Summer is in sight: bigleaf maples boast their lush new leaves, lupines bloom, rhododendrons and seedcases cover the ground. But one of our favorite trees–the one on our logo–reminds us that while the work of spring appears done, some trees have yet to fully bloom–and for good reason. The čaʔadᶻac or Garry oak is a late bloomer relative to other local trees. You might have noticed how the scraggly young branches of this native oak only slowly unfurl new growth. This is because its energy is focused on developing a deep taproot. The first dominant root from which lateral roots grow helps the Garry oak form the strong structure that keeps it well hydrated and nourished, steady during fires and wind storms, climate resilient, and around for hundreds of years. In other words, Garry oaks grow slowly to live strong. In their shade, ecological and cultural relationships that include the camas lily and woodland shooting star continue despite being endangered. For all these reasons, the Garry oak is our favorite late bloomer, an important reminder that rootedness requires slowing down and investing our energy in what help us thrive. You can draw some slow inspiration from Garry oaks this summer by walking with us at Wapato Hills or visiting Clover Park. Learn more about this iconic tree on our YouTube channel and talk about prairies with little ones.  

Missing Our Newsletter?

If you hadn’t seen our newsletter hit your inbox for a while, that’s because your email software might have flagged it as spam. Please check your spam and trash for the past three newsletters. We especially recommend reading our safety statement from the February newsletter, if you haven’t already. Thank you!

If you planted a tree last year, it’s time to remove stakes and tags, to surround it with a mulch donut (don’t touch its base) and quench its thirst! Don’t be fooled by May showers, trees need water from April to October throughout their first five years to grow healthy. Learn how to mulch and how to water on our tree care website. Please share these resources with your neighbors!

Map & Roll

Bikes and trees go together! May is Bike Month, so we organized a special “map and roll” ride to check out monkey puzzle and sequoia trees around Hilltop and the North End. The six-mile loop ride was led by Board President Luke Vannice, volunteer Scout Dahms-May, and Executive Director Lowell Wyse. As the twelve participants biked to a series of monkey puzzle and sequoia trees, tree health became a focus. The monkey puzzle trees, in particular, appeared to be in various stages of health or decline. In fact, one of the trees along the route was actually cut down recently due to health concerns, which led to a good conversation with the residents. The ride was a reminder that there are many ways to engage with trees as we move around the city!  

Chief Leschi Culture Day

We were invited back to Chief Leschi Schools to celebrate Culture Day on May 8th! We had a beautiful day with the 3rd–5th grade students, exploring bugs with magnifying glasses, spreading mulch around the budding huckleberries, retelling the Sacred Circle story, and connecting around the history of the Treaty Tree and the cultural importance of planting camas. It was a meaningful opportunity to learn, share, and spend time together outdoors. We’re grateful to celebrate annually with the Chief Leschi School community.

Potting Party

On Friday, May 22nd, we gathered for our annual potting party with Pierce Conservation District. A total of 31 volunteers worked on placing bare root trees and tree plugs into larger pots for the summer, a season when they’ll be supported with the mulch and water they need to thrive. Our group of volunteers checked in over coffee and snacks before forming teams to pot up about 1,450 baby trees! We want to thank all the volunteers who showed up on this warm day to care for these trees and Tacoma’s urban forest. We’re so grateful for our partners at Pierce Conservation District and City of Tacoma’s Urban Forestry and Open Space Programs for making this event possible. 

Applications are open for the 5th annual Climate Leadership Cohort. Created to foster relationships, support individual development, encourage advocacy, and connect communities, this multi-day program allows frontline community members to learn about local climate impacts, emissions sources, civic engagement strategies and solutions through a social justice lens. This year’s training will take place over the September 11-13 weekend. Applications close on June 19.