The Urban Forestry Board meets every third Wednesday of the month at the Parks and Recreation Department on Riverside and Lamar, next door to Zach Scott Theatre. This Wednesday we had a lively meeting. Dr Damon Waitt presented his invasive species report, with contributors/attendees Jessica Wilson (Keep Austin Beautiful), Alice Nance and Margaret Russell (Keep Austin Wild), and Rene' Barerra from PARD. We will vote on the new invasive species resolution at the February meeting. Attending the UFB meetings is a great way to stay in the loop and maintain the energy of the summit, and we hope that we will see you at upcoming meetings.
Some new initiatives emerging from the Board are to more actively disseminate information to neighborhoods and educate the public about Oak Wilt. On Rabb Rd in Zilker, I have witnessed the decline and death of dozens of trees in this area. Homeowners are the first line of defense in preventing and mitigating the spread of this fungus.
We are also gearing up to revive the Tree Tour, a tour of registered trees in Austin. This annual tour was a key part of Margaret Hoffman's (the "tree lady") Think Trees campaign. Margaret claims that the first line of defense in protecting our trees is public involvement. We hope to host a bike tour in the fall to celebrate our "oldest citizens" on this tour and to honor the great Margaret Hoffman as well.
These are a couple of the highlights, and I encourage each of you to share your thoughts and ideas about how we can better preserve and maintain our urban forest!
Shannon
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