees.

Tree Walk

Hillcrest Neighborhood Tree Walk

Phil and Mary Hammond, Citizen Foresters
Carol Herwig, Volunteer Coordinator, Casey Trees

Once considered suburbs of DC, Hillcrest and Penn Branch are neighborhoods of large lots settled on rolling hills surrounded by mature trees, parks and green space. Overlooking the Capitol on the northwest and Oxon Run Valley, Maryland, on the southeast.

The tree walk will travel along main thoroughfares, in quiet residential areas and along a woodland border, to view several oak species, maples, elms, tulip poplars, holly, sweet gum and more.

Class

Do Trees Increase Crime?

Dr. Morgan Grove, US Forest Service, NRS

Urban legend or fact? Trees cause crime. Morgan Grove, Research Scientist for the US Forest Service, will discuss this urban legend and results from research in Baltimore City that dispels this legend. Or does it?
Prerequisite: None, open to the public.

Citizen Forester

Trees 101: An Introduction to Trees

Sue Erhardt, Director of Education, Casey Trees
Lacey Brown, Education Coordinator, Casey Trees

Do you want to learn about the benefits of trees? Would you like to be able to identify an oak from a maple tree? Then Trees 101 is the class for you. This class presents an introduction to the Washington DC urban forest. We also discuss strategies for restoring the District's tree canopy. Participants are taught basic tree identification.

This class includes is a Tree Walk, so please wear comfortable walking shoes.

Citizen Forester

Tree Planting

Jim Woodworth, Director of Tree Planting

Do you want to learn how to plant a tree? Learn to select and prepare a tree planting site, chose appropriate species for the site, and properly plant the tree to ensure survival. We cover the technique critical to maintaining urban tree health, including mulching, watering and pruning. The service component consists of community tree planting and maintenance projects.

Students from this Tree Planting class are encouraged to volunteer their time to help Casey Trees plant trees around the District. These students are asked to be leaders at community tree planting events and to plant with untrained volunteers.
This class includes a classroom and field training component. Two classroom offerings are available – Wednesday, September 29 and Thursday, September 30, 2010 (two evenings) or Saturday, October 2, 2010. Field training for both classroom offerings will take place on Saturday, October 2.

Tree Walk

Rock Creek Park Tree Walk

Instructor: Melanie Choukas Bradley, author of "City of Trees."

Author and naturalist Melanie Choukas-Bradley will lead us on two historic tree tours: the third walk as at Rock Creek Park (October 9th), which is celebrating its 120th anniversary this year. Learn to identify magnificent specimens of native oaks, maples, ashes, and hickories that grace the winding paths through the urban woodland park. Hear about conservation issues that were as relevant in 1890 as they are in 2010. During the fourth walk attendees visit the grounds of the U.S. Capitol (October 30th) where official state trees from around the country will be blazing in full autumn glory. Learn about how President Lincoln urged construction of the half-finished Capitol dome to proceed during the uncertain Civil War years. Contemplate the Capitol grounds design that is the handiwork of Frederick Law Olmsted, the renowned 19th century landscape architect who also designed New York City’s Central Park.

You must sign up for each of tree walk individually. Space is limited.

If you would like to receive an autographed copy of City of Trees, check the box in the registration form and bring a $20 in cash or check made out to the University of Virginia Press to the walk.

Workshop

Treescape Design Workshop

Jim Woodworth, Director of Tree Planting, Casey Trees
Maisie Hughes, Director of Planning and Design, Casey Trees

Do you want a tree for your yard? Learn the basic design concepts to incorporate trees into your yard or garden landscape. Casey Trees' experienced landscape design experts help you create a treescape for your property.

Please bring pictures or sketches of your yard to help in the design process.

Each participant will receive a free shade tree for their yard which will be delivered to their home.

Tree Walk

US Capitol Tree Walk

Instructor: Melanie Choukas Bradley, author of "City of Trees."

Author and naturalist Melanie Choukas-Bradley will lead four historic tree walks for Casey Trees during 2010 and early 2011. Join us on these tours to learn about the integral role that trees have played in the evolution of our nation’s capital.

On October 30th, Melanie will be taking us on the THIRD walk in her series. We will visit the grounds of the U.S. Capitol where official state trees from around the country will be blazing in full autumn glory. Learn about how President Lincoln urged construction of the half-finished Capitol dome to proceed during the uncertain Civil War years. Contemplate the Capitol grounds design that is the handiwork of Frederick Law Olmsted, the renowned 19th century landscape architect who also designed New York City’s Central Park.

Next Spring (2011), the fourth walk will take place at President Lincoln’s summer home during the Civil War. During the summers of 1862-1864 the Lincoln family resided at the Soldiers’ Home property (now known as the Armed Forces Retirement Home) in northwest D.C., it was here that Lincoln rode on horseback the day before his assassination. Explore the noteworthy trees around the newly renovated Lincoln Cottage and pay a visit afterwards to nearby Rock Creek Cemetery. Rock Creek Cemetery is home to many historic trees and the gravesite of Alexander “Boss” Shepherd, who planted 60,000 trees during the 1870s as the second and last governor of D.C., contributing to the lasting legacy known as the “City of Trees.” This will be held on Saturday, April 16th.

You must sign up for each of the four tree walks individually. Space is limited.

If you would like to receive an autographed copy of City of Trees, check the box in the registration form and bring a $20 in cash or check made out to the University of Virginia Press to the walk.

Tree Walk

National Arboretum Fern Valley Tree Walk

John Wheeler, Citizen Forester
Val Wheeler, Citizen Forester
Lacey Brown, Education Coordinator, Casey Trees

We will meet at the Arboretum's Visitor's Center and walk to Fern Valley (native woodlands) via the flowering tree walk and the Capitol Columns. The emphasis will be on native trees, but along the way we will also see some non-native plants.