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Urban Forestry
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January 23, 2024
Can inoculated soils promote healthy urban trees? Preliminary results
By Claudia Bashian-Victoroff, MS, Research Specialist
Preliminary results from a Holden research project testing soil inoculations for improvement of urban tree plantings. more
December 5, 2023
World Soil Day: Holden’s Soil Ecologists Improving the Odds for Trees in Urban Environments
Efforts are underway to plant trees in Cuyahoga County’s urban areas by the thousands. In these cities, canopy cover is well below the county average, which brings well-documented ill effects... more
September 26, 2023
A Story for the Ages Lives On: The Jesse Owens Olympic Oak Plaza Dedication
On Monday, September 25th, the team at University Circle Inc. dedicated the Jesse Owens Olympic Oak Plaza in Rockefeller Park just north of the Wade Lagoon. Elected officials, community leaders,... more
January 6, 2023
Holden Forests & Gardens Receives Federal Earmark to Fund Work in Urban Forestry
(CLEVELAND) January 6, 2023 – The Holden Arboretum is pleased to announce the nonprofit organization is slated to receive $335,000 in Congressionally Directed Spending, sponsored by U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown,... more
January 4, 2023
Tree Corps Reaches New Milestone: Planting & Caring for More Trees Than Ever in Cleveland
By Rebecca Swab PhD, Director of Conservation & Community Forestry & Margaret Cook, Communications Specialist
Creating a greener city is much more than just planting trees! Speaking for the trees (as the Lorax does in Dr. Seuss’ nature loving classic, The Lorax) is important to... more
November 10, 2022
The Jesse Owens oak at Rhodes High School may have died, but its legacy lives on through grafting
By Peter Krouse , Cleveland.com
An oak tree (background) planted by Olympic hero Jesse Owens at James Ford Rhodes High School 86 years ago died over the past winter. A genetic replica (foreground) of the... more
October 18, 2022
A new Jesse Owens tree takes root at Old Brooklyn’s Rhodes High School
By Karin Connelly Rice, Fresh Water Cleveland Reporter
All photos by Bob Perkoski Olympic athlete Jesse Owens’ Cleveland legacy was preserved on Wednesday, Oct. 12, when representatives with Holden Forests & Gardens gathered at James Ford Rhodes High School to plant a... more
October 17, 2022
Jesse Owens Olympic Oak Sapling Planted at James Ford Rhodes High School where Owens Planted Original Tree 80 Years Ago
Last week, a propagated sapling was planted by Holden Forests & Gardens’ Tree Corps at James Ford Rhodes High School where Owens practiced track and field. The sapling was grown... more
May 6, 2022
How to Clone a Tree
By Rachel Kappler, Great Lakes Basin Forest Health Collaborative (GLB FHC) Coordinator
Holden researchers use a technique called grafting to bring trees from the forest back to the lab for study. By Rachel Kappler & Anna Funk How do you study a... more
November 16, 2021
People for Trees: Planting One Tree at a Time to Make a Big Impact
By Margaret Cook, Communications Specialist
In its first year, People for Trees has gathered more than 1,000 pledges to plant more than 3,800 trees across Greater Cleveland. In addition, Holden Forests & Gardens has planted... more
November 1, 2021
When to Plant a Tree
Certain types of trees are generally recommended to be planted in spring and not in fall, especially after early October. If a tree was dug in late summer, or planted... more
October 25, 2021
Selecting Trees in Northeast Ohio
HF&G has developed a tree selection guide that provides essential information to help you choose climate-resilient trees suitable for urban and suburban areas in northeast Ohio. Click the link below... more
October 7, 2021
Tips for Keeping Trees Healthy
Very few trees die of old age in residential or urban areas—mechanical damage and improper care pose huge threats to trees. If you don’t listen carefully to what your tree... more
September 28, 2021
How to Plant a Tree
Imagine that there was one thing that you could do today that could mitigate climate change, nurture wildlife, and bring health and beauty to your community. Planting a tree... more
August 25, 2021
Summer Tree Care Tips: Watering
Is your tree thirsty? Did you plant a new tree earlier this spring? Does the soil surrounding the trunk look like the surface of the moon? Is it showing signs... more
July 14, 2021
Tree Selection Guide
Intentional, informed selection is the first step to tree success. Quick Links Many people choose and plant trees because of a connection they have upon seeing a tree at a... more
May 21, 2021
Hot in the city – Can tree seedlings from urban areas beat the heat?
Urban development is expanding rapidly, leaving a patchwork of small, isolated forests in its wake. Urban areas tend to have more paved surfaces that retain heat leading to an urban... more
March 9, 2021
How to Calculate the Benefits of a Tree
i-Tree is a software suite, from the U.S. Forest Service, that consists of tools that calculate the value of trees in urban areas and your home. For more information and... more
March 8, 2021
Forecasting the Future of the Forest
Climate change has already increased temperatures and produced more extreme weather events in Northeast Ohio. Over the next several decades these trends will likely become more pronounced, altering forests as... more
January 20, 2021
Maintaining Healthy Trees
Learn how to maintain healthy trees with a guide on site selection, tree planting, watering, pruning and other tips. more
January 20, 2021
Structural Pruning of a Young Tree
Nursery grown trees are often pruned to produce a compact, bushy appearance, resulting in branches packed closely on the stem. Begin a pruning program after planting to create a mature... more
January 20, 2021
Neighborhood Tree Suggestions
Threats to trees and landscape goals determine which tree to plant. View our helpful list of the recommended trees to plant for your site and conditions. more
January 20, 2021
Street Tree Identification
Learn how to identify Red Maple, River Birch, Ginkgo, Honeylocust, and Sweetgum trees with our easy-to-use guides. more
January 20, 2021
Tree Care Toolkit
It is obvious that healthy trees beautify our urban environment, but did you know they also provide numerous environmental, economic, social and health benefits that make our communities more livable?... more
October 16, 2020
The Benefits of Urban Trees
How do the cities of today shape the forests of tomorrow? Urban Trees have been getting a lot of attention in the scientific and sociological worlds lately. Trees... more
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