Newburyport Students Participate in Arbor Day Poster Contest

Poster submitted by Mark Mosesian, runner-up, displaying the theme of this year's Arbor Day Contest

     Laney Schwab was the Molin School winner of the 2018 Arbor Day Poster Contest sponsored by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. The winning poster and the two runner up entries created by Mark Mosesian and Christian Field are on display on the windows overlooking the Molin courtyard. The students in Ann Langlois' and Martha Trail's fifth grade classes created posters along the theme of "My Community, My Trees." There are over thirty posters on display done in pencil, water colors, markers or crayons. On March 20, all the fifth-grade classes voted for the best poster with Laney, Mark and Christian winning the highest scores. Scroll down to see a few of the entries.

      Tree Commissioners Sheila Taintor and Kim Kudym met with Mrs. Langlois' class to interview students about their thoughts on trees in general, including those portrayed in their art work. When asked if anyone was a tree climber, the entire class raised their hand! Some of the best trees to climb are at Cushing Park according to Finn, but there are also some great trees next to the boardwalk downtown and at Atkinson Common.

   Many students had enthusiastic responses about what inspired their artwork.  Ilona enjoys a swing hanging from a tree which she illustrated in her work.  In Dylan's poster, he placed his favorite tree, an oak in between his two favorite locations, home and a football field. Catherine's entry was inspired by Yggrdrasil from Norse Mythology. Ryan loves the trees at Moseley Pines but expressed concern about how many have been damaged by storms.  There was also some discussion about the recent droughts’ effect on our street trees, many of which are now leaning precariously over the roads. The students will make an effort to water trees in front of their homes if we experience another dry spell this summer.

    Next year, all Molin fifth grade classes are considering participating in the Arbor Day Poster Contest. Homeschoolers and students at the River Valley Charter school have also submitted entries this year, hoping to win a tree planted on their school grounds or a certificate for art supplies. Teachers are eligible to win educational materials to support continued learning about forests and natural resources.

   The Tree Commission hopes to find a public place to display the posters in time for the Arbor Day Celebration at Atkinson Common, on Saturday, April 28 at 9AM. More information can be found on the Newburyport Resilient Sustainable Communities Calendar by clicking on the link.

by Kim Kudym and...
meticulously edited by Sheila Taintor!

Laney Schwab, first place winner, painted this tree using a picture she liked as a model.

One boy told us that a Wisteria has climbed up into a tree in his yard. The artist of this poster is unknown. 

State Street perhaps? I think I see a plastic bag in the girl's hand, for those of you concerned about pooper scooping!

What can be more fun than climbing trees? All students in  Ann Langois' class agree.

My Community, My Trees

Coming soon, green leaves on trees!!

Tree branches representing important members of our the community. Notice the dentist is at the bottom...with Mayor Holaday lording over our doctors and nurses. 

A variety of species standing high on a hill

Another student's perspective of the trees along either side of his or her street. The Tree Commission's goal is for all Newburyport streets to ultimately look like this, hopefully by the time these fifth graders become adults.  We are getting there, one tree at a time. Look for seventy or more new trees to be planted across the city this spring.

Get a Tree

“Spring planting season is around the corner! Many people have requested street trees in front of their house. The Tree Commission has been working hard with Friends of Newburyport Trees to fund all requests.   Be sure to visit our updated website www.fontrees.org to see our list of individuals and corporate donors that have generously contributed to expanding Newburyport’s tree canopy.

   Additionally, several volunteers have started backyard tree nurseries with white pine, white dogwoods and oak saplings, all about a foot high and available for the smallest donation of $5. If you have space in your yard that would provide a good home for one of these trees, please contact us at fontrees@gmail.com.”

White pine saplings ready for spring planting. White Dogwood and Oak also available.

Street Tree Inventory

Volunteer Richard Salas explains to a resident the purpose of tree inventory

   If you have noticed people wearing yellow vests wandering around your neighborhood, chances are that they are part of the the corps of volunteers working with the Tree Commission to complete the street tree inventory. Prior to 2017, at least half of the street trees had been inventoried for the purpose of their maintenance and future design and planning as trees become damaged or diseased. This year, volunteers working in teams of two have uploaded photos and data on 1500 more trees.

Richard Salas measuring the spread of a street tree's canopy

 Street trees are those that are within two feet of a sidewalk or curb. In the absence of either, any tree growing within eight feet of the roadside is considered a street tree. Volunteer Richard Salas is pictured above measuring the spread of the tree canopy. The tree's estimated height and diameter at breast height is also recorded.
     Our inventory grows each year at the Tree Commission completes its mission to plant as many trees as funds will allow. High Street gained eighteen trees this fall, raising its total inventory to 229, barely one fourth the amount of street trees that shaded High Street in the year 1853, but next spring, forty more are scheduled to be added. Twenty-one trees  were planted this fall on Carter, Temple, Oak, Washington, Merrill, Kent, Ashland, Merrimack, Ferry, Pheasant Run and Arlington Streets. Examples of a few are pictured below.

Princeton Sentry added in front of 62 Washington Street

Three Snowgoose Cherry Trees have new homes in front of 1 Pheasant Run

A leafless Zelkova Musachino at 8 Carter Street

Tree Lilac in front of 47 Ashland Street

A Sergeant Cherry at12 Merrill Street

Coming up from Toppans Lane, you might notice these two Sergeant Cherry Trees at 260 High Street.

Flowering Cherries at 22 Ferry Street

Japanese Tree Lilac at  6 Pheasant Run

.

The tree canopy in Newburyport continues to increase thanks to Friends of Newburyport Trees fundraising efforts reaching out to individuals and companies that share our vision of a greener city.  While one hundred and sixteen street trees have taken root across the city in 2017, many more trees are springing up on private property and industrial park land. Tree Commissioners Connie Preston and Dave Dylewski are consulting with school administration at the Nock Molin Middle School for an extensive planting project.  Using donations from The Newburyport Choral Society, Corliss Brothers Nursery and the Bodenrader Family for their Memorial Oak Tree, there are sixteen new trees already on the school grounds. A-W Airflow Industry Inc at 52 Parker Street recently added some trees to their property in the industrial park and a Community Preservation Fund grant of $13,000 will allow the Tree Commission to reforest Gateway Front Gate starting in the spring of 2018. This triangular shaped island at Three Roads where the existing trees and shrubs are in poor condition will benefit from a much needed facelift and create a beautiful western gateway to Newburyport. 

White Oak on the grounds of the Nock/Molin donated by the Bodenrader Family in memory of their beloved son, Andrew Bodenrader

   

The Friends of Newburyport Trees are your stewards to reforest our city. Please stand with us and give us your charitable support! 

www.fontrees.org
email: fontrees@gmail.org
P.O Box 1155
Newburyport, MA 01950

1.    

High Street Trees, 1888 and Now

High Street in the late 1800's with Newburyport Superior Court House on the left

    In 1902, Miss Harriet Colman produced a document, The Trees of Newburyport per request of the City Improvement Society's executive board. It provides a detailed and informative account of the most common tree species throughout the city dating from 1853. She lamented that in 1902 the tree count on High Street alone was down fifty percent from its 1853 count of 1147 street trees. Sadly, as of July 2017, the High Street inventory is even lower. There are only 211 trees between Atkinson Common and Marlboro Street, including the forty that were planted by the Tree Commission only during the last couple of years.
     Below are a few pictures of this year's High Street plantings and some photos of our High Street canopy in the late 1800's, courtesy of the Newburyport Public Library archives.  With an increase in municipal funding, the Community Preservation Act, other grants, donations from city groups and individuals, the Tree Commission hopes to restore High Street to its original magnificence while reforesting the rest of the city slowly but surely.

New Okame Flowering Cherry Tree in front of 25 High Street

A Sergeant Cherry Tree at 270 High Street

Ultimately, sidewalk repairs will be done around this new Hornbeam sapling at 253 High Street

Two Sergeant Cherry trees added in front of 287 1/12 High Street. Each new tree will have a gator bag for two years to ensure its survival.

308 High Street will have a little more shade in a couple of decades from this Ivory Silk Lilac Tree! In the meantime, the spring blossoms will delight. If you have a tree with a gator bag in front of your home, please fill at least once a week. 

One of twenty trees planted on High Street in 2017, a Gingko near apartments at #351.

2017 Hornbeam Tree planted at 323 High Street and corner of Twomey Drive. 

Hedge Maple at 351 High Street

Although these two Trident Maples were planted last year at 346 High Street, weekly watering is provided throughout the 2017 growing season. 

Princeton Elm in front of the Home for Aged Men at 361 High Street

Ice storms took their toll on trees in the 1800's adding to other natural causes. By 1902, there were only 580 trees remaining on High Street between Three Roads and Marlboro Street, down from 1147 fifty years earlier. 

Corner of High and Bromfield, 1880's

High Street just below Fruit Street

A man standing below High Street canopy with his rifle and hound. Maybe waiting for a street car to take him  turkey hunting in the west end? 

Some notable Willow trees once  thrived on High Street just west of Toppans Lane.

In the days of pre-growth of tree roots through city sidewalks?

Oak trees were plentiful yet slowly dying off. The most noteworthy Oak Tree was the Old Beacon Oak that sported a vessel atop a pole which guided mariners to port. It was located between Market Street and the Dexter House. 

Horse-Chestnuts and Maples were favorite staples for shade trees.

High Street boasted many Linden trees. One near Carter Street had a unique growth with nine trunks growing from the same root, forming a cone. Mulberry and Silver-leaved Poplar trees were also plentiful but were already in decline by 1902.

A row of Elms at Mt. Rural, current site of Newburyport High School. Elms were among the most notable trees on High Street.  

Ample shade from street trees provided adequate air conditioning for homes on hot summer days.

For more information about purchasing a tree in memory or honor of an individual, visit www.fontrees.org or message us on our Friends of Newburyport Trees Facebook page. All donations to FONT are fully tax-deductible. Also, be sure to contact Wayne Amaral, Tree Warden at the DPS to report a damaged or diseased tree. The Tree Commission is doing its best to replace any hazardous trees that must be removed as soon as possible.

And Thirteen More Trees....

Brand new Cherry Tree on Forrester Street

Since the previous post, I'm excited to report that thirteen more trees have been planted on Newburyport streets. And twenty more will be in the ground by June 16. Here's the lineup:

Oak Tree on Kent Street

Cherry Tree on Merrill Street

Three more Cherry Trees behind Trident Maple on Oak Street

Maple Tree on Roosevelt Circle

Weeping Cherry Tree at the Sullivan Building, Fair Street

Tree past its life span on Low Street. Fortunately, house appears to be unharmed!

 One of two Elm Trees donated to the Nock Middle School by Corliss Nursery

Corliss Nursery also donated these two Carolina Silver Bell Trees to Nock Middle School.

White Pines and White Dogwoods at a FoNT backyard nursery. Maybe they'll find their forever homes next month at the Farmers' Market?

This Maple tree was planted twenty years ago and now provides shade and a sturdy branch for tetherball! 

Friends of Newburyport Trees can be found on Facebook and at www.fontrees.org