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Friends of the Park Tree Inventory Progress Report

Friends of the Park Tree Inventory Progress Report. Jake Walsh Director. Project Core Goals. Identify and catalog all trees on property owned by the City of Windcrest . Determine the value of the trees in each area and compile it into a report to be given to the city.

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Friends of the Park Tree Inventory Progress Report

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  1. Friends of the Park Tree Inventory Progress Report Jake Walsh Director

  2. Project Core Goals • Identify and catalog all trees on property owned by the City of Windcrest. • Determine the value of the trees in each area and compile it into a report to be given to the city. • Accomplish goals utilizing students from the Design and Technology Academy.

  3. Why take on this project? • The City of Windcrest is unique in many ways, but especially in its multiple parks and proliferation of green spaces. • It is important to residents that the city be aware of its holdings in natural life, so that it may continue to maintain and improve the parks at or beyond their current state. • Trees are the most easily seen and most valuable part of a park, as well as one of the most valuable parts of nature, and as such they are the focus of our efforts at this time.

  4. PROJECT STAFF Entire staff composed of DATA students. Director: Jake Walsh Staff members: Dante Lawrence Don Napierala Doug Ward Jerald Nasis Meghan Broadus Reba Strunk Steven Smith Taylor Tracy Wesley Stigger

  5. Friends of the Park Chaperones • Ted Hanes • Gary Fisher • Margaret Fisher • Ann Friday • Tom Friday • Dennis Allen • Jo Ann Hillard • Terrie Horrkulic • Dr. Barbara Brault • Cynthia DuBose • Jack Leonhart

  6. COVERED AREAS All green space owned by the City of Windcrest. This includes, but is not limited to: Windy Hollow Park Takas Park Autumn Sunset Park Brook Falls Park Medians and islands throughout the city

  7. METHODS Staff was divided into groups of two. Groups go out with a Friends of the Park member (serving as chaperone). Groups identify the tree’s species, tag it with a number, mark its GPS coordinates, and take a picture of the tree. At the end of each week, data is compiled and uploaded to a database, where it is displayed on an interactive Google map. Data collected is also put into another database, which calculates the value of the trees based on their size and species.

  8. A LITTLE HELP FROM OUR FRIENDS The project was also aided by Paul Johnson, our region’s Urban Forester from the Texas Forest Service. Mr. Johnson’s assistance throughout the project was invaluable. He recommended to us the software we used, in addition to coming out into the field with our staff and assisting us in tree identification. Mrs. FitzSimon, the director of the DATA program at Roosevelt, was also very helpful in providing equipment to use and allowing us to make use of some of the DATA facilities throughout the project.

  9. RESULTS As of 7/23/2012 (two full weeks of work): Over 800 trees catalogued All three major parks completed 100% of islands and green spaces covered Currently working on validation of existing findings

  10. Valuation Results • Valuations produced using iTree Tools, a software suite developed by the U.S Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service. • Trees are expected to produce approximately $51,000 worth of benefits to the community annually • Benefits that the trees provide include stormwater protection, oxygen production, shade to the parks (and nearby homes), aesthetics, and many others • Shade alone can result in reduced energy bills, an immediate benefit to any homeowner during a hot Texas summer • Should all the trees have to be replaced at once, the total cost would be close to $5,000,000

  11. Tree Map • As mentioned before, all trees are placed into a Google map of the city • http://www.windcrestfotp.org/projects/inventory/map/ • Each tree’s icon on the map includes its ID number, its species, and a picture of the tree, as well as its approximate location in the park • Due to GPS limitations, not all trees are located exactly on the map where they are in the park • The database is not yet fully fleshed out • The map (and associated data) are published on the Friends of the Park website, located at http://www.windcrestfotp.org.

  12. ADDITIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS Developed preliminary ordinance to help curb excess planting in park areas Designed website for Friends of the Park. Designed newsletter for Friends of the Park. Developing documentary of inventory process to assist other interested parties in accomplishing similar projects.

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