Walking Tour

Architect of the Capitol
Grounds & US Botanic Garden

Time: 9:00 - 12:30

Tour the Capitol Grounds, including the US Botanic Garden and Bartholdi Fountain & Gardens. Explore a unique and historic landscape, rich in history. The U.S. Capitol Building is located in a 58-acre park originally landscaped by Frederick Law Olmsted in 1874. It was named an accredited arboretum in 2017. Visit the many historic trees, take in sweeping views of the city, and learn about ongoing collaborations between the Architect of the Capitol, US Forest Service and Washington, DC’s Urban Forestry Division around reuse of the US Capitol Christmas Tree.

Topics Covered:

• Urban Wood Reuse
• Historic Preservation
• Landscape Design

Instructions: Please meet at Garfield Monument at the intersection of Maryland Ave SW and 1st St SW at 9:00 A.M. EST.

Bus Tour

Casey Trees Farm//DC State Nursery//Sawmill Demo & Tour – In Partnership with the Urban Wood Network

Time: 9:00 - 17:00

Casey Trees, The Urban Wood Network and DC Urban Forestry Division will be partnering for a field trip to the Casey Tree Farm in beautiful Clarke County, Virginia. The Casey Tree Farm, originally surveyed by our nation’s first President and avid horticulturalist George Washington, occupies 730 acres of land along the Shenandoah River in Berryville, VA. The Casey Tree Farm is a partnership with The District Department of Transportation Forestry Division, serving as the DC State Tree Nursery.

Casey Trees has dedicated 100 acres of land to sustainable tree production using techniques that prioritize long-term soil health and productivity while safeguarding the overall environment. Over forty species of shade and flowering trees are grown at the Casey Trees farm!

This all day field trip will include a tour of the tree nursery, a sawmilling demonstration, and a display of urban wood products from local wood artisan and UWN member Ron Light.

Nationally, more wood is harvested from urban forests each year than from National Forests. While DDOT has been recycling all of its wood resources for years, the recent addition of a sawmill, located at the Casey Tree Farm, provides many new opportunities available for repurposing our public trees when they need to be removed. The Urban Forestry Department (UFD) in Washington D.C. offers schools and parks the opportunity to enjoy a variety of useful products to improve school grounds and parks at no cost. Made from upcycled public trees, these finely crafted benches, stumps, and other seating structures serve as living classrooms and natural storage lockers for carbon, all the while connecting students to the natural resources around them.

The Urban Wood Network is a network of municipalities, arborists, sawmills, suppliers, manufacturers & makers, professionals, and stakeholders filling the role as an advocate and collaborator for the best use of our nation’s urban wood resources. UWN’s mantra is always “Trees First, Wood Next” which exemplifies the organization’s dedication to the professional care and “full circle management” of our urban forest resources including the planned use of the resource at the end of a tree’s life.

Many urban tree removal practices view felled urban trees as costly waste, but we know this is a resource worth utilizing. When processed, sold, and utilized to its highest value, the U.S. could produce nearly 8 billion board feet of urban-sourced lumber annually, a figure which excludes even more urban wood from the deconstruction of old buildings. This viable resource is bolstering local economies, reducing expenses for communities, and providing a sustainable, renewable resource to beautify our homes, workplaces, and neighborhoods.

Topics Covered:

• Nursery Management
• Urban Wood Reuse
• Local Government/Non- Profit Partnerships

Instructions: The bus will depart from the hotel promptly at 9:00 A.M., please meet at the hotel lobby at 8:45 to load onto the bus.

Walking Tour

Smithsonian Gardens/National Mall

Time: 9:00 - 12:30

Tour the many splendid gardens managed by Smithsonian Gardens, a core organizing member of the WFUF. Smithsonian Gardens celebrates 50 years of Engaging, Informing and Inspiring billions of local, national and international visitors. It has been truly amazing to witness the growth and positive impact that Smithsonian Gardens has experienced as it has matured into a world-class public garden and living museum.

Topics Covered:

• Public Grounds & Gardens
• Plant Collections
• Structural Pruning Best Practices

Instructions: Please meet at Enid Haupt Garden, 1050 Independence Ave SW, Washington, DC 20560 at 9:00 AM EST.

Walking Tour

US National Arboretum

Time: 13:00 - 16:00

Explore the stunning collections of the USNA and tour a restored stream, Hickey Run, which passes through the Arboretum as it approaches the Historic Anacostia River. The U.S. National Arboretum enhances the economic, environmental, and aesthetic value of ornamental and landscape plants through long-term, multi-disciplinary research, conservation of genetic resources, and interpretative gardens and exhibits. In addition to the collections and research, learn how the Friends of the National Arboretum work in partnership to advance the mission of the National Arboretum.

Topics Covered:

• Collections
• Plant Breeding & Improvement
• Interpretation
• Non-Profit Collaboration

Instructions: The bus will depart from the hotel promptly at 13:00, please meet at the hotel lobby at 12:45 to load onto the bus. Please wear comfortable shoes as there will be lots of walking once at the Arboretum.

Bicycle Tour

Tree Tour by Bicycle

Time: 13:00 - 16:30

Explore the City of Trees, by bicycle! Travel along the banks of the Anacostia River, on dedicated bike trails, to observe the natural beauty of Washington, DC! Stops will be made at key points to observe wildlife, learn about the history of the site, and review upcoming plans for environmental education along the route!

Topics Covered:

• Sustainable Cities
• Non-Profit Collaboration
• Recreation

Instructions: Please meet at the intersection of M St SE and New Jersey Ave SE at 13:00.

Indoor/Walking Tour

Urban Forest Inventory & Analysis Overview, and My City’s Trees App Training

Time, two options: 9:00 - 12:00 / 13:00 - 16:00

Ever wonder about the extent and condition of urban forests within your community? -or even across your nation? Wish you had access to consistent inventory data of a known quality across multiple cities?  Join USDA Forest Service researchers and their cooperators here in Washington in an interactive exploration of recently published city wide data sets resulting from the expansion of the Forest Service’s Forest Inventory & Analysis’s (FIA) long-term forest monitoring program that now includes urban areas (Urban FIA).  This expansion will eventually include about 100 cities as well as additional urban areas across the country.  Our time together will start indoors reviewing case studies in Washington, DC using the My City’s Trees data summary application as well as learning how to access and utilize data sets through the Urban Forest Stats application.  Additional discussions will include the power of linking long-monitoring inventories with other urban tree inventories.  The session will then transition to a walking tour through a nearby waterfront neighborhood to demonstrate data collection protocols across varied vegetation, land uses, and ownerships. Urban FIA maybe the first ongoing nationwide urban forest inventory of its kind. Using a standard data collection and quality control protocol while installing and measuring permanent research plots located on both public and private land in major cities and other urban areas across the United States. The Urban FIA program partners with the internationally recognized i-Tree program to implement an annualized inventory of trees in urban settings, including the status and trends of trees and forests, and assessments of their ecosystem services, values, health, and risk to pests and diseases.

Instructions: The tour begins at the District Dept of Transportation, 250 M Street SE. Meet in Room 124 at 9:00 for the morning session and 13:00 for the afternoon session. After ~1 hour of indoor discussion we’ll head out for a walk that will end at the waterfront in Yards Park (.85 mile).

Bus Tour

Washington, DC Food Forest

Time: 9:00 - 16:00

Join Food Forest designer Lincoln Smith, Founder of Forested, on a tour of several food forests in Washington, DC and nearby communities in Hyattsville and Bowie Maryland. Hear from stewards of the space on community use, explore food forest designs and plant palettes, and discover the year-round benefits these spaces provide. The tour will also focus on creative reuse of urban wood to make spaces more accessible, and increase the area available for production.

Instructions: Please meet in the hotel lobby promptly at 8:40 to board the bus. The bus will take off at 9:00.