Technology and Trees.ppt

Presentation to APS Science Staff, 15 February, 2011

1. Technology and Trees
Presentation for APS Science Staff
Mary Van Dyke, 15 Feb 2011

2. A Schoolyard Tree Project
•Tree ID
•Tree Inventory
•Calculate Tree Benefits
Online
•Map Trees on Google
Maps

3. Why?
•Science SOLs
–4.8 Virginia’s Natural
Resources
–4.5 Ecosystems
–5.1 Classification key
•Technology and project-
based learning
•Educate students about
urban forests
•Multi-disciplinary
–Tree biology
–Urban ecology
–Classification
–Quantitative skills (counting
and measuring)
–Resources and stewardship

4. Technology and Trees -
Logistics
•Costs and Materials
- Minimal Investment
–Tree ID books
–Diameter “DBH” tapes
–Cameras
–Computers
–Resources Online
•Class Time
–4 x 45 min lessons minimum
•When
–Late March to October optimum

5. Tree ID
•Draw favorite trees from
memory, or write a poem
•Go outside, look at trees
•Identify trees
•Make leaf albums

6. Tree Inventory
Good
Eastern Red
Cedar5
Trees in the APS Syphax Building Parking Lot
Team: APS Staff
Date: 2/15/2011
Good
Evergreen,
small4
Good
Eastern White
Pine3
Fair
Callery or
Bradford Pear2
Fair
Eastern
Redbud1
Condition:
Good, Fair,
or Dead
Diameter at
Breast
Height, DBHSpeciesTree #

7. Tree Benefits
oStorm-water Runoff Reduction
oProperty Value
oEnergy Reduction
oAir Quality Improvement
oCO2 Sequestration
oWildlife Habitat Benefits
oSocial Benefits
oTimber Value

8. $$ Tree Benefits
•Fairfax County estimates its
trees provide $54 million of
“ecosystem services” annually.
(2007).
•Arlington County estimates its
trees provide $1.8 million in air
pollution control and over $6.8
million in storm-water control
annually. (2004)
•Healthy, mature trees can add
10% to residential property
values.

9. $$ Tree Benefits - Online
National Tree Benefits Calculator
http://www.treebenefits.com
NB Use Firefox or Explorer (not Chrome)
List of Tree Benefits and Trees on the
National Tree Benefits Calculator
About $ 23$ 1.49$ 3.08$ 5.10$ 6.05$ 7.07
205 lbsSee
online
graph
40 kwh
2 therms
$ 6714 gallons
10Eastern
Redbud
1
Overall
Benefits $
Annually
CO2
Reduction
Air
Quality
Benefits
Energy:
Electricity
and Gas
Savings
Property
Value
Raised
Stormwater
Interception
Savings
DBH
(inches)
SpeciesTree
#

10. Tree Map - Google Maps
Steps:
1.Identify tree, photo, measure
DBH, record data
2.Research tree attributes and
calculate tree benefits
3.Locate site or schoolyard on
Google Maps
4.Find your tree and add to the
Google Map with attributes
and benefits
APS Syphax Building Parking Lot

11. E.g. ATS Schoolyard Garden

12. E.g. Wilson Park Tree Survey
wilsonparktreesurvey.blogspot.com
•Virginia Museum of
Natural History
•Use Google blogspot
to inventory trees
•Then link to Google
Maps

13. Resources
TREE ID, INVENTORY, MAPS
The Sibley Guide to Trees, David Sibley ($40)
Common Native Trees of Virginia, Virginia Department of
Forestry ($2 each)
•FORSite Basics of Tree ID
http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/forsite/Idtree.htm
•The FORSite website has links to:
•4-H Key to Leaves of Virginia Trees
–http://www.fw.vt.edu/dendro/forsite/key/intro.htm
•Dendrology at Virginia Tech
–http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/main.htm
•The VT Dendrology website has links to:
•Dichotomous Leaf and Twig Keys
–http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/idit.htm
•Tree Fact Sheets
–http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/factsheet
s.cfm
•TreeStewards of Arlington and Alexandria
–http://treestewards.org/
•Tree Benefits and List of Trees for National Tree Benefit
Calculator
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BpgxNVAjxqEAFtagvlveHN
gTsrQoBI0afoQLgJ-t7FM/edit?hl=en&authkey=CI6PhZ8L#
•Tree Benefit Calculator www.treebenefits.com use
Firefox browser
•Wilson Park Tree Survey, Virginia Museum of Natural
History, Martinsville VA
wilsonparktreesurvey.blogspot.com
•ATS Schoolyard Garden Map - email
[email protected]
TREE CURRICULUM and LESSONS
•Growing Native Curriculum - Potomac Watershed
http://www.growingnative.org/pcgn_gncurr.htl
•Wood Magic - A wood science curriculum for nine
to eleven year olds
http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/388/388-807/388-807.html
•Two lessons on Tree ID Resources via Elizabeth
Ablott. Could be updated with the info in this ppt.
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&s
rcid=0BwBQ0686r6g-
ZmQ5YTViY2MtM2FlNS00NWNhLTkzZmEtOGMwZTljNDVk
MGQx&hl=en
•Casey Trees - click on ROOTS pdf on link below
http://www.caseytrees.org/education/school-
planting/index.php
•Make Your Own Diameter Tapes
http://www.sfrc.ufl.edu/plt/activities/How_to_make
_your_own_diameter_tape.pdf
•Project Learning Tree- enrichment lessons
http://www.plt.org/
#21 Adopt a Tree
# 67 How Big is Your Tree?
# 68 Name That Tree
SCHOOL-BASED TREE NURSERIES
•Jim Egenrieder, School-Based Grow Out Stations
http://www.growingnative.org/pdfs/School-
BasedGOS-1.pdf
•Mary Van Dyke, How to Set up a Tree Nursery
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BfXrXDRqgacmterP2L3
-
P5XRpgiZe_05Zekf7ewDlC4/edit?hl=en&authkey=CIGD4YsC
#

14. Thanks!
Lisa Deaton, Ellen Powell, Barbara White, Jim McGlone
Virginia Department of Forestry
Eric Wiseman
Asst. Prof. Urban Forestry
Dept of Forest Resources & Environmental
Conservation, Virginia Tech
Denny Casey
Director of Education and Public Programs
Virginia Museum of Natural History
Carol Herwig, Sue Erhardt, Tom Buckley
Casey Trees, Washington DC
Caroline Temmermand, Jamie Bartalon, Patrick Wegeng
Landscape and Forestry, Arlington County
Nora Palmatier, Larry Finch, Steve Campbell
Tree Stewards of Arlington Alexandria
Elizabeth Ablott, Alison Sheahan
Arlington Public Schools
Jim Egenrieder
Arlington Public Schools, Virginia Tech
Further info contact: Mary Van Dyke,
[email protected], 571 425 5278