With a beautiful late winter Saturday afternoon to fill, I decided to take my two boys out for a walk by the river.  I like the area by Sutters' Landing at 28th/B for it's accessibility and the proximity of the skateboard/bocce/dog parks. The water level is very low and all the tracks and trails were available for wandering. I took along my two cameras - the new, a Nikon D90 and the old, an Olympus OM4Ti with a 24mm lens. I haven't used the Olympus in a while and wanted to do a comparison by taking some side-by-side images. Also to check if the light seals were still intact  - seven years of storage can make them rot. It was perfect weather for a stroll, the ground was dry, the sun not t

Four massive Seville olive trees were installed in The Bridge District’s Garden Park earlier this month setting the stage for a welcoming community space in West Sacramento’s newest development area. Garden Park is a three-quarter-acre public park billed as the “centerpiece” to the first stage of development of The Bridge District, according to Stephen Jaycox, senior vice president of design for The Bridge District’s designer/developer, Fulcrum Property. Jaycox said the design and planning of The Bridge District is unusual compared to typical new development plans. “We are starting with the green space and then moving on to building townhomes and apartments around it,” Jaycox said. “Thi

The short, brisk days and the warm, fall colors in the trees remind us that the holidays are fast approaching. With Thanksgiving upon us, The Sacramento Press went to the streets to ask, “What should Sacramento be thankful for?” “All of the trees,” said Debbie Isley, 59, a retired real estate agent from Placerville. “And the water.” Isley, originally from Southern California, said she appreciates how green the area is, especially after living in the desert for many years. For those native to the area, the answers change a bit. Carolyn Gamble, a retired state employee from Carmichael, has lived in the Sacramento area her entire life. “Sacramento supports everything here,” said Gamble, 6

Criticism over the handling of Sacramento tree removals sparked a heated debate at the November Parks and Recreation Commission meeting in city hall. Nathan Jacobsen, an attorney and environmental activist, spoke at the Parks and Recreation Commission tree appeal hearing to oppose a decision made by Jerry Way, Director of Transportation, to remove a Non-Heritage ‘Bradford’ Flowering Pear tree, located at 2001 10th Street. “The city should be protecting a public resource, not tearing it down or destroying it without a clear democratic process. Removals need to be supported by factual information,” Jacobsen said. On April 26, Jacobsen sent a request to meet with Way regarding the approval

Imagine this: You’re driving down the highway in a new Sacramento Tree Foundation Truck. It’s your first full day on the job, it’s raining, you’re slowing down to look for your exit when… bam! Another truck sideswipes you at 70 MPH. Suddenly you’re tumbling, tail over hood, down the embankment, until finally you come to a stop – miraculously right side up and without a scratch on you. The roll bar saved your life, but the trees, the truck, and yes, your first day are completely wrecked. Know what’s even worse? You don’t have to imagine it. It happened. On one rainy day in April the Sacramento Tree Foundation lost a truck that we had hoped would help us move trees and large supplies to our

There's a lot more green on a tree than just its leaves! At this month's 4WDD ISA-Certified Arborist Scott Gregory will talk about assessing the economic and environmental benefits of the urban forest. In April, Scott successfully defended his master's thesis, "Quantifying Street Tree Function and Distribution: Analysis of Environmental Services, Population Characteristics, and Sidewalk Uplift in the City of Chico, California". His thesis entailed inventory of 34,950 street trees, stumps, and available planting sites within the City of Chico and subsequent data analysis to quantify environmental services provided by the City's street trees. By identifying public and private trees in adva

Nothing lives forever, but according to Clark Kayler, trees can. He extends the life of trees by turning them into furniture. The trees go from decorating the streets to decorating various rooms. Kayler, 41, is the owner and founder of New Helvetia Hardwoods. They rescue trees that have been knocked down by storms, trees that are being chopped down for development purposes or dying trees that are all headed for the landfills. “(I am) giving our city’s trees a second chance,” Kayler said. In early 2005, Kayler noticed a tree being removed from his neighbor’s yard. It bothered him. He asked the neighbor for the redwood tree, and he created his first piece of furniture: a table. As a pr

The American Bonsai Association, Sacramento (ABAS) held its 52nd Annual Show and Sale over the weekend at the Shepard Garden and Arts Center in McKinley Park, Sacramento. Bonsai is the Japanese art of growing and shaping miniature trees in containers to imitate the forms and shapes of full-sized trees. The show included displays of over 100 bonsai trees, suiseki (Japanese viewing stones) displays, workshops, and bonsai vendors from around Northern California.                  

The Sacramento City Council voted Tuesday to hire an outside contractor for tree pruning and removal work despite opposition from a major city union, Stationary Engineers Local 39. Council members voted 7-2 to pay up to $3.7 million to Roseville-based Jensen Tree Service, Inc., for a contract that could span five years. The contract has a one-year guarantee of work – after that, the city manager will decide each year over the following four years whether to continue the contract, according to Craig Lymus, the city’s acting procurement manager. A representative for Local 39, which represents urban forestry workers, among many other groups of city employees, said the work that Jensen Tree

More than 100 employees from University of Phoenix’s Sacramento Campus joined together to help maintain and beautify the Northern California Parkway, a landmark scenic area that helps differentiate Sacramento as the “City of Trees.” In support of the Sacramento Tree Foundation (STF), volunteers planted 43 trees, demonstrating the significant impact volunteers can make in just one day when working together. “University of Phoenix Sacramento Campus has a fantastic group of employees, and fosters a culture that encourages ongoing community involvement and volunteerism,” said University of Phoenix Sacramento Campus Director Scott Lewis. “We are proud to support the efforts of the Sacramento T

A long-debated topic in the Curtis Park neighborhood came potentially one step closer to its resolution Friday morning during a hearing at the Historic City Hall. Representatives from the community, concerned about the future of some 57 “Heritage Tress” in the Curtis Park Village development, presented a collaborated compromise designed to mitigate the impacts of any tree removal with the project firm, Petrovich Development Company. “Heritage trees” are the large oak trees that pepper within the boundaries of the Curtis Park Village. The land they now occupy is contaminated with various toxins due to the pervious industrial railroad shops that formerly stood on the site. Sierra Curtis Ne

There has been an enthusiastic debate simmering in the Curtis Park neighborhood for quite some time now. The topic of discussion: heritage trees in development zones and their proposed removal. But through the passionate exchanges from local residents and the developer of the project, cooler heads express the need for civility. I learned this while speaking candidly with two citizens working hard behind the scenes on this hot-button topic over the weekend. Patrick Soluri, Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association president, gave me the CliffsNotes version of information from years of hearings, public meetings, press releases and e-mails from neighborhood advocates. In a nutshell: The Petrov

The Friday, January 21st hearing at which development firm Petrovich Development planned to request a permit from the City of Sacramento to remove Heritage Trees from his Curtis Park Village site has been cancelled until a future date. The postponement is the  result of a meeting arranged between Sacramento Councilmember Jay Schenirer and members of the Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association (SCNA) on the evening of January 19th. Representatives of SCNA’s Neighborhood Concerns Committee who attended the meeting are encouraged about what transpired, and feel that what was agreed upon and what is still being discussed amounts to good news for trees at the future site of the development proj

Supporters of outgoing Sacramento Councilman Ray Tretheway gathered in North Natomas on Monday night to celebrate Tretheway’s nine consecutive years on the City Council. Tretheway, who was first elected in 2001, lost the District 1 re-election race in June to his opponent Angelique Ashby. He will leave his City Council seat in late November, but will keep his position as executive director of the Sacramento Tree Foundation. More than 100 people turned out for Monday night’s event held at the North Natomas Library. District 1 includes North and South Natomas and downtown’s Alkali Flat. “We are knitted as a community,” Tretheway told his supporters and constituents Monday night. “There’s

Sacramento has been called “The City of Trees,” a city with more trees per capita than Paris, a place known for its romantic, tree-lined walkways and thoroughfares. Each tree in Sacramento has a story to tell. This is the theme of “Living With Trees,” a new art exhibit that opened in City Hall Aug. 4 featuring 17 historical photographs selected from the Center for Sacramento History’s archives, each telling a small piece of the decades-old romance Sacramento has had with its trees. There are images of automobiles smashed by broad tree trunks flung down in the windstorm of 1950, costumed children playacting in a shaded grove and an ordinary Sacramento man sweeping a front yard enveloped b

 Maintaining Sacramento’s 100,000 trees is no small task, and with seven positions likely to be cut next week, the Urban Forestry tree maintenance staff will be stretched even thinner. “We’ve gone from about 58 full-time-equivalent employees to 28 since 2005,” said Urban Forestry Manager Joe Benassini. Those 28 positions are currently filled, with another eight technically on the books but not staffed. Benassini said the department has not been filling positions vacated through attrition in anticipation of the budget problems and has yet to lay off any employees. But unless an agreement with unions is made by Aug. 5, some staffers will be let go. Residents at the July 19 Area 1 Neighbo

 Some Midtown residents are concerned that Sacramento’s urban forest will get the ax from budget cuts. Midtown resident Karen Jacques raised the issue at Monday night’s Area 1 Neighborhood Advisory Group meeting by filing a request for a response from the city of Sacramento on the possible laying off of Sacramento’s experienced tree maintenance staff. Jacques said she has heard that maintenance staff is at risk of being laid off, and she said she fears the loss that will represent to the upkeep of the numerous trees in the city. “This issue is at least grid-wide, and it may be Central City-wide,” Jacques said. “What I’m asking of urban forest staff is that they look at their budget prio

"John Muir  exclaimed "This is the best tree-lovers monument that could possibly be found in all the forests of the world," declared conservationist John Muir when describing the majestic coast redwoods of Muir Woods." It's an easy drive from Sacramento for a day excursion. Bark has pulled away from this fallen tree. "The incredible diversity of flora and fauna at Muir Woods can be daunting sometimes, elusive at other times. The redwoods themselves dominate the scene, but the Steller's jay often steals the show. Ladybugs clustering by the thousands on ancient horsetail ferns boggle the imagination, while the slimy banana slug is able to disgust and fascinate all at once. Plants adapt to

Since 2002 the Sacramento Tree Foundation has been hard at work "building the best urban forest" in Sacramento and vicinity. The Foundation is openly looking for individuals to "get dirty" and to help in various tree planting activities. According to their website, "Volunteering is a simple, fun way to make a difference in your community and the environment." Since the organization manages a number of sites and many locations need attention the actual part of the urban forest needing work will not be determined until about a week before the event. One of the benefits of participation in tree-related activities sponsored by the Sacramento Tree Foundation is that volunteers will have acces

New life is coming out of old trees in Sacramento. A foothills woodcarver is finishing a prototype for a collectible wood baseball bat made from a tulip poplar loved by generations as it stood on state Capitol grounds for 129 years. Two Mendocino brothers created a seven-foot-tall abstract tree sculpture from another part of the tree. And a Sacramento sculptor is working on a free-form chair from a California black walnut that marked the site of an old wagon trail for at least 140 years. The wood remains of these old trees are being turned into art, furniture and other new projects to benefit the Legacy Trees Project. Sponsored by nonprofit Sacramento Education Events for Art, the proj