- Planting native vs. non-native tree species October 31, 2020 - Very few of the tree species we plant are native; they include Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia) and California Buckeye (Aesculus californica). But few tree species are native to San Francisco, and their populations were small; the western land was mostly sand dunes and the rest was mostly shrubs, grasses, and rocks. Monterey Cypress (Cupressus... read more »
- See a tree problem? Report it! October 22, 2020 - If you notice a street tree that has been damaged or knocked over by a vehicle, or vandalized, or that has dropped a limb or fallen over, or looks like it might fall over, please report it! Friends of the Urban Forest can provide emergency care for small young trees (for about the first five... read more »
- Keeping your block beautiful October 15, 2020 - San Francisco is a challenging place for street trees and sidewalk gardens because of our sandy or clay-like soils, strong salty winds, rainless summers, and many dogs. Even so, we have many mature and beautiful street trees and sidewalk gardens to learn from. We recommend: Regular watering helps plants and young trees (even drought-tolerant species)... read more »
- Self-guided tree walks October 4, 2020 - Thanks to the efforts of three local tree experts, you can enjoy more than a dozen self-guided walking tree tours in various San Francisco neighborhoods. Since April, Mike Sullivan, former FUF board member and author of Trees of San Francisco; Jason Dewees, author of Designing with Palms; and Richard Turner, retired editor of Pacific Horticulture... read more »
- Controlling pests the natural way September 30, 2020 - A gardener’s knee-jerk reaction to pests (whether animal, insect, OR plant) is usually “kill it!” or “pull it!” — but is there a better alternative? Rather than pest eradication, let’s talk about pest management — specifically “integrated pest management” (IPM). IPM is a proactive system that strives to use a variety of pest control methods with... read more »
- Movie/Book Recommendations From FUF September 15, 2020 - By Tatevik Aslanian It’s been difficult to safely get any time outdoors lately, and by now most of us have burned through our watch lists. So I wanted to share a few movies and books that the FUF team and I find inspiring. We also added a number of selections for our younger urban greeners. Hopefully... read more »
- Parks to Experience the Outdoors in San Francisco August 7, 2020 - Written by Vincent Distrola One of my favorite things to do on a day off is pack a small lunch, fill my water bottles, and take a walk. While San Francisco is bordered by beautiful sites such as Muir Woods, Big Basin Redwoods Park, and Yosemite National Park, the city itself is home to... read more »
- Greener Block Award winners for 2020 July 17, 2020 - Every year, Friends of the Urban Forest recognizes a community with the Brian Tsai Greener Block Award (formerly called the “Most Greenified Block Award,” and renamed for a beloved longtime staff member who died earlier this year). We have chosen two winners for 2020: the Oceanview Neighborhood and Carr Street. The award recognizes an area... read more »
- Join us in letter writing for trees! July 1, 2020 - 以下中文说明 | Instrucciones en español a continuación We need your help writing letters to SF residents encouraging them to sign up for a FUF tree. We’ll plant and water their tree for free! Please drop us a line at volunteers@fuf.net to let us know you’ll be writing letters and to find out where... read more »
- Racial justice = environmental justice June 22, 2020 - We want to live in a world where Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) don’t have to bear the burden of environmental injustice, violent over-policing, job discrimination, and inequitable health care, housing, and educational services. We regularly plant trees in neighborhoods that are subject to and affected by discriminatory police practices, institutionalized racism, and... read more »