Chadwick Stogner writes in…
We finished up the tree planting initiative this weekend, which was very successful for a first year effort with only several weeks of planning.
Due to some conflicts that arose with participants and the Decatur Garden Tour, we scaled back the events over this past weekend and focused on getting root balls in the ground. We are starting to prepare for next years event by tweaking the event schedule and starting earlier. We found most people who bought trees had been planning to plant already, and took advantage of the great selection and pricing that was offered.
We were able, however, to squeeze in several fun tree related events to close out this years festival:
- Lori Nichols, who drew the tree for our logo, read her new book Maple (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqHXHjPPcK0) at Little Shop of Stories and Claremont Elementary School to kick off the week.
- Remember the Black Walnut Tree From Decatur Presbyterian ( http://www.decaturmetro.com/2012/06/08/god-furniture-and-guts-the-treecycling-story-of-the-old-black-walnut-at-decatur-presbyterian-church/) ? Well the wood cured out nicely, and my good friend Charles Gamble made a simple cross from some of the wood for Dr. Todd Speed and his congregation that was presented during their Sunday Morning service.
- Another round of tree recycling was attempted on the infamous White Oak from Melrose Place. Using a 6 foot chainsaw and a portable band saw the wood was quartered and put onto the mill. This old oak was intended to be recycled into rafter boards to restore an historic Decatur house. The wood proved to be almost completely unsuitable for structural or woodworking uses – highlighting the downside of processing urban wood – due to a dry rot and staining from lots and lots of metal imbedded in the trunk over the years.
All and all, we really think a strong foundation has been laid for a quality event that will grow each year, and benefit the Decatur community and our Tree Canopy.
We would like to especially thank our Curators: Deanna Pope-Ozio, Ryan Gainey, Cooper Sanchez, and Cheryl Melton as well as our sponsors: Intown Wholesale Nursery, Heirloom Tree and Garden , Keller Knapp Realty, Elegant Earth, and Fred Boykin – City Commissioner ( District 1 ) – for making this 1st years festival such a success!
See you Next Year.
How about celebrating Arbor Day through tree preservation as well as plantings? Trees Decatur would love to help! I know you turned us down this year but can we partner to promote both tree planting and preservation next year? We actually live in Decatur too!
Where have all the trees gone? why would you take a cheap shot like that? I request that you revise your comment to reflect the complete nature of our conversations. I will be happy to release our email thread to the community – if Nick doesn’t publish it, perhaps Dan would. This exchange will show that you were invited to participate in the tree planting initiative, and neither you nor anyone in your group helped to solicit sales, purchase or donate to this effort. Our sponsors and volunteers spent thousands of their dollars and hundreds of hours getting this off the ground and wanted to focus on creating a lasting foundation for an event everyone could rally around. Your offer to set up a petition/information booth was not appropriate for this effort at this time. FYI, our curators and volunteers did talk about preservation at most of the site visits, as many lots had existing trees that needed ivy removed, or maintenance pruning.
Congrats Chadwick on all that you guys accomplished! You really set a great example of how a community can take on its challenges in a positive and collaborative way, without depending on lobbyists or ordinances. It’s the people, not the laws, or the trees, or the sharrows, that make this the best place to live in Georgia. Kudos!
“Your offer to set up a petition/information booth was not appropriate for this effort at this time.” That says it all. Most people in the know realize you are focused on tree sales and service through a nice marketing idea, but how about we join efforts to have a real “Arbor Day” like so many other cities with activities that celebrate the trees? There are plenty of examples. Also true community arborfests do not prohibit information booths on healthy tree practices and preservation.
I agree with TeeRuss completely.
@Where have all…: In your response to Chad, you conveniently left out the petition aspect of your “information booth.” Given that this event focused on citizens VOLUNTARILY doing something on private and public property, rather than being forced to without any say via what your petition advocates, I definitely support Chad in excluding you. The focus was trees, not an agenda.
Despite their hard efforts and the community’s positive response, not only did you dismiss it as not a real Arbor Day via a comment like ” Most people in the know realize you are focused on tree sales and service through a nice marketing idea,” but you also don’t have anything positive to say about the fact that many citizens actively expressed interest in planting and maintaining trees in their yard, all without being forced. This confirms to me that this is less about trees and more about control and all the more reason not to give the petitioners an inch; before you know it, the mile they try to take will not be enough, either.
The results of the second open forum have reconfirmed what has been said all along, with 80% of the respondents again opposing the proposal. Please respect their wishes and stop.
Well said.
And Where have all the trees gone?, if there was sufficient interest in your information/PETITION booth, you wouldn’t need to ride Chad’s coattails. Please recognize that an overwhelming majority of CoD residents disagree with your agenda. Chad was right to exclude your efforts to coopt his program and turn it into something it was never designed to be. Hopefully we will continue to do the same.
Lyrics occasionally guy:
There is unrest in the forest
There is trouble with the trees
For the maples want more sunlight
And the oaks ignore their pleas
If you’re looking for a quote from me, I’ll be under the mango tree.
– I Don’t Know and I Don’t Care
Is it five o’clock somewhere yet?
I made a donation which I thought would earn me a consultation with a landscape architect but I have not heard anything. Should I continue to be patient or did I miss something?
Smith – you would have needed to specifically request a consult on an order form – perhaps you did. Anyway – contact me off forum and we’ll get you squared away. chad(at)elegantearth(dot)com
Thank you Chadwick for spearheading this, and thank you to all of landscape architects and nursury owners who helped bring some quality trees to thrive in Decatur! I look forward to this event next year.