Norfolk Tree Advisory Board to host Community Tree Information Meeting

The Norfolk Tree Advisory Board will host a Community Tree Information Meeting that is open to all tree board members and anyone interested in promoting tree projects within their community throughout northeast and northcentral Nebraska.  The meeting will be on Thursday, March 31 at the Elkhorn Lodge at Ta-Ha-Zouka Park in Norfolk from 1:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.  The afternoon meeting will be divided into three sessions that will assist community tree boards with planning tree planting projects, what goes into doing a community forestry inventory and the data that is collected, and a question and answer session.

The first session will involve four communities in northeast Nebraska, telling what they learned from successful tree projects and what they would have done differently.  Steve Rasmussen, District Forester with the Nebraska Forest Service, will moderate the discussion of what their projects are and how they’ve made an impact on their communities.

The second session will shift from project ideas to learning about having an inventory completed in your community.  Graham Herbst, Community Forestry Specialist with the Nebraska Forest Service, will go step by step on how a community forestry inventory is accomplished and how the data collected from the inventory can help your community take the best management action to enhance your urban forest.  For communities that are interested in doing an inventory on the trees within the community and on public land, this is a session you don’t want to miss.

The third session will consist of questions and answers with Steve Rasmussen, Graham Herbst, and Pam Bergstrom, Forester with the Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District, moderating the session and putting in their own advice to communities.  All communities who come are encouraged to bring questions of their own and also bring their own advice on what has happened in the past within their own community.

“All communities are invited to attend the tree meeting, bring their questions and also share ideas on how to promote trees,” said Dr. Tom Surber, chairman of the City of Norfolk Tree Advisory Board.

Directions to get to the Elkhorn Lodge: Go to Ta-Ha-Zouka Park on Highway 81 south of Norfolk. Turn into main drive with sign, follow road east to McKinley Avenue. Elkhorn Lodge is the first building on the left on McKinley.

You must register to attend this meeting by contacting Diane Becker at dbecker@ci.norfolk.ne.us or 402.844.2034.