Tree Committee

News and Notes

TREE THOUGHT:   “And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.”  John Muir, founder of the Sierra Club and fellow forest traveler with Teddy Roosevelt.

DO YOU KNOW .... how much our West Newbury trees are worth in combatting climate change? 
About 5530 acres of trees and forests cover our town's 14.7 square miles.  The latest 2023 estimates from PA State Extension tell us that our town's trees grab 4,313 metric tonnes (mT) of CO2 from the air each year, which offsets a whopping 15,704 mT of CO2 emissions.  That's equal to what 3,414 cars emit each year (USEPA), and it's worth $800,907 in social costs avoided (PA Ext).  All that just by standing there!

 

CURRENT NEWS AND UPCOMING COMMUNITY EVENTS 
(updated 3/28/2024)

SAVE THE DATE - ARBOR DAY CELEBRATION APRIL 27.  The annual Arbor Day Celebration will again be held on Saturday April 27 at the GAR Library.  Advice on which trees to plant and how to care for them will be offered by Tree Committee members.  Here is the schedule of events:  

  • 10:00-11:30 AM Tree Seedling Giveaway - flowering dogwood, hackberry, black gum, and white or red oak seedlings
  • 10:30-11:15 AM Children's Program at the Library
  • 12:00-1:30 PM Hike and Tree Walk at Mill Pond (sponsored by Mill Pond Committee)

BREAKING NEWS - ARE WE UP TO THREE CHAMPIONS?  COMING SOON.... a Green Ash on Middle Street has graced our town for about 200 years and likely was a central tree on one of our original farmsteads.  The tree has been fortunate recently to have property owners, the Homeths, who have been taking exceptional care of this unique specimen and prevented the Emerald Ash Borer from claiming this amazing tree.  This Green Ash is the latest addition to the Roster of Significant and Remarkable Trees.  We are awaiting official confirmation that it is the State Champion, which would be the third in West Newbury.  To find out more about this Green Ash, click here

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE - INSECT PESTS  Here is a link to a great resource on insect pests that might be damaging your woody shrubs and trees.  The guide is searchable by scientific and common insect names, by plant name, and by growing degree days (time of year).  Helpful photos are also easy to peruse.  Scroll to the bottom of the webpage for the search boxes.  Insect Guide  

 Bagworm  TIME TO GET RID OF BAGWORMS  Before the leaves come out, it's the best time to check for bagworm egg cases on your trees.  Just cut them off the branches and soak in soapy water (add a capful of bleach if you wish).  Then discard.  

BREAKING NEWS - UPDATE ON DEAD ASH TREES  The West Newbury Tree Committee and the Department of Public Works (DPW) have an update on what is being done to combat the Emerald Ash Borer infestation that has attacked our ash trees, especially those along roads in Town.  Last year, 466 ash trees were identified and tagged, of which 177 were deemed to be in good or fair health and 289 were deemed unhealthy or dead.  The Town injected the 177 trees that were in good or fair health.  As of late fall, 88 of the injected trees remain healthy and are potential candidates for future injection treatment.  There are currently 378 dead or unhealthy ash trees along Town roadways that need to be removed as they pose a hazard.  The DPW will seek additional funding this spring to take care of the increased number of trees that need to be removed for safety reasons.  For more information and details, click on 2024 Ash Tree Update 

MORE HELP - For help on ash trees or to arrange for a site visit on your property, you can also contact the Tree Committee at treecommittee@wnewbury.org 

EAB Adult   BlondingAsh trees
NOTE:  The adult EAB is rarely seen.  To determine if your tree is infected, look for thinning canopy (far right) and "blonding" on the bark (middle photo), a sign that woodpeckers are attempting to get at the EAB that live under the bark.

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE - Trees to Plant in Light of Climate Change  Here is a quick reference guide for selecting trees to plant in the spring in light of changing climatic conditions in the Northeast.  Quick Reference Guide - Trees to Plant   Don't forget that other factors must also be considered, such as planting native trees, sun vs. shade, ultimate height, etc. 

MORE INFORMATION ON TREES TO PLANT IN LIGHT OF CLIMATE CHANGE:   In the list of links on the left side on this webpage, click on "Climate Change -Trees to Plant."  Here you will find the most current information on which trees are expected to thrive and which trees will struggle as our climate in Massachusetts changes.  Information on native trees be found under the "Native Trees to Plant" in another link on the left side of this webpage. 

WHAT TREES ARE GOOD TO PLANT -- GO NATIVE!  Planting trees in the fall is ideal.  Now is a good time to consider adding trees to your property and to look for places to obtain the types of trees you would like to plant.  Most nurseries won't have trees in stock yet, but you can contact them to find out what they will be offering in a few months.  Please focus on selecting and planting NATIVE TREES.  Native trees are highly recommended for many reasons including:  (1) they are well adapted to our climate, (2) they provide the greatest food resources for animals and pollinating insects; and (3 they provide the best habitat for bird life. 

For suggestions on native trees suitable for West Newbury, look under the "Native Trees to Plant" tab in the left hand column.  
General information on native plants and tree: https://grownativemass.org/Know-Your-Landscape/native-plants  
Searchable data bases on native trees:  Native Plant.org database:  Click here ;  Audubon Society data baseClick here  

Red Maple
Red Maples (Acer rubrum) are terrific native trees to add to your property.
They are very hardy, tolerate a wide range of conditions, and provide excellent shade and color!  

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON:

  • ROSTER OF SIGNIFICANT AND REMARKABLE TREES IN WEST NEWBURY:  West Newbury has created a roster of its significant and remarkable trees.  Recently three of our trees (Black Oak, Balsam Poplar, and Black Tupelo) have been certified as State Legacy trees and two (Black Oak and Balsam Poplar) are State Champions - click here to view the entire roster
  • MANAGING YOUR WOODS: Massachusetts DCR's Urban and Community Forestry program provides much information on how to manage your woods, whether it be for lumber, wildlife habitat, climate resilience, and so on.  You can access this information through this link: DCR Forestry Stewardship Program.  For further information, look for "Managing Your Woods" in the list of links on the left side of this page.
  • EMERALD ASH BORER:  A comprehensive report on the EAB is available - click here for the Report
  • MILL POND TREE TRAIL:  Any time is a good time to walk the 1.5 mile tree trail at Mill Pond.  Look for the tree signs on 26 different species - click here for a trail map and tree information
  • ASH TREE SURVEY:  All ash trees along public roadways have been surveyed for location and health in preparation for further action to save as many trees as feasible - click here for the Survey 
  • WEST NEWBURY STATUS AS A "TREE CITY USA":  Read more - click here
  • SPOTTED LANTERNFLY STATEWIDE ALERT:  Preventive action is needed this year - click here for information about what to look for and who to contact
  • COMMUNITY TREE SURVEY RESULTS:  West Newbury residents made their views on our trees known - click here for the results of the Survey
  • TREE SEEDLINGS The New Hampshire State Tree Nursery offers many types of native tree seedlings at their Boscawen NH location at very low cost.  This year's distribution has concluded, but you may wish to bookmark the online catalog and ordering forms for next year:  https://buynhseedlings.com

 

Red Oak
Red Oaks are also wonderful trees to add to your property - especially due to their high wildlife habitat value

Balsam Poplar
West Newbury's second State Champion (see story below).  This Balsam Poplar is over 95 feet tall and may be almost 200 years old.  It towers over the hillside above the Whetstone homes.

CONTINUING PROJECTS

EAB Action Needed NOW:  To find out what's happening and how to protect our ash trees, click on "Combatting Emerald Ash Borer" tab in the left column.  You can also:

  • View the Q&A teleconference with experts held on August 19th. click here.
  • Read the fact sheet on the EAB - click here. 
  • Limit the infestation by acting now

Do You Know a Tree that Might be Significant or Remarkable?  The Tree Committee invites you to nominate a tree for our Roster of Significant and Remarkable Trees.  To do this, download the Nomination Form and send the completed form to:  West Newbury Tree Committee, Town Office Building, 381 Main Street, West Newbury, MA  01985.  To download the Nomination Form, click here.  For more detailed information about the nomination process, click here.

Information on West Newbury Tree and Climate Change: To learn more about how climate change may affect the trees and forests of our Town, click here.          

INFORMATION ABOUT TREE COMMITTEE

Have a Good Idea for the Tree Committee or Want to Help Protect Our Trees?   The Tree Committee welcomes your participation in our activities and your ideas about how we might make a difference in our community as relates to protecting and preserving our trees and forests.  Let us know about your interest and suggestions at treecommittee@wnewbury.org 

The West Newbury Tree Committee was established by the Board of Selectmen on 08/05/2019.  The Committee's mission and charge are described via the tab located in the column on left side of this page.

Board Members

Committee Members

NameTitleTerm
Fred Chanania

Chairperson

7/1/21 to 6/30/24

Vice Chair

7/1/22 to 6/30/25

Kelly Scott

Recording Secretary

12/6/21 to 6/30/24

Claudia Woods

Member

7/1/22 to 6/30/25

Diana Denning

Member

7/1/23 to 6/30/26

Susan M. Dougherty

Associate Member

7/1/23 to 6/30/24

Tree Warden
Ex Officio

Continuous

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