Arbor Day Celebration
Geese, swans, and sandhill cranes have returned to the Driftless area. Bald eagles are busy building new nests in our valley. Goldfinches are losing their winter plumage and acquiring the brilliant yellow that helps us quickly identify them. Don’t confuse them with the blooming daffodils! Turtles find logs on which to sun themselves mid-day, spring peepers sing on warmer evenings, and owls hoot more at night. The signs of spring’s arrival include the swelling of flower and leaf buds on the trees in Gays Mills. It is a great time to celebrate our trees and all the benefits they offer our community.
And if you want to suggest future projects to the Village Tree Board, please submit them to the Village Forester through the Village Office. Let’s see if our trees can help us through the final challenges of this Corona virus pandemic!
Village Tree Up-date
Funding-For more than four years Gays Mills has been fortunate to be the recipient of grants that have financially allowed the Village to complete significant work related to its urban forestry canopy. The initial goal of the work was to handle the tree crisis brought on by the arrival of emerald ash borer in the Village. The larvae of that non-native beetle killed our ash trees which, formerly, comprised a significant portion of the urban forest, especially in the older portion of town. Removing the dead or dying trees before they posed a public hazard was not a sufficient solution to the problem. So, the Village planted replacement trees, began a more systematic pruning regime to allow other mature trees to remain in the canopy longer and to ensure that younger trees developed a structure that would resist storm damage, and trained the Public Works crew and tree volunteers so they could better care for trees.
The Village was awarded a 50% reimbursement grant of up to $6,429 from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Division of Urban Forestry for 2021. Planting twelve public trees, providing financial and technical assistance to private landowners for approved tree work, and hosting a free-to-county-landowners basic tree care workshop in September are part of the grant.
The Kickapoo Cultural Exchange is providing the Village with funds to help meet the matching share of the WI DNR grant..
Action-Twelve hackberry trees have been planted on public lands this spring. So far, ten private trees have been planted or are scheduled to be planted in early May. Three dead or dying private trees were removed with cost-sharing assistance from the village. Two areas of vacated lots have been planted with seedling trees as an effort to reforest the area at reduced cost. The areas include the northeast lots at the intersection of Rebecca and Park Streets and the lot at the northeast corner of Grove and N. Rebecca Streets. In the April 28th edition of “The Crawford County Independent” you can see Charlie Preusser’s photo of that planting activity. Thanks to Andrew, Amanda, and Daniel Smiley for donating planting equipment, chemical and labor. And thanks to Jim Maybee, Jr. and Ron Wagner for planting assistance. Volunteers Beth and Niels Jensen have pruned trees in town and continue their tradition of watering young trees when the rain doesn’t fall as needed.
Tree Board member Craig Anderson and volunteer Dylan Finnell celebrate the successful planting of a tree on a vacated lot near the Kickapoo River.
Tree Benefits
Trees provide significant social, environmental, and economic benefits.
Trees soothe us. They help calm us as individuals and reduce stress at work and on the road. They reduce the need for antidepressants in many individuals. The practice of “forest bathing” offers benefits similar to meditation.
Trees heal us. Urban trees decrease the rates of childhood asthma. Loss of trees to emerald ash borer has been associated with additional deaths from cardiovascular disease and lower respiratory disease. Residents of areas with the most greenery are three times as likely to be physically active and 40% less likely to be overweight or obese than residents in the least green settings. For children diagnosed with ADHD, the effect of walking through an urban park for twenty minutes is roughly equivalent to the peak effects of two typical ADHD medications.
Trees reduce crime. Studies find lower rates of crime around apartment complexes located close to green spaces than around similar housing units lacking the vegetation.
Urban trees provide habitat for wildlife. Many of us find joy in watching honey bees, squirrels, bluebirds, bald eagles, wood ducks, and other critters attracted to the habitat created by urban trees.
People shop more in places surrounded by living plants, including trees.
Trees, especially well-maintained mature trees, add to the value of residential properties. Selected for and planted in appropriate locations, they can reduce heating and cooling costs for homes and businesses.
Trees reduce stormwater runoff. Particularly for a community that has suffered from numerous floods, this potential of this benefit is tremendous.
Trees improve air quality. Leaves absorb carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and ozone. They release oxygen through the photosynthetic process. Leaves help filter dust and particulates from the air. Trees store carbon as they grow thus slowing the buildup of greenhouse gases.
Challenges and Blessings
Challenges
Blessings
Additional Information & Reading
Have we got you interested in trees? I hope so. Do you want to learn more? The Gays Mills Public Library has numerous reference books related to trees. The Village and Forester also own several reference books that can be loaned out when they are not being used by volunteers. These include: Diseases of Trees and Shrubs (Sinclair, Lyon and Johnson), Insects that Feed on Trees and Shrubs Johnson and Lyon), and The Illustrated Guide to Pruning (Gilman). We also have a copy of the current ANSI Z133 Safety Requirements for arboricultural operations.
Consider the following fiction and non-fiction reading options:
Picture books are fun for all ages:
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry
The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
We Planted a Tree by Muldrow and Staake
The Busy Tree by Ward and Falkenstern
Our Tree Named Steve by Sweibel and Catrow
Tree by Britas Teckentrup
The Forever Tree by Surratt and Lukas
The Things I Love About Trees by Butterworth
I Can Name 50 Trees Today by Worth, Ruiz and Mathieu
The Tree Lady: The Story of How One Tree-Loving Woman Changed a City Forever by Hopkins & McElmurry
For young adults we have books about trees, forests and environmentalism :
Empty by Suzanne Weyn
My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
A Long Walk To Water by Linda Sue Park
Ashes, Ashes by Jo Treggiari
Peak by Roland Smith
Be a Changemaker: How to Start Something that Matters by Laurie Ann Thompson
Restoring Harmony by Joelle Anthony
Theodore Boone: The Activitist by John Grisham
The River by Gary Paulsen
Flush by Carl Hiaasin
Hoot by Carl Hiaasin
Ultimate Explorer Tree Guide by Daniels
And mostly for adults:
American Canopy by Eric Rutkow
The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohllenben
Trees: Between Earth and Heaven photos by Art Wolfe & text by Gregory McNamee
The Man Who Made Things out of Trees: The Ash in Human Culture and History by Robert Penn
The Man Who Planted Trees by Jean Giono (if you find the edition with Michael McCurdy’s woodcuts you are in for a special treat)
You could also check out the Celebrate Arbor Day website for beautiful photos and a reminder of all that trees do for us.
If you want information about specific trees on your property, we may be able to help you. Again, ask Cindy Kohles if she can assist you. We may not be able to visit your property immediately; but, some questions may be able to be addressed without an on-site visit.
Shop
Brochures-The Village has copies of the USDA Forest Service’s Tree Owner’s Manual booklet. It provides great information to help you make decisions about planting trees and caring for them during their early years. We have a few brochures on mulching, pruning, and planting. If you would like a copy of any of these, please contact Cindy Kohles at 872-2184.
Trees-The Village will have small sugar maple and chinkapin oak trees to give away to Village residents who have an appropriate place to plant them and the willingness to provide them with proper care. To reserve your tree, call Cindy Kohles at 872-2184. Trees will be available on Saturday May 1st. They will be distributed on a first request-first served basis.
Activities
Word Search
Trees are A-Mazing
Word Scramble
The Alphabet Forest
TreeDoKu
Tree Walk
Solution - Word Search
Solution - Trees are A-Mazing
Solution - TreeDoKu
Geese, swans, and sandhill cranes have returned to the Driftless area. Bald eagles are busy building new nests in our valley. Goldfinches are losing their winter plumage and acquiring the brilliant yellow that helps us quickly identify them. Don’t confuse them with the blooming daffodils! Turtles find logs on which to sun themselves mid-day, spring peepers sing on warmer evenings, and owls hoot more at night. The signs of spring’s arrival include the swelling of flower and leaf buds on the trees in Gays Mills. It is a great time to celebrate our trees and all the benefits they offer our community.
And if you want to suggest future projects to the Village Tree Board, please submit them to the Village Forester through the Village Office. Let’s see if our trees can help us through the final challenges of this Corona virus pandemic!
Village Tree Up-date
Funding-For more than four years Gays Mills has been fortunate to be the recipient of grants that have financially allowed the Village to complete significant work related to its urban forestry canopy. The initial goal of the work was to handle the tree crisis brought on by the arrival of emerald ash borer in the Village. The larvae of that non-native beetle killed our ash trees which, formerly, comprised a significant portion of the urban forest, especially in the older portion of town. Removing the dead or dying trees before they posed a public hazard was not a sufficient solution to the problem. So, the Village planted replacement trees, began a more systematic pruning regime to allow other mature trees to remain in the canopy longer and to ensure that younger trees developed a structure that would resist storm damage, and trained the Public Works crew and tree volunteers so they could better care for trees.
The Village was awarded a 50% reimbursement grant of up to $6,429 from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Division of Urban Forestry for 2021. Planting twelve public trees, providing financial and technical assistance to private landowners for approved tree work, and hosting a free-to-county-landowners basic tree care workshop in September are part of the grant.
The Kickapoo Cultural Exchange is providing the Village with funds to help meet the matching share of the WI DNR grant..
Action-Twelve hackberry trees have been planted on public lands this spring. So far, ten private trees have been planted or are scheduled to be planted in early May. Three dead or dying private trees were removed with cost-sharing assistance from the village. Two areas of vacated lots have been planted with seedling trees as an effort to reforest the area at reduced cost. The areas include the northeast lots at the intersection of Rebecca and Park Streets and the lot at the northeast corner of Grove and N. Rebecca Streets. In the April 28th edition of “The Crawford County Independent” you can see Charlie Preusser’s photo of that planting activity. Thanks to Andrew, Amanda, and Daniel Smiley for donating planting equipment, chemical and labor. And thanks to Jim Maybee, Jr. and Ron Wagner for planting assistance. Volunteers Beth and Niels Jensen have pruned trees in town and continue their tradition of watering young trees when the rain doesn’t fall as needed.
Tree Board member Craig Anderson and volunteer Dylan Finnell celebrate the successful planting of a tree on a vacated lot near the Kickapoo River.
Tree Benefits
Trees provide significant social, environmental, and economic benefits.
Trees soothe us. They help calm us as individuals and reduce stress at work and on the road. They reduce the need for antidepressants in many individuals. The practice of “forest bathing” offers benefits similar to meditation.
Trees heal us. Urban trees decrease the rates of childhood asthma. Loss of trees to emerald ash borer has been associated with additional deaths from cardiovascular disease and lower respiratory disease. Residents of areas with the most greenery are three times as likely to be physically active and 40% less likely to be overweight or obese than residents in the least green settings. For children diagnosed with ADHD, the effect of walking through an urban park for twenty minutes is roughly equivalent to the peak effects of two typical ADHD medications.
Trees reduce crime. Studies find lower rates of crime around apartment complexes located close to green spaces than around similar housing units lacking the vegetation.
Urban trees provide habitat for wildlife. Many of us find joy in watching honey bees, squirrels, bluebirds, bald eagles, wood ducks, and other critters attracted to the habitat created by urban trees.
People shop more in places surrounded by living plants, including trees.
Trees, especially well-maintained mature trees, add to the value of residential properties. Selected for and planted in appropriate locations, they can reduce heating and cooling costs for homes and businesses.
Trees reduce stormwater runoff. Particularly for a community that has suffered from numerous floods, this potential of this benefit is tremendous.
Trees improve air quality. Leaves absorb carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and ozone. They release oxygen through the photosynthetic process. Leaves help filter dust and particulates from the air. Trees store carbon as they grow thus slowing the buildup of greenhouse gases.
Challenges and Blessings
Challenges
- Emerald Ash Borer-This non-native pest has killed most ash trees in the community. Although we have been replanting replacement trees as the ash are removed, it will be a long time before the young trees provide all the benefits we received from the mature trees.
- Floods-Recent floods have posed many challenges. Smaller trees have been tilted, or in some cases, washed away during floods. Trees of all sizes have been damaged by large debris pushed along by flood waters. Even mature trees along the river may slowly die due to root damage from water standing over their root zones for weeks at a time in 2018.
- Beaver-We knew that beaver lived in the Kickapoo River. And we knew that they occasionally chewed on the large aspen trees on the north side of Robb Park by the canoe landing. We didn’t expect that they would finally chew completely around those large trees and kill them. Or that they would come up the creek and fell a large crabapple that volunteers had just spent hours pruning. Or that long-standing flood waters would provide them with easy access to our young London planetrees which were too newly planted to sprout from the root system. In early April 2021 a beaver cut down one of the young tamarack trees along the Stump Dodger trail. We have put cages around the other tamaracks near the trail and the trees in Robb Park to protect them from beaver damage but during strong floods the cages do some tree damage themselves.
- Our Small Size-While many of us love this Village specifically because of its small-town qualities our size also poses some challenges. We have a smaller pool of people from which to draw volunteers. Although it seems to our volunteers that we order many trees each year, we don’t order enough to be able to purchase somewhat smaller trees from this country’s larger wholesale nurseries. Finding arborists willing to provide important services (such as EAB treatments) is more challenging both because our service needs may not provide a full day’s work and our distance from their bases is far.
Blessings
- Community Support-We are grateful for the financial and emotional support of this community and our funding agencies. The Village Board has made it possible for much urban forestry work to be accomplished here.
- Tree Board and Volunteers-The Tree Board (Craig Anderson, Beth Jensen, Kevin Murray, and Cindy Kohles) thoughtfully plan our work and then make good things happen.
- Diversified Plantings-We have been able to plant many different types of trees in the Village. This will help prevent the loss of a large portion of our canopy to any incoming pest or disease. And students putting together a collection of leaves will be able to find some unusual ones here!
- Grants-We give thanks to the WI Department of Natural Resources, Kickapoo Cultural Exchange, American Transmission Company LLC, the Crawford County Community Fund, and all the individual donors whose financial contributions have allowed us to accomplish so much in recent years.
Additional Information & Reading
Have we got you interested in trees? I hope so. Do you want to learn more? The Gays Mills Public Library has numerous reference books related to trees. The Village and Forester also own several reference books that can be loaned out when they are not being used by volunteers. These include: Diseases of Trees and Shrubs (Sinclair, Lyon and Johnson), Insects that Feed on Trees and Shrubs Johnson and Lyon), and The Illustrated Guide to Pruning (Gilman). We also have a copy of the current ANSI Z133 Safety Requirements for arboricultural operations.
Consider the following fiction and non-fiction reading options:
Picture books are fun for all ages:
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry
The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
We Planted a Tree by Muldrow and Staake
The Busy Tree by Ward and Falkenstern
Our Tree Named Steve by Sweibel and Catrow
Tree by Britas Teckentrup
The Forever Tree by Surratt and Lukas
The Things I Love About Trees by Butterworth
I Can Name 50 Trees Today by Worth, Ruiz and Mathieu
The Tree Lady: The Story of How One Tree-Loving Woman Changed a City Forever by Hopkins & McElmurry
For young adults we have books about trees, forests and environmentalism :
Empty by Suzanne Weyn
My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
A Long Walk To Water by Linda Sue Park
Ashes, Ashes by Jo Treggiari
Peak by Roland Smith
Be a Changemaker: How to Start Something that Matters by Laurie Ann Thompson
Restoring Harmony by Joelle Anthony
Theodore Boone: The Activitist by John Grisham
The River by Gary Paulsen
Flush by Carl Hiaasin
Hoot by Carl Hiaasin
Ultimate Explorer Tree Guide by Daniels
And mostly for adults:
American Canopy by Eric Rutkow
The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohllenben
Trees: Between Earth and Heaven photos by Art Wolfe & text by Gregory McNamee
The Man Who Made Things out of Trees: The Ash in Human Culture and History by Robert Penn
The Man Who Planted Trees by Jean Giono (if you find the edition with Michael McCurdy’s woodcuts you are in for a special treat)
You could also check out the Celebrate Arbor Day website for beautiful photos and a reminder of all that trees do for us.
If you want information about specific trees on your property, we may be able to help you. Again, ask Cindy Kohles if she can assist you. We may not be able to visit your property immediately; but, some questions may be able to be addressed without an on-site visit.
Shop
Brochures-The Village has copies of the USDA Forest Service’s Tree Owner’s Manual booklet. It provides great information to help you make decisions about planting trees and caring for them during their early years. We have a few brochures on mulching, pruning, and planting. If you would like a copy of any of these, please contact Cindy Kohles at 872-2184.
Trees-The Village will have small sugar maple and chinkapin oak trees to give away to Village residents who have an appropriate place to plant them and the willingness to provide them with proper care. To reserve your tree, call Cindy Kohles at 872-2184. Trees will be available on Saturday May 1st. They will be distributed on a first request-first served basis.
Activities
Word Search
Trees are A-Mazing
Word Scramble
The Alphabet Forest
TreeDoKu
Tree Walk
Solution - Word Search
Solution - Trees are A-Mazing
Solution - TreeDoKu