Description

Paul Ryan explains how trees that are properly selected for your garden and residence can save you money and increase property value.

Transcript

Paul Ryan: Well Californians probably they claimed to the world’s oldest, tallest and you might say most impressive trees, we’re not alone in our appreciation. Many others have heard of Arbor Day but we know very little about it. It’s not a California invention that sprung from America’s heartland. The brain trial of a Nebraska pioneer named J. Sterling Morton who misses the abundance of trees in his native Michigan. He started Arbor Day as a way to encourage homesteaders to plant trees on the first Arbor Day in 1872 more than 1 million trees were planted in Nebraska alone. Today, Arbor Day is a national celebration taking place on the last Friday in April. So far on branching out we have seen what's being done to help safeguard our state and national forest and now in cities and towns throughout California, there is a move to preserve urban forest and that’s where we find reporter Pat McConahay. Pat McConahay: Well you might be wondering what an urban forest is, well the answer is fairly obvious and urban forest is a standup tree in an urban area. It could be a park and neighborhood or a busy downtown business district. Trees beautify our landscape. They also play an important role in the health of our community. Trees act like giant vacuum cleaners. Their leaves catch dust particles and even help remove carbon dioxide from the air. Greg McPherson has a deep appreciation for trees. He’s an urban forester with the US Forest Service whose job, to maintain and protect trees and urban environments. Greg McPherson: The urban forest is largely a forest that we’ve created because we love and we need trees while we live. Pat McConahay: To help spread the word about trees, the National Arbor Day Foundation has a program honoring America’s tree cities that is cities that have made a strong commitment to preserving their urban forests. In California they include places as diverse as Beverly Hills, Mt. Shasta, Santa Monica and Sacramento. Greg McPherson: We tend to think you know how can you take those couple of street trees along my street and say that’s a forest but the fact example in Sacramento we found that there are an average of 14 trees on every property. Pat McConahay: Choices are, some of those trees are oaks. A specie is now protected forest at Bloom Valley and Live Oak still cover more than 7 million acres in our State many of those in or near metropolitan areas. Glorian Martinelli: These oak trees are definitely a part of our history. Pat McConahay: It’s important not to take trees for granted all too often it’s only when a tree is gone that we really appreciate all it did for us. From oaks, to trees from throughout the world, you can see a variety of them here at State Capital Park in Sacramento. You know we can all do our part to keep California green with trees but Paul says knowing what trees to plant can also save you some money. Paul Ryan: That’s absolutely right because plating shade trees can actually save up to 40% off your summer cooling bill. Shade trees not only naturally cool the environment but provide privacy and can even boost property values. Now let’s say you're a homeowner who needs a couple of shade trees for your yard. We found organizations that can help. For instance the California Relief Network works with local agencies to encourage tree planting in parks and neighborhoods among the best known programs in Northern California is the Sacramento Tree Foundation affiliated with the Sacramento Municipal Utility District or SMUD. The Sacramento Tree Foundation places a community forester with SMUD customers to determine the best shade trees for their yards. For many people the trees are free. Tinamarie Graybill: What we do is we come out and draw a diagram of the home and I take a compass reading and see where the sun hits the home throughout the day and then we make recommendations based on how the homeowner can achieve shade for energy savings. Paul Ryan: Tree foundation foresters help determine the types of trees to plant, schedule a delivery, and give tips on planting and care so you’ll avoid the pitfalls. Tinamarie Graybill: Typically, some of the mistakes that folks make when they plant their trees is they won’t make the planting hole wide enough. You want to have it four feet by four feet. They might let the grass creep in over time and you actually want to keep that grass two feet away on all sides. You’ll need them to stay for too long. Paul Ryan: While some trees are fast growing it can take years for a tree to grow large enough to provide adequate shade. Still, the weight is with it. Now, the two trees behind me here we planted in January after we were forced to cut down a large shade tree that we had here. That tree was growing up into those power lines and its roots were doing damage to the walkway. The Sacramento tree foundation came out and recommended two types of trees an Eastern Redbud and a crape myrtle. We planted them and they are doing beautifully. Our week long walk in the woods a fitting backdrop for us to grow reservation is John Muro. California trees he observes provided delicious resting place for the weary with thousands of travelers from every country have come to pay them tribute of admiration and prayers. Words written more than 100 years ago that still ring through today. From the pine forest to the high granted peaks here in Yosemite National Park, I'm Paul Ryan for branching out, your guide to California trees. Thanks for coming along with us.