We are excited for our first in person gathering on December 7th, 3pm at WCA’s La Mesa offices.  This gathering, almost two-years in the making, will be a combined celebration of our award winners and a panel presentation on local effects of drought and methods for irrigating urban trees.

Awards are offered for the following categories:

• Best urban forestry educational project
• Best Innovative urban forestry project
• Best regional council representative
• Best tree health care program

Award Nominations are open and the deadline is November 17th. Click here for more information

Registration for either in-person attendance or remote via zoom is required (we need to plan for food for in person).

IN PERSON Attendance Register Here

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Remote VIRTUAL Attendance Register Here

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Irrigating Trees in Southern California for Drought Considerations

Panel Presentations

How do trees like to be irrigated?  

What products do we have to accomplish this in the most water efficient manner? 

While there are many factors that affect tree health, it’s safe to say irrigation is a major player in climates like Southern California. Trees have unique irrigation requirements which need to be addressed independently from other plants in the landscape. In designing tree irrigation there are a number of factors to consider not just for tree health but for water conservation as well. By learning to identify key landscape factors and their overall role, we can maximize the water savings from high efficiency emission devices, sensors & smart irrigation products while simultaneously supplying trees with the water they need not just to live but to thrive.  

Trees, Drought and Climate Action Plans

Are we looking through the lens of longevity for our tree irrigation, planting and aftercare methods?

Can we afford the economics of tree failures from lack of adequate irrigation and tree care, plus the costly time it takes to re-establish a legitimate urban forest canopy?

Discussion about tree planting and replacement with a focus on soil volume and irrigation requirements, species selection for biodiversity and long-term maintenance practices of newly planted and existing trees.

A Persistent Drought And Its Effects On Urban Forestry

How Can We Cope With Reduced Water Availability and Keep Our Trees Healthy?

Water management is key to ensuring we have a habitable environment that grows sustainably.  Our native and non-native trees are affected by the amount of water we provide and the rainfall (or lack thereof) that we receive.  Trees face a number of challenges to which we need to respond with proper water management and landscape design. 

Panelists

Brittany Borden is a San Diego County Local. She studied Landscape Architecture at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and proceeded to work in one of the industry leading design build companies straight out of school. After gaining a broader aspect of design through landscape construction she pursued a job in Orange County as an irrigation designer in the peak of the drought. Experiencing irrigation design challenges first hand she began to see the need for more conservation products, education and a general public awareness of conservation through smart irrigation practices. In 2015 Brittany began working for Rain Bird Corporation specializing in Municipalities and Landscape Architects. Since she has become CLIA and QWEL certified and continues to be a resource for water managers throughout Southern California. 

Kathleen Copley – Kathy is a practicing licensed Landscape Architect and Certified Arborist.

She has a B.S. Degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, 1979 and a B.S. Degree in Landscape Architecture from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, 1995. Her work includes Public streetscapes, Schools, and Development work for commercial and residential housing projects. Her passion for plants led her to participation in State Draft MWELO (Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance) committees, as well as participation as an invited member of the Water Use Classifications of Landscape Species (WUCOLS IV)  Committee for South Coastal Region. WUCOLS IV is currently required throughout the State for water-use calculations and landscape construction plans.  She has a passion for trees and a desire to unify green professionals against climate change. She imagines we can bridge the gap between Landscape Architects, Arborists, Foresters, Contractors, Environmentalists and Nurserymen to create a force for change. 

Mike Palat currently works as Vice President of West Coast Arborists Inc., overseeing public agency contracts and field operations in Southern California and Arizona. Mike serves as the Chairman of the San Diego Regional Urban Forests Council.

Trees keep your home and neighborhood cooler, saving air conditioning costs and offering cool places to sit and socialize on hot days. Trees reduce water needs of the landscape growing in their shade. Trees offer many other benefits, and yet the cost of watering a mature tree is less than $20 each year. Watch this short video to see what happens if you cut down all of a city’s trees,  .

Trees take a long time to grow. If we don’t water our trees in the drought, we risk losing their benefits. While the drought may not last long, it can seriously damage or kill trees, and these benefits will take 10, 20, or even 50+ years to get back. Taking care of your trees during the drought ensures that we preserve and protect these life-giving benefits for ourselves, our families, our homes, and our communities.

Dead or dying trees can be safety risks, posing safety risks to property and losing all their great health, home, economic, and environmental benefits. Removing a dead tree requires professional help, which can cost $1000 or more. Other plants also die without water, but grass can grow back in just a few weeks and takes decades for a tree to grow to full size. Best ever questions and answers

Drought stress affects the long-term health and vigor of trees, making them susceptible to diseases and pests.  Your tree may look fine this summer but die next summer if not watered now. In the drought of 2015-2016, some property owners stopped watering their lawns, and some businesses and government agencies turned off irrigation systems, so they got credit for “gallons saved” but killed trees in public places.

Even the strictest drought restrictions allow for watering trees on residential and commercial properties, and landscape vegetation in parks, schools, and other public places. Trees are to be watered using a bucket, hand-held hose with a positive shut-off nozzle, or low-volume non-spray irrigation.

You can help take care of neighborhood trees the same way as you take care of your own! Get a group together and teach others proper watering techniques, then assign a rotation and let everyone take part in keeping all the trees healthy.

Best ever flyer.  Tree water tips and resources from San Diego’s tree professionals, at https://sdrufc.com/treewatering.

Protecting Mature Trees

Meeting held on June 2nd 2021 11am-1:30pm

Large mature trees provide amazing benefits of shade, wildlife habitat, and sense of neighborhood–yet our region is losing trees to development, drought, pests, storms, sidewalks, and more.  Little will change if we don’t understand how to protect and advocate for these trees. Join us to discuss how to work together with municipalities, communities, and tree care professionals toward the mutual goals of preserving, evaluating, and protecting San Diego’s mature trees.

 View recording of meeting. The meeting started with a two-minute virtual tour of some of San Diego’s mature trees, set to music.  Delia Juncal presented a short presentation covering the most basic concepts of mature tree care, tree risk assessment and code compliance.  The Panel of local experts offered specific actions that could be taken to “work together to preserve, evaluate and protect San Diego’s mature trees,” from their perspectives (arborist, community member).  Questions and answers.

Our panel included:

Moderator – Anne Fege is an urban forester, co-leader of the Kate Sessions Commitment project for growing healthy trees in communities, adjunct Professor of Biology at San Diego State University, and retired Forest Supervisor of the Cleveland National Forest. 

Delia Juncal is an ISA Certified Arborist, ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualified, and a Certified Urban Forester, with more than 40 years in the environmental, development, and arboricultural industry. She retired as the City Forester for the City of Oceanside, after working for the City for 30 years.  Delia has instructed horticulture classes, helped manage volunteer-driven events for the Western Chapter of International Society of Arboriculture, and does tree consulting work.

David Roger is a California certified urban forester and ISA certified arborist. He consults with cities on urban forestry issues and has served as the City Forester for Riverside and Claremont. Dave has chaired CalFire’s Urban Forest Advisory Committee, served as treasurer of the Inland Empire Urban Forest Council and past president of the California Urban Forests Council, and has taught classes at the University of California Riverside Extension.

Butch Everett is a Registered Consulting Arborist, Certified Tree Risk Assessor, and co-owner of Tree Life Consulting. His firm provides arborist consulting and technical services to real estate professionals, homeowner associations, attorneys, private estates, institutions, facilities and communities throughout southern California. 

Lynn Langley is a trained Master Gardener and Balboa Park Tree Steward, an avid gardener and active in the San Diego Horticultural Society. She volunteers on the Master Gardener “hotline” (858) 822-6910) to answer questions and refer callers to online and other resources. 

Our April 7th San Diego County Pest Update webinar recording is now live.  Thank you to the nearly 100 people who participated in this live event!  A huge thank you and congratulations also goes to our Program Committee – Magen Shaw, Annette Saul, and Lissette Velarde for putting together an excellent educational seminar.  The seminar featured Don Hodel discussing Terastria meticulosalis (targeting coral trees), and Mark Hoddle updating on the South American Palm weevil that is devastating Canary Island Date Palms throughout our region.

A huge thank you to our speakers Mark Hoddle and Don Hodel.  Your presentations and expertise made this a webinar to remember!

The webinar and our general meeting is available on our new YouTube Channel at https://youtu.be/aQJyh5yTISw

Congratulations to our 2020 Urban Forestry Award Winners! 2020 has definitely been a year of many firsts. Someday we will look back on this year with fond memories of what we were able to still accomplish. Many of our urban forestry colleagues were still able to do great things this year, even with the odds stacked against them. SDRUFC is proud to announce our 2020 Urban Forestry Award Winners. Please join us in celebrating with them! See our winners here

As part of our expanding team, the SDRUFC Executive Committee recently elected our first cadre of Officers.  Please welcome our new team!

Chair	Mike Palat
Vice-Chair	Magen Shaw
Administrator	Nallely Lopez
Treasurer	Lissette Velarde
Communications Officer	Vince Mikulanis

We are actively recruiting more people to take part in leadership of this council.  Please volunteer to help out by filling out our volunteer form 

  Opportunities are available for:

• Executive Committee
• Nominating Committee
• Program Committee
• Strategy Committee
• Communications Committee

In addition, a “Healthy Trees, Healthy Neighborhoods” committee is also being formed.  Stay tuned for more info!

SDRUFC is a growing organization!  We recently adopted a new set of operating guidelines aimed and increasing leadership opportunities for the urban forest community in San Diego County.  Come join our team of local professionals community leaders helping to advance urban forestry in our region.  Sign up for a committee here! https://forms.gle/QLosdb6esYiRQBAF7

Previous award winners are below:

Best Innovative Urban Forestry Project

• 2016 – City of La Mesa, Downtown Village Streetscape Improvement Project
• 2017 – Forest Health and Preservation Committee of the Rancho Santa Fe Association
• 2018 – Trejuvenation
• 2019 – Lumbercycle
• 2020 – City of Del Mar ; Camino del Mar Streetscape Enhancement Project

Best Arbor Day Event

• 2016 – Tree San Diego, Parks Plus Event
• 2017 – SDG&E and Sycamore Canyon Elementary School
• 2018 – City of Encinitas
• 2019 – City of San Diego (Balboa Park Event)
• 2020 – Not presented due to COVID cancellations

Best Urban Forestry Educational Project

• 2016 – Global Forest Link
• 2017 – Nan Sterman and “A Growing Passion”
• 2018 – Balboa Park Conservency
• 2019 – Professional Tree Care Association
• 2020 – Girl Scouts of San Diego

Best Tree Health Care Program (Formerly Trees and Water Award)

• 2016 – Bruce Englebert and Cynthia Irmer
• 2017 – JoEllen Jacoby, City of San Diego, and Andrea Mora, San Diego County Water Authority
• 2018 – City of San Diego Parks and Recreation
• 2019 – Bayside Terraces
• 2020 – San Diego State University – South American Palm Weevil mitigation program

Best Regional Council Representative

• 2016 – Anne Fege
• 2017 – Vince Mikulanis
• 2018 – Delia Juncal
• 2019 – Magen Shaw
• 2020 – Lissette Velerd