spruce up austin - 2011

Austin has a very special naturespace right in the middle of thecity — its very own Central Park.The area has evolved, and thanks to SpruceUp Austin, it is now lined with trees andlandscaped, and is a place for all to enjoy.

Spruce trees in the Bandshell plantedby Spruce Up Austin stand out alonga trail through the park. Thanks to awinter storm in April, Austin received

a light dusting of snow.Photo by Eric Johnson

2 THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 2011 AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - SPRUCE UP AUSTIN

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By MIKE RUZEKSpruce Up Austin

This is the 17th year Spruce Up Austin (SUA) has partnered withthe Austin Daily Herald to create this Arbor Day Edition. This publi-cationhas givenSUA the opportunity to promote itsmission by the ar-ticles we present, and financial support has resulted in many treesplanted. The SUA board of directors says ‘thanks’ to the Austin DailyHerald for themany years of support.This year’s Arbor Day Edition is

dedicated to the spruce tree. SUA hasplanted many kinds of spruce overthe years and the pictures throughouttheArborDayEditionhighlight someof the SUA projects. Spruce trees givea year-round look and require very lit-tle maintenance once they are estab-lished. SUA is going tomake an effortto plant more spruce trees by findingareas where groupings of threespruce trees would be a nice additionto the landscape.We will continue to encourage the

residents of Austin to plant moretrees. With the Dutch Elm disease,wind storms, development and thepending Emerald Ash Borer, oururban forest has declined significantly and the demise of the ash treeswill add to a further decline. J. SterlingMorton, the founder of ArborDay, once said, “The cultivation of trees is the cultivation of the good,the beautiful and the ennobling inman.”

SPRUCE UP AUSTIN CELEBRATES 17TH YEAR

Eric Johnson/[email protected]

A large number ofspruce trees planted bySpruce Up Austin likethis one, occupy spotsin Lions Park.

Eric Johnson/[email protected] spruce trees are part of many spruce trees in Lions Park that were planted by Spruce Up Austin.

Spruce Up Austin hadfive board members, with46 years of combinedservice, leave SUA in2010:•Lee Bonorden•Lynn Cunningham•Richard Dixon•James Larson•Heather Vossler

Spruce Up Austin wouldlike to thank you for yourhelp to improve thelandscape of Austin.

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - SPRUCE UP AUSTIN SUNDAY, APRIL 28, 2011 3

3108 4th St. NWAustin, MN 55912

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Minnesota for 26 years.

By GRETCHEN RAMLO

SouthMain Street, The BandShell, Veterans Pavilion, Mar-cussen Ball Park, Rotary Park,Lafayette Park and SkinnersHill, the area is Austin’s veryown Central Park! Very special“green space” right in the mid-dle of our city. The center of allthis land is the corner on SouthMain, also known as the formersite of the Kelly family home.You may have noticed this

corner evolving over the lastcouple of years. Spruce UpAustin has planted trees andlandscaped the center of thisarea. The Windom 4-H alongwith Dolan’s Landscape con-tinue to improve the garden, thePark and Recreation has in-stalled benches and assistedwith the plantings and concretework. The Windom 4-H will

take care of the ongoing main-tenance. What a great partner-ship! The icing on the cakehappened in the fall of 2010. Abronze statue of kids at play(how appropriate) was madepossible by a combination ofgifts from Anderson Memorialand a fund from the estate ofHarold and Lydia Lein thatwere gifted to the Park and Rec.On Arbor Day, Spruce Up

Austinwill add to this area nineflowering crabapple trees ofthree different varieties and agrouping of three spruce trees.This will bring the total treesand spruce planted to 35 since2008.The benches are a great spot

to sit and relax and enjoy theviews! We all hope you enjoy it!

IMPROVEMENTS CONTINUE FOR AUSTIN PARKS

Eric Johnson/[email protected] trees in the Bandshell planted by Spruce Up Austin stand out along a trail through the park after an Aprilsnowstorm.

KIDS AT PLAY STATUE, OTHERCONTRIBUTIONS MADE TO PARKS


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Spruce Up Austincompleted its 21st yearof existence in 2010. Itwas another good yearof our continued workof beautifying thecommunity. A dedi-cated board, terrificsupport by other vol-unteers, and excellent

working relationshipwith businesses andthe Austin Parks andForestry Departmentcontinue as strengthsof Spruce Up Austin.Spruce Up Austin

was directly involvedin projects where morethan $8,560 was spent.

When volunteer timeassociated with theseprojects is taken intoaccount and the inter-nal work of the AustinParks and Forestry De-partment, the value tothe communityamounts to more than$15,097. During the 21-

year history of our or-ganization, the totalvalue to our commu-nity exceeds $409,342.Thirty-five trees andspruce were plantedduring 2010, bringingthe 21-year total to2,503.Other activities in-

cluded the 16th annualArbor Day edition,three yard-of-the-month winners, thegarden tour, a publicseminar, and the booksigning event of au-thor Ann Linnea.

SPRUCE UP AUSTIN 2010 ACTIVITY SUMMARY

By DARLENE THAISEN

It was a beautifulsummer day on June 14,2005, when the AustinZonta Club membersunveiled and dedicatedtheir Peace Statue tothe City of Austin. Thestatue was located nearMill Pond on MainStreet.In recognition of its

50th anniversary, theZonta Club commis-sioned Jeff Andersonto create a sculpturethat embodied theideals and values ofZonta.Anderson said,

“These values are evi-dent in all the symbolsdepicted on the sculp-ture. The hands repre-sent Zonta’s service tomankind. The cube ismulti-faceted, just aspeace and peace keep-ing are multifaceted.”

The cube sits on acorner in a delicate bal-ance, symbolic of all thedelicate balances of allelements of peace andthe efforts toward peace

keeping.“It’s so beautiful you

want to touch it,” for-mermayor Bonnie Rietzsaid.Because of flood mit-

igation efforts, thepeace statue needed tofind a new home. On

April 8, the statue wasrelocated to the newPlaza on First park, lo-cated just south of theMower County Jail andJustice Center.

Jeff Anderson said,"The statue was chosenfor its new location be-cause of an engravingon one side that says‘Peace through Equalityand Justice.’”Reitz, who has been

involved in the Plaza on

First project, said, “Itlooks like it was meantto be there!”The project was

aided by Spruce UpAustin, which donated$1,000 for five trees.Along with the cost ofplants, other materials,labor and sales tax sav-ings, Spruce Up Austindonated $1,548.During these turbu-

lent times, we all have adesire for peace. Makethe Plaza on First a des-tination to enjoy and ap-preciate the new parkand peace statue.

ZONTA PEACE STATUE FINDS A NEW HOME

Right: The “Peace Statue”in the park outside theMower County Justice Cen-ter. The Zonta club movedthe statue from beside MillPond due to flood mitiga-tion efforts.

During these turbulent times,

we all have a desire for

peace. Make the Plaza on

First a destination to enjoy

and appreciate the new

park and peace stature.

SPRUCING UP VALUE•$8,560 spent in 2010•$15,097 value to thecommunity in 2010•$409,342 value tocommunity in 21 yearhistory•2,503 total plantings


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By MIKE RUZEK

Throughout the 21years of operation, thesuccess of Spruce UpAustin has depended onthings such as a goodpartnership with AustinPark and Recreation, thecooperation of busi-nesses, the willingness ofthis community to do-nate, and the variousgroups and individualswho have offered to help

plant. We are grateful forthe support.SUA has no paid staff

and doesn’t rely on fund-ing from any governmentagency. The most impor-tant part of the success isthe long-term, dedicatedboard of 18 directors. Atthe end of 2010, the aver-age length of service ofthe SUA board was 9.9years. Several years ago,SUA decided to honor anyboard member who had

served five or more yearsby planting a spruce treefor them. So far, 28 treeshave been planted in thearea of the veteranspavilion. The front pageshows some of the earlierplantings. All the spruceplanted are associatedwith a name of one whoworkedmany years to im-prove the landscape ofAustin. This is SUA’s wayof saying “thanks!”

THE HONORARY SPRUCE

By KELLY LADY

Honor a friend or lovedone by planting a tree forthem in Austin. In theprocess, share your com-mitment to keeping Austingreen, clean and cool formany years to come.Planting an honorary

tree for someone is a giftthat grows. Your gift can befor a loved one, servicerecognition, birth of achild or anything you canthink of. It is so easy toplant a tree for someone

through our program.Your minimum tax-de-ductible donation of $150pays for your tree plantingand three years of mainte-nance.Spruce Up Austin will

work with you to find theperfect location and perfecttree for your honoraryevent. We will even helpyou plant the tree properlyto give it the best start pos-sible.My late Norwegian

grandmother loved to walkaroundMill Pond.With the

help of SUA, we planted ANorwayMaple there in herhonor and have enjoyedthinking of her over theyears while watching thetree grow.All honorary tree plant-

ings are permanentlyrecorded on our display inthe Mill Pond kiosk.For an application, con-

tact a SUA board memberthrough the Chamber ofCommerce. Or downloadan application fromwww.spruceupaustin.austincoc.com.

MEMORY LIVES ON WITH AN HONORARY TREE

Eric Johnson/[email protected] of several spruce trees planted by Spruce Up Austin next to Mill Pond.

By GARY WYATTReprinted from AGWEEK

ST. PAUL —Conifers are plantedas shelterbelts, windbreaks, livingsnow fences and winter wildlifethermal cover on farms and inother rural areas.They bear cones and sometimes

are called evergreens.The U.S. Postal Service issued

four “Holiday Evergreens” stampsfor the 2010 holidays. Many peoplehave asked the University of Min-nesota Extension Service if thetrees shown on those stamps all canbe grown in Minnesota. The an-swer is ‘yes.’Let’s review some important

characteristics for each of theconifers featured on the stamps:

CedarEastern Red Cedar is native to

the southern half of Minnesota,hardy to zone 3B. Trees are small to

medium in heigh, 25-50 feet tallwith trunks up to 24 inches in di-ameter. Foliage can be prickly orsharp, scale-like shaped needles.Red cedars thrive in poor soils.They provide erosion control, coverfor wildlife and are used for wind-breaks. They aggressively canmove into pastures, edges andgrass plantings, but can be con-trolled by cutting the stump close tothe ground. Berry-like cones areconsumed by birds, and wildlife,which disperse the seeds. Aro-matic, rose-colored wood is strongand used for cabinets and chests.

SpruceBlue Spruce was introduced

from the central and southernRocky Mountains, and is hardy tozone 3A. Trees aremedium to large,30-60 feet tall with a trunk up to 36inches in diameter. Needles areone-quarter inch to 1 1/2 inches

long with sharp tips. Colorcan vary by tree from green,bluish-green or silver-blue.Cones are 2-4 inches long.Blue spruce are shade-toler-ant, slow-growing and long-lived.Mature trees can be dis-

figured or killed by cys-tospora canker orrhizosphaera needlecast dis-ease. A recommended sprucewhich is tolerant of thesediseases is the white spruce,also called Black Hillsspruce. Black Hills spruce isused in ornamental and shel-

terbelt plantings.

PinePonderosa Pine is an introduced

species from western North Amer-ica, hardy to zone 3B.Trees are large, 40-70 feet tall, or

taller, with a trunk up to 48 inchesin diameter. Needles are 5-8 incheslong, two or three per bundle, stiffand dark green. Cones are 3-6inches long. These trees are mod-erately fast-growing and long-lived;however, they do not tolerateshade.

FirBalsam Fir is native to north-

eastern and southeastern Min-nesota, hardy to zone 3A. Trees aremedium, 40-75 feet tall with a trunk18 inches in diameter. Needles arelinear-shaped, from 1/2 inch to 1inch long and shiny green. Conesare 2-4 inches long, erect, and purpleto purplish-brown.Trees are shade-tolerant, slow-

growing, and popular for Christ-mas trees and decorative crafts.They do not perform well in thehot, windy and dry locations ofMinnesota.Trees can be purchased from

nurseries or county soil and con-servation districts that sell trees forspring planting.When identifying trees to plant

in your landscape, refer to the Ex-tension Service’s “My MinnesotaWoods” website,www.extension.umn.edu/go/1057.

By CHRIS STEPPMinn. DNR

Minnesotans will havesomething new to cele-brate this summer in ad-dition to Arbor Day,Fourth of July and LaborDay. The Minnesota For-est Service, now knownas the DNR Division ofForestry, will be 100 yearsold on June 22nd. Thisanti-fire, pro-forestagency was establishedby theMinnesota Legisla-ture in response to thehistoric Baudette-Spooner fire of 1910. Thisfire burned more than300,000 acres of land andforest destroying thou-sands of trees includingmassive red pines.One of the first steps

that the Division ofForestry did was tolaunch a campaign topurchase land that couldbe set aside for stateforests. They also startedplanting trees to replacethe ones that were lost tofire and commercial log-ging. By the 1940s thisforestry program withthe help of the CivilianConservation Corps wereable to plantmore than 25million pine and othernative trees. This act alsohelped give birth to the 58state forest areas that weenjoy today.The red pine was also

designated as the Min-nesota state tree in 1953by a bill signed by Gov.Elmer Anderson. This”sturdy andmajestic tree”as described in the bill,was very desirable forplanting in connectionwith the reforestationprogram. It also helpedlay the foundation formuch of the wealth ofour state.The (DNR) Division of

Forestry today, is stillworking hard today to re-forest as much land asthey can. Their goal is tonever allow more trees tobe lost to fire or loggingthan what can be re-placed in a sustainablemanner.When we get together

with family and friendsthis summer to do ourtraditional activities,look to add onemore. Youcan help celebrate the 100years of proactive effortsput forth by the (DNR) Di-vision of Forestry byplanting a tree. A goodchoice to plant would be ared pine which is ourstate tree and can live tobe over 100 years old. Ican think of no other treeto plant that would givebetter recognition to thepast and future efforts ofthe Minnesota ForestService.

SOMETHING TOCELEBRATE


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CONIFER TREES WORK FOR SHELTERBELTS


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County resident all you have to do isstop at the Environmental Servicesoffice at 1105 1/2 8th Ave. NE, Austin

and pick up a set of three recycling bins.

Feel free to call if you have questions about recycling.

By HOWARD NEPPSpruce Up Austin

Can you tell the difference be-tween the three Minnesota na-tive evergreens; spruce, fir orthe pine tree? We tell the differ-ence between deciduous trees bytheir leaves or bark, it is thesame for the conifers only youlook at the difference of the nee-dles and cones not relying somuch on the bark. They are allcalled evergreens because theykeep their color even in the win-ter. This gives our landscape agreen look year-round. Theymake great wind blocks, won-derful Christmas trees, and arebeing usedmore andmore as theornamental tree. Some sprucetrees will grow 60 feet tall, 20 feetwide and live more than 200years. Because of their size,some spruce species can be usedas shade, which keeps the airaround your home cooler. Thiswill reduce the amount of en-

ergy used to cool or heat thebuildings aroundwhich they areplanted. Another benefit that afull-size spruce brings is erosionprevention. The root system cancover a large area and absorbwater quickly, which reducesrunoff and flooding. The needles

slow the rain as it falls, allowingmore time to soak in and pre-vent soil erosion and flashfloods.Last year, the Park and

Recreation and the Countyplanted replacement trees alongFirst Street NE, and among

them are five Baby Blue Eyesspruce. Spruce trees were alsoadded to the project at the Habi-tat for Humanity and replace-ment trees in Todd Park. SpruceUp Austin also provided threespruce trees to the CornerstoneAssembly Church youth groupto plant in Todd Park during its“Earthbeat” day.Here are some facts taken

from the Iowa State UniversityExtension news. The “leaves” ofconifers are of course their nee-dles. On true pine trees, the nee-dles are arranged and attachedto the branches in clusters oftwo (red pine group), three (yel-low pine group), or five (whitepine group) needles per cluster.Spruce and fir trees have theirneedles attached individually tothe branches. Spruce needlesare sharply pointed, square andeasy to roll between your fin-gers. Fir needles are softer, flatand cannot roll between your

fingers. All trees shed their nee-dles, normally slow and in thefall. There is a difference in thecones. The cones contain theseeds, which are found betweenthe scales. Pinecone scales arewoody in nature, with a rigidfeel. In contrast, spruce coneshave thinner scales thanpinecones, which give them amore flexible feel.So next time you want to

plant a tree, remember thespruce!

THE EVERGREEN TREE

Eric Johnson/[email protected] spruce trees planted by Spruce Up Austin line Mill Pond.

NATIVE TREES KEEP AUSTIN GREEN YEAR-ROUND—Evergreen treesmake great windblocks, wonderfulChristmas trees,and are beingused more andmore as the orna-mental tree.


By BONNIE MOGENand JAN CHUICKSpruce up Austin

Spruce Up Austin isnow in its 22nd year ofexistence. Over theyears, countless indi-viduals, organizationsand busi-nesses havesupported usin variousways. Wewould like torecognize afew of our 2010supporters.TheHormel

Founda t i onenabled us toreplant trees that werelost in the Todd Parkarea following the pre-vious summer tor-nado. The foundationhas been a continuingcontributor and sup-porter.The Austin Daily

Herald's yearly contri-bution through theArbor Day tab and theAustin Utilities yearlycontribution helps usto continue our plant-ing of trees and main-tenance of area parks

and past projects.This would not be

possible without thepartnership that wehave with the AustinPark and Rec who pro-vide us with manpower, knowledge,equipment and our

never ending supply ofmulch.A new venture for

Spruce Up Austin in2010 was supportingAnn Linnea, author of“Keeper of the Trees.”A portion of her book

sales in Austinwas donated toSUA.The Austin

Chamber hasgiven us won-derful supportand made them-selves availableto us whenneeded.To the count-

less volunteers, thenurseries, media in-volvement, sharing ofyards by home owners,donators and to theSpruce Up AustinBoard of Directors, wegive a heartfelt ‘thankyou!’

To the people who

have helpedmake

Spruce UpAustin

possible, we give a

heartfelt ‘thank you!’

Eric Johnson/[email protected] spruce trees planted by Spruce Up Austin line a small patch of land between Eighth AvenueNE and the Interstate 90 on-ramp at 11th Drive NE.

A BIG ‘THANK YOU’ TO ALL

spruce up austin - 2011

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