ABOUT THE TREE BOARD

Tree Board members are appointed by the First Selectwoman and are responsible for: 

• Advising and assisting the Tree Warden.
• Promoting the planting, maintenance, restoration, and survival of desirable trees and shrubs on Town property.

• Educating the public to recognize the benefits provided by trees and shrubs, some of which are:

  • buffering noise and unsightly views,
  • improving air quality,
  • offering habitats to birds,
  • preventing erosion,
  • absorbing water,
  • mitigating climate by cooling the air and providing shade,
  • offering aesthetic benefits,
  • increasing property values, and
  • generally improving the quality of life within the Town.

TREE OF THE MONTH

Every month the Tree Board randomly picks a native tree to highlight.  This month's tree is:

November 2024 

White Oak

Quercus alba

This beautiful White Oak in Connecticut's Sherwood Island State Park is on Connecticut's Notable Trees list.  From its longest branch tip to its opposite longest branch tip, the tree spreads out to around 82 feet. Its height reaches about 72'.  While not the tallest Oak, its trunk reaches approximately 18' in circumference.

The White Oak produces very strong and durable wood.  Its acorns are elongated to about an inch long and are an important food source for squirrels, birds, quail, ducks, turkeys,   The White Oak is considered a keystone species because it supports over 900 native caterpillar species and a wide variety of wildlife. Its leaves have rounded lobe ends, as opposed to the red oak that sports pointed tipped leaf lobes.  Average height is between 50-80’ and large in diameter, making it a wonderful shade tree.  The White Oak prefers full sun and can handle moist to dry conditions.  White Oaks can live hundreds of years.  We have no records of when this tree was planted. The White Oak is a native to New England and much of the Eastern United States.  It is also the Connecticut State Tree.

See https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/misc/ag_654/volume_2/quercus/alba.htm

See all previous Tree of the Month highlights here.

NEWS & EVENTS 

• The Tree Board handed out Red and Scarlet Oak saplings during the Paint the Pumpkins on the Green Oaktober event.  We'd like to thank Earthplace, and the Westport Book Shop for all their help putting on a beautiful annual event. 
• The Tree Board would like to thank Staples Senior Surya Rao for interning with the Westport Tree Board.  Though the board only had Surya for 2 ½ weeks, Surya made an invaluable contribution to us.  Surya was given little direction or instruction, while being asked to help with several large tasks in an unfamiliar environment.  His polite, curious and kind demeanor belied his intelligence and artistic ability to efficiently and beautifully complete projects asked of him. During his short time, Surya researched local trees, created graphic designs, performed coding tasks, created a tree valuation excel spreadsheet, completed a ride along with the town Tree Warden to evaluate trees in the town right of way, explored Winslow Park and the Lillian Wadsworth Arboretum to identify specific trees and evaluate issues impacting their health.
  
  

  We were honored to have Surya Rao with us.  Our only regret was that our time with Surya was too short.  We wish him the best in all his future endeavors.

• The Spotted Lantern Fly (SLF) is currently causing damage to trees and other plants in Westport.  For up to date information on how to identify the SLF, please go to:  https://portal.ct.gov/CAES/CAPS/CAPS/Spotted-Lanternfly---SLF

• National Arbor Day was April 26, 2024. The Tree Board passed out free tree saplings Friday, April 26th.  We ran out of all three types.  It was a great turn out.  For more information on planting and growing the 3 types, (Red Buds, Flowering Dogwoods & Common Horse Chestnut) please visit: https://plantdatabase.uconn.edu/detail.php?pid=103 for Red Buds;  https://plantdatabase.uconn.edu/detail.php?pid=37 for Common Horse Chestnut;  and https://plantdatabase.uconn.edu/detail.php?pid=124 for Flowering Dogwoods.

   

• Tree City USA:  Westport is a Tree City, as named by the Arbor Day Foundation in 2020! We have recently received the latest approval for a Tree City USA & Growth Award

FINDING THE RIGHT TREE FOR THE RIGHT PLACE

Thinking of planting a new tree?  Factors of height, sun, soil and water are important considerations for the healthy survival of your new planting.  The following websites are great resources when deciding on the right tree for your property, finding a credentialed arborist, or understanding your property's soil conditions.

CONNECTICUT AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION

• Plant Disease Information Office
• Soil Testing Offices

UCONN HOME & GARDEN EDUCATION CENTER

CONNECTICUT'S NOTABLE TREES

ARBOR DAY FOUNDATION

TREE CITY USA

INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF ARBORICULTURE

TREES ARE GOOD

Click here to learn about.....

Proper Tree Mulching

 How Trees save Orca whales

RECOMMENDED READINGS

• Native Trees for Northeast Landscapes, A Wild Seed Project Guide, by Wild Seed Project, 2021;
• Essential Native Trees and Shrubs for the Eastern United States, The Guide to Creating a Sustainable Landscape, by Tony Dove & Ginger Woolridge, Bunker Hill Studio Books, 2018;
• Trees of North America, National Audubon Society, Fieldstone Publishing 2021
• The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate, by Peter Wohlleben published by Greystone Books May 25 2015
• Finding the Mother Tree, Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest, by Suzanne Simard, Vintage Books 2021
• Silent Spring, by Rachel Carson, Houghton Mifflin Co. 1962

SAPLINGS CORNER

Fun books for our youngest readers:

• Because of an Acorn by Lola M. Shaefer & Adam Shaefer
• The Busy Tree by Jennifer Ward & Lisa Falkenstern
• Trees: A Count and Find Primer by Greg Paprocki
• The Things That I Love About Trees by Chris Butterworth & Charlotte Voake
• The Lumberjack's Beard by Duncan Beedie
• Tree by Britta Teckentrup
• Peter and the Tree Children by Peter Wohlleben & Cale Atkinson