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The Voice of Our City Forest
October 2009 Newsletter
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Green Additions Across San Jose
Our City Forest has been hard at work planting trees across the city!
Margaret & 7th Street
 In an incredible show of support, more than 100 volunteers came out over two days, helping plant 48 trees on this steep embankment near downtown San Jose. Thanks go to Councilmember Sam Liccardo, Tree Amigo Paul Robinson and volunteers from Kennedy Middle School, SJSU's Day of Service, Grant Thornton, LLP and SJSU's Res Life for their hard work and commitment to service!
Councilmember Sam Liccardo (right)helps OCF
volunteers plant on a steep hill.
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Doerr Park Planting
Thanks to the support of community members and coordinator Lorna Macintosh, 18 trees were planted at Doerr Park this month. Each tree has been adopted by a family or individual in the surrounding neighborhood. These stewards will care for and water the trees over the next three years. More than 50 volunteers assisted at the planting, including the West San Jose Kiwanis Club, Trianz Corporate Group and Branham High School's SPARE Club. Park Manager Art Rosales and Park Maintenance Supervisor Don Zonic also came out to support the effort.
West San Jose Kiwanis Club members (right)
and a Branham High volunteer (left) work together. |
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 On June 6, Chaboya Middle School students and their parents planted an impressive 61 trees along the school's track. All 57 volunteers worked hard installing wooden stakes to protect each tree - 122 stakes total! With support from Our City Forest Tree Amigos Linda Littrell, Doris Livezey, Mark Rodriguez, Kong Taing and Louie Urbina, the project was a great success. The school will now be shaded by native Coast Live Oaks in addition to Linden and Elm trees. A special thank you to the district for its extra support; all of the planting holes were prepared ahead of time and ready when volunteers arrived!
Volunteers at Chaboya dig in!
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By The NumbersOur City Forest has been hard at work in San Jose!
Between June 2008 and July 2009...
2,236 trees planted in San Jose
95,121 hours donated by 5,446 volunteers
5,033 students inspired to protect our urban forest
28 Tree Amigos certified and 58 AmeriCorps members sworn in
322 hugs by O2!
4,317 young trees cared for and 2,800 repotted
7,188 community members motivated at an OCF info table
500 Reddy Stakes unbent and reused
1,200 native seeds collected and planted2,868 planting and tree care events
COUNTLESS lives improved by our amazing city forest!
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Our Growing AmeriCorps Team
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Our City Forest's AmeriCorps program continues to grow. We have welcomed 58 new members since June! Following the graduation of our 2008-2009 class, 22 new, full-time members arrived Sept. 1 ready to
serve through July 2010. And for the first time in OCF history, 36
part-time AmeriCorps members have also joined our dedicated service team.
Our new full-time "green" team!
Each part-time AmeriCorps member will serve San Jose for 675 hours. Of the 36, 20 work directly with Our City Forest planting trees, providing tree care, conducting educational outreach and more. The remaining 16 are working with the City of
San Jose's Department of Transportation Arborist Office on a citywide tree inventory project. (see article below)
Our City Forest was able to add these part-time service members thanks to a
one-year federal stimulus grant intended to boost our slowed economy.
Funds were awarded to a limited number of established AmeriCorps
programs, and the success of OCF's existing program no doubt influenced
this decision.
The AmeriCorps program has
helped Our City Forest take a giant step toward achieving its "green vision" for San Jose. Thank
you AmeriCorps members for your service to this community!
For information on joining Our City Forest's AmeriCorps team, contact Monica Nanez at (408) 99-TREES x107.
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San Jose Tree Inventory
 How many trees are
there in San Jose? Nobody knows for sure. We have estimates, but without accurate data on the size and composition of our urban forest, there is no way to manage and protect this vital natural resource.
An inventory of the City's trees would enable development of a master management plan, help identify empty planting sites and quantify the value of our urban forest.
Tristan McHenry (right) and Carolyn Tucker survey a street tree in south San Jose.
The expansion of OCF's AmeriCorps program provided an ideal opportunity to begin collecting this crucial data. Partnering with the Department of Transportation's Arborist Office, Our City Forest was able to provide 16 part-time members to assist in a large-scale inventory of San Jose's trees.
With training and
support provided by Arborist Office staff, this Inventory Team has made
significant progress. In less than four
months, these hard-working AmeriCorps members have successfully
collected data on nearly one-third of trees planted in public park strips! Working in pairs across San Jose, members collect
data on tree locations, species, height, overall health, etc. The information is
recorded on hand-held GIS devices and later added to an inventory
database.
According to Our City Forest staff arborist Christian Bonner, "the partnership between OCF and DOT has been very good. We look forward to working together in the future."
The Team's presence has also provided an important resource to residents, who often have questions related to their tree.
"There are many people in the community who do not understand all the benefits of having trees in their neighborhood," said Team member Jill Smith. "This is a real community outreach opportunity in the making."
To achieve San Jose's "green vision," we must have a healthy urban forest. This project's success brings us even closer to ensuring the future of our City's trees, and therefore the health of San Jose. Our City Forest is proud to be a partner in this effort and will continue to work diligently toward our shared goal.
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Tree Amigo Anna Jacobs
 Anna Jacobs has been a loyal Our City Forest volunteer for nearly 10 years, donating more than 470 hours of support to our programs.
After moving to San Jose in 2000, she sought ways to get involved in the community. VolunteerMatch.com ultimately led her to
Our City Forest, where she was inspired by CEO and founder Rhonda Berry.
"Her passion - it's contagious," said Jacobs. "Early on, it's what
kept me coming back."
Anna was also "impressed by the impact tree care had
on the community and environment." In contrast to her home town of San Diego where little grows, she was excited to assist with OCF's green mission.
Her ongoing dedication has been especially helpful to our Trees For All program. Anna often plants trees for senior citizens on Sunday. Without her, we could not provide this valuable service to the community.
Despite a busy schedule, Anna has continued to support Our City Forest in any way possible. For April's GREEN FAIR event, Anna sprang into action. Rallying family and friends, she collected an impressive array of donations for the silent auction. She even donated one of her personal treasures, a signed Sharks jersey.
With the support of volunteers like Anna Jacobs, Our City Forest has continued to serve San Jose. From all of us at OCF, thank you!
For more information on volunteering and the Tree Amigo program, contact our volunteer coordinators at x123!
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Welcome New Tree Amigos
Twelve new Tree Amigos join OCF's dedicated core of trained volunteers!
After completing 18 hours of training by Our City Forest staff, the new Amigos are ready to help - planting trees, coordinating volunteers, providing tree care, conducting outreach and more.
Congratulations to our Fall '09 class!
Want to become a Tree Amigo? Call (408) 99-TREES x123 or e-mail us for
more information or to enroll.
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Our Trees - Then & Now
Del Mar High School
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 In 1998, Our City Forest planted 160 trees at Del Mar High School in San Jose.
They have grown considerably since then! Check out the incredible impact these OCF trees have had on the campus...
Barren Before...
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11 Years Later
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See next month's newsletter for another look at Our Trees - Then & Now!
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Wish List
Your donation can help us grow a greener San Jose!
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- Cars and Trucks
- Computers and equipment
- GPS units
- Electric drills
- Tools
- Art supplies (paint, markers, stickers etc.)
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- Hoses
- Brooms and rakes
- Pitch forks
- 5-gallon buckets
- Office furniture (filing cabinets, shelves, etc.)
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All donations are tax deductible and appreciated!
Please contact (408) 998-7337 and dial "0" or
e-mail our staff for more information.
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Volunteer Meetings
Join us for refreshments and snacks, exciting guest speakers and
important Our City Forest updates!
Meetings are 6-8 PM every second Wednesday of the month at the Our City Forest office.
- November 11
- January 13
- February 10
- March 10
- April 14
- May 12
Upcoming presentation topics include pruning, composting, eliminating toxic product use and birds of San Jose!
Tree Amigo Paul Robinson and AmeriCorps member Jeannie Pham at the October meeting.
Contact Monica Nanez for more information or to suggest a guest speaker. |
To all of our hard-working Tree Amigos and community
volunteers - we couldn't do it without you!
Special thanks to all City of San Jose councilmembers for their ongoing
support and attendance at Our City Forest events. |
Staff Updates
Familiar faces join Our City Forest's staff this year!
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Misty Mersich
Our newest AmeriCorps Program Manager will oversee both the full-time and part-time teams and manage OCF's finances. Misty is also completing her thesis project for a master's in Regional & Urban Planning from SJSU. After working at OCF part-time for the last two years, she became full-time staff this summer. Misty grew up in Sonoma, CA and chose Humboldt State's tree-filled campus for her undergraduate studies.
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Jing Cai
After serving OCF for two years as an AmeriCorps member, Jing is now working part-time as a Program Associate. She assists with the AmeriCorps program, OCF's accounting and the Green & Healthy program, in addition to overseeing office operations. Originally from Beijing, China, Jing holds a master's degree in Environmental Studies from Cal State - Fullerton. She honed her love of trees while working in an arboretum during college.
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Upcoming EventsCheck online for frequent tree planting updates!
23 Emma Prusch Park Planting
24 Tree Bank Work Day
24 Trees For All Planting Demonstration - Zip Code 95132
24 Wildlife Education Day - Booth
24 Trees For All Planting Demonstration - Zip Code 95117
27 Green & Healthy Group Meeting - Zip Code 95135
29 Evergreen Adult Development Center Planting
30 Youth Presentation at Berryessa Elementary
31 Trees For All Planting Demonstration - Zip Code 95118
November
3 Green & Healthy Group Meeting - 95135
6 Youth Presentation at Frost Elementary
6 Earth Fair at Overfelt High School - Booth
7 San Jose High Academy Planting
7 Trees For All Planting Demonstration - Zip Code 95132
7 Earth Fair at Overfelt High School - Booth
7 Webelo Forester Pin Program - Office Presentation
10 Green & Healthy Group Meeting - 95135
11 Volunteer Meeting - Young Tree Pruning
14 Trees For All Planting Demonstration - Zip Code TBD
14 Webelo Forester Pin Program - Office Presentation
17 Green & Healthy Group Meeting - 95135
18 Youth Presentation at Booksin Elementary
18 SJSU Recycles - Booth
19 Kelley Park Planting
19 Youth Presentation at Willow Glen Elementary
21 Trees For All Planting Demonstration - Zip Code TBD
21 Webelo Forester Pin Program - Tree Bank Work Day
22 Independence High School Pow Wow Event - Booth
24 Green & Healthy Group Meeting - 95135
28 Trees For All Planting Demonstration - Zip Code TBD
For your convenience, tree-planting and tree-care events are listed in green, educational presentations and outreach events in blue and OCF meetings,
workshops and classes in red!
Call (408) 998-7337 x123 or e-mail OCF to volunteer. |
Thanks For Your Support!
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Majestic Oaks - $500+
EBay
PG&E
Whole Foods
Redwood Circle - $100-$499
Lisa Marquis & Donald Beirdneau
Kolumban Boesh
Marc & Bethany Braga
Kevin Chang
City of San Jose
Jennifer Correa
Evergreen Adult Development, Inc.
Natasha Dhingra
Tze-Yuan Fang
Field Sports County Park
Caroline Forman
Alice Gosak Gary
Michele Harms
Grace Hicks
Timothy & Sherine Johnson
Kiwanis Club of West San Jose
Micheal & Sandra Land
Ralph Lemon
Sivakumar Makineni
Montego Homeowners Association
Antony Nispel
Michael E. O'Connor
Julia Ostrowski
Diana Padilla
Gina Parisi
B. L. Remick
Lori Ross
Karen Schuster
South Bay Transportation Associates
Jim & Cynthia Summers
Richard Wells
Tree Ambassadors - Up to $99
Tim Ackeret
Adobe Systems Matching Gift Program
Daniel Aguirre
Abel Alcantar
Diane Anaya
Robin Bates-Pualuan
Raymond & Elizabeth Bedard
Carol & Chris Bish
S.H. Bowen
Jose & Laura Bucio
Rosalia Carpio
Robert & Patricia Cicchi
Martha & George Colla
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Mary & Douglas Davis
Charles & Margaret Demorest
Jean Devera
Gayle DeWitt
Amanda Eccles
Trudy Ellerbeck
Mary & Michael Francis
Friendship Force of the SF Bay Area
Greg Gardner
Karen & Thomas Gianatasio
Billy & Lupe Gibson
Girl Scout Troop 61451
Paula & Keith Gregoire
Matthew & Jennifer Handforth
Patrick Hascall
Lary & Marda Helling
Maria Hennessy
Laura Hsieh
Christine Hu
Rosalyn Huyhn
Aaron Iguch
Richard Ish
Nick Jafari
Nathan & Paige Johnson
Alylin Justice
Wadie Kallo
Richard & Junko Kawamura
Julie Klingman
Lynne Landers
Jim Langford
Sara Lara
Shih-Hung Lin
Pirouz Maghsoudnia
Maher Mankaryous
Joseph and Dorian Martinka
Patricia Nakashima
Michael & Joy Norgard
Sylvia Oranky
Lisa Overholt
Naga Pappireddi
William & Sharon Pope
Penny Louise Proctor
Joe & Gloria Sepulveda
Joseph Shackelford
P.C. & R.A. Starke
Michael & Wolfgang Strauss
Michael Thompson
Stan Williams
J.A. Wilson
Robert & Frances Wong
Michael & Karen Yerry
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To become an Our City Forest member, contact our helpful staff at x103.
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Special Thanks - GREEN FAIR
To all those who supported our first GREEN FAIR, we cannot
thank you enough! Your generosity made this event an amazing success and helped to generate much needed funding for our community programs!
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Aqui Cal-Mex
Alice & Norm Gary
Alex Byer
Alta Fine Clothing
Andrea Gilbaugh
Anna Jacobs
Audubon Society
Baby Buzz
Bally Total Fitness - Pavilion
Bertha & Carl Ward
Bertucelli's La Villa
Black Leopard Clayware
Bill's Cafe
Bruce Hodge
California Academy of Sciences
Carol Arnoldy
Cucina Bambini
Details Clothing
Diane Deaton
Domus of Willow Glen
Doris Livezey
Fleurish
Footwear Etc.
Franci & Noel Card
Garden Architecture
Goosetown Lounge
Healthy Way Day Spa
Helen Gendler
Home Depot
House of Nutrition
Jamba Juice
Jen's Cakes
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Joel Harper
Kay Duffy Watercolors
La Concha Spa
Laura Jacobs
Linda Jacobs
Lori Jones
Maria Shriver
Mark Beaudoin
Mayor Chuck Reed
Michael Gross
Monseiur Beans
My Espresso Coffee
Nail Galeria
Noah's Bagels - Willow Glen
Rita Norton
Round Table Pizza - Lincoln Avenue
Safeway
San Jose Giants
Seņor Taco
Siena Restaurant
Sign-a-Rama
Sugar Butter Flour
Ted Firestone
Teresa Ruzzo
The Grapevine Wine Bar
Tina Stamness
The Paulus Foundation
Treehouse in the Glen
Tyson Interiors
Waddell & Reed
Whole Foods Market - Stevens Creek
Willow Glen Bicycles
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Check out photos from our GREEN FAIR online and stay tuned for info
about our 2010 event! For more information on supporting Our City Forest,
please contact Rhonda Berry at x106.
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