Texas tree lovers converge on Waco

Attendees of the Texas Tree Conference held in Waco, Oct. 24-26, participated in some hands-on tree planting when a special tree commemorating the September 11 attacks was planted on the bank of the Brazos River. -Staff photo by Briskin

November 8, 2001 -- The 15th annual Texas Tree Conference and Trade Show was held at the Waco Convention Center Oct. 24-26. The event attracted tree enthusiasts and professionals from across the state. Attendees participated in educational sessions; round table discussions, business meetings, an awards gala and a non-competitive bike ride through Cameron Park.

This year's event featured a Spanish Track sponsored by the Texas Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture. The sessions provided Hispanic workers with information and training in Spanish. These sessions served to provide the workers with the necessary information to create a safer work environment.

One highlight of the event was a tree planting ceremony attended by Mayor Pro Tem Dr. Mae Jackson. The tree planting took place in Cameron Park and served as one of the kick off events for the entire conference. Jackson addressed participants and discussed the value of trees and programs that promote planting and preservation.

Immediately following the tree planting participants were led on a guided tour along the Brazos River by staff from the Waco Parks Department. The guides provided information about various points of interest along the hike.

During Thursday's concurrent sessions Mike Bradshaw, executive director of the Dallas Trees and Parks Foundation, discussed Dallas' newest urban tree farm project. According to Bradshaw 130 people volunteered to plant the two-acre plot with seedlings.

The trees are available to groups that are interested in improving their urban environment. "We work a lot with neighborhood associations and schools. There is a priest in Dallas that does a lot of the planting and he receives plants from us; any non-profit organization qualifies," said Bradshaw.

One stipulation for groups receiving these trees is that they cannot plant them on private property. "We don't want to compete with the nurseries," he said. "We have a great relationship with the local nurseries and have no desire to compete with them."

Scott Harris of the Urban Orchard Project in Austin updated participants on the orchard project developed by TreeFolks. The project is a partnership with low income housing residents that teaches them to plant and harvest their own fruit and nut trees.

According to Harris the project began as a way to help lower-income groups become more self-sufficient by teaching them to grow their own food. "There are areas of Austin where people are chronically without enough money," said Harris. "A lot of those people also don't have any transportation to get them to the grocery store. An obvious solution to this problem was to give them a perennial source of food in their neighborhood."

The project was accepted with overwhelming enthusiasm, but according to Harris the project faced the difficult hurdle of keeping people interested. "As the months went by, participation dwindled," stated Harris. "Poor people cannot afford to wait; people with the greatest need have a hard time waiting four years for the food that the trees would produce."

Harris reported that they are working out some of the kinks and overall the program has been a success.

Other topics of discussion included how trees benefit urban areas in Texas, financing incentives to protect native resources, and how to choose good trees and get them established.