The annual awards and holiday celebration was held on Monday, December 9, at the Emiliano’s Mexican Restaurant on Mission Gorge Road. The Council recognized local professionals and community members for their local contributions to urban forestry. Please join us in thanking the following for their outstanding work!
Best Innovative Urban Forestry Project – Lumbercycle. Based in National City, this nonprofit organization has been doing awesome work to move forward the urban wood salvage industry and get the material back into the community for people to enjoy! They transport and then mill the urban trees into dimensional lumber, tables and chairs, other furniture, and carvings. More info
Best Arbor Day Event – City of San Diego. The City organized and hosted an impressive event on April 26 in Balboa Park. More than 30 trees were planted by volunteers and Urban Corps. Local businesses and nonprofits offered wood milling demonstrations, Trees for Health Garden Tour, activities for children, and appearances by Smokey Bear and Ms. Smarty Plants. There was a brief program with City officials and another with music—and a good time was had by all! More info
Best Urban Forestry Educational Project – Professional Tree Care Association. The PTCA has organized an annual seminar and field day for many years, attended by more than 100 crew workers and managers. PTCA was organized in 1985 to improve the region’s quality of life and make urban forests safer through education and proper tree care. PTCA has 80 active members, and is to be commended for educating local tree care professionals in the latest arboriculture research and information at monthly meetings and the annual seminar. More info
Best Regional Council Representative – Magen Shaw. In her role as Arborist for Balboa Park, Magen has initiated and implemented projects that have fostered collaboration, planted more trees, helped create the Trees to Treasures Program at Friends of Balboa Park, and trained grounds workers in tree planting and care. Magen participates in the Executive Committee, schedules meeting rooms at City locations for Council meetings, takes time for conferences and professional development, and volunteers as the Council’s representative to the state-wide California Regional Urban Forests Council.
Best Tree Health Program – Bay Terraces. Community-led beautification efforts started in 2010 with organized clean-ups and revitalization of South Woodman Street, a main thoroughfare. Twelve trees were planted from San Diego Gas & Electric’s Cool Shade Tree program, and 27 from the City of San Diego’s “free tree” initiative in 2018. Volunteers water and maintain the trees, which have transformed a pedestrian walkway from an eyesore to a botanical strip drought tolerant plants and trees.