- Building a thriving urban forest takes more than love February 12, 2021 - “Under the canopy of the trees, daily dramas and moving love stories are played out. Here is the last remaining piece of Nature, right on our doorstep.” ― Peter Wohlleben, The Hidden Life of Trees Like us, you may be enjoying the much-needed rainy season and noticing hints of spring, such as the fragrant... read more »
- Tell City Hall: we need more trees February 5, 2021 - “The best available technology for pulling carbon dioxide from the air is something called a tree.” ― Al Gore Sometimes the urban forest needs advocates — people who can “speak for the trees.” This is one of those times: the City is seeking public input on its Climate Action Plan. You and other friends of... read more »
- 5 Trees to Plant for Better Air in San Francisco January 29, 2021 - By Anna Wright One of the biggest benefits of trees is their ability to improve air quality. Urban forests are often called a city’s lungs because they produce oxygen, store carbon, and reduce particulate matter pollution. However, some trees are better at it than others! Urban trees improve local air quality by reducing particulate matter... read more »
- Dan Flanagan to step down; search for new FUF leader begins January 4, 2021 - Dan Flanagan, executive director of Friends of the Urban Forest since 2008, has announced plans to retire this spring. FUF’s board of directors has engaged an executive search firm to find the next successful executive director for the organization. Below, Dan shares thoughts about his decision to step down, and board chair Dawn Kamalanathan provides... read more »
- Healthy Soil November 29, 2020 - The key to a healthy garden (vegetable, habitat, or ornamental) is understanding your soil. Soil requirements can vary among different garden types, but there are a few tried and true tips for building healthy soils. Test your soil Although it’s not required, knowing the primary nutrient levels and pH (scale of acidity) of your soil... read more »
- 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 »