On Saturday, June 18, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. the inaugural crew of 11 volunteer Tree Stewards will prune and care for young street trees in the Mangan Park neighborhood, just north of Barger on Mangan. The cohort participated in seven hours of classroom training in May and June that covered tree care, including tree biology, tree identification, the science and art of pruning, and traffic and work safety. This weekend, they will put their skills to the test and actually do some pruning in the hands-on portion of the training. Sponsored by the City's NeighborWoods program and its community partner, Eugene Tree Foundation, and facilitated by local certified arborists, the new program is designed to better meet the need for tree pruning and maintenance in Eugene's growing urban forest, especially young, recently planted trees, by forming a crew of trained volunteers that can be mobilized on a regular basis to perform crucial structure pruning. Funded in part by a Community Forestry Assistance Grant from the Oregon Department of Forestry, the program provides the comprehensive training in exchange for 20 hours of service.

Tree Stewards also monitor and record statistical information about the health of street trees. Those interested in a leadership role can become an advanced Tree Steward which includes taking a lead role in projects, helping recruit and train new stewards, inspecting trees, and making customer contact.

The NeighborWoods program works with local businesses, school groups, community groups, and neighbors to build Eugene's urban forest and improve water quality by planting and caring for street trees. For more information about the Tree Steward program, call 682-4831.

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