Learn How to Prune Young Trees the Right Way at Young Tree Care Workshop on 1/ 22/11

Keep your trees healthy with proper pruning techniques taught by experienced professionals in a low-cost public workshop. Goleta Valley Beautiful, California ReLeaf, City of Goleta, Santa Barbara Secondary School District and the Central Coast Urban Forest Council are among the co-sponsors of a Young Tree Care Workshop on Saturday January 22nd from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM at the Dos Pueblos High School, 7266 Alameda Avenue in Goleta.

The workshop is open to anyone who is interested in the planting and maintenance of trees in urban landscapes. The workshop will be taught in an easy to follow format by local and state experts in tree care. Members of the public, whether novices or those who have some experience at tree care will benefit, as well as more experienced tree care professionals looking for a refresher. Six community service credits are available for participating students and five continuing education units are available for professionals. Pruning public shade trees will be emphasized, with limited fruit tree pruning discussion.

Workshop leaders Dan Condon, Bill Spiewak, Bill Millar, George Jimenez and Ken Knight will demonstrate techniques that professionals use to care for young public trees. Participants will get actual experience in pruning young trees on the Dos Pueblos High School campus, with all work being done from the ground and no tree climbing involved. A short open book exam and field practice at the end will demonstrate proficiency and ability to assist in future public young tree pruning projects in your area. There will be ample opportunities to discuss your specific questions with the speakers

The workshop is $10 (lunch included) if you register in advance or $20 at the door. Download a registration form or call 685-7910. The workshop is made possible through grants from the Central Coast Urban Forest Council and California ReLeaf.

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City of Goleta and Partners Celebrate National Arbor Day April 30, 2010

Goleta Mayor Eric Onnen helps plant the traditional Arbor Day tree at Girsh Park with the help of City and community officials on Friday, April 30th. As part of the annual National Arbor Day celebrations, local officials planted a native Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia). Goleta Valley Beautiful volunteers grew this tree from an acorn collected from a majestic oak that grew at Kellogg Ranch for several hundred years until it fell last year. Volunteers are using DriWater, a patented non-polymer time-release irrigation method, to keep the tree watered due to lack of irrigation in the immediate area.

Pictured in the photo from left to right are Goleta Mayor Eric Onnen, Helen and Merlyn Cummings from Goleta Valley Beautiful, Maintenance Worker Rafael and Ryan Harrington-Executive Director of Girsh Park, and Goleta City Arborist Bill Millar.

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GVB 36th Annual Award Winners

On Sunday, May 2, Goleta Valley Beautiful hosts its 36th Annual Awards from 12 noon to 3pm at Rancho La Patera & Stow House Garden on 304 N. Los Carneros Rd.

Award winners include:

Single Family Residential: 5588 Berkeley Road/Martin Residence
Multi-Family Residential: 122 Sumida Gardens Lane/Sumida Gardens Apartments
Commercial/Office: 201 Mentor Drive/Mentor Corporation
Parks: Little Acorn Park IVRPD
Non-Profit: 5814 Cathedral Oaks/South Coast Church
Public Institutional: UCSB/San Clemente Student Housing
Goleta Valley Heritage: 399 Nogal Rd/Thomas Hope House
Orchard: Cavalletto Orchard
Homeowners’ Assn: Crown Collection HOA Common Area
2009 NeighborWoods Affordable Housing Tree Planting Project
Golden Shovel Award: Thom Myall
Community Volunteer of the Year: Mimi Elder
Long term Community Contribution: Los Padres Council, BSA

Come join us for a BBQ lunch prepared by the Santa Barbara Elks Lodge #613. Sam Alfano officiates as Master of Ceremonies and the UCSB Bren Grass Band will entertain. A silent auction features incredible values from many local merchants as well as some great out-of-town destinations.

Reservations, including lunch, are $25 for GVB current donor members, $10 for full-time students and $35 for non-members. Call 685-7910 for reservations or visit the GVB store online at www.goletavalleybeautiful.org by 5 PM, Thursday, April 29th.

Goleta Valley Beautiful is a leader in planting and maintaining trees on public land in the Goleta Valley. GVB conducts school programs, and community workshops, clean ups roadside trash and remove graffiti from our neighborhoods; assists neighborhood groups in developing beautification projects for their locale and cultivates thousands of native trees from seed in our greenhouse - - all parts of a commitment to the long-term beautification of the Goleta Valley.

For additional information please contact: Awards Committee Chair Zea Bauer at 967-2211, jbauerjr@gmail.com