 Yeah, so There's nobody in the attendee list, so then it can I make you co-host? Sure, I don't I don't even know what what responsibilities is that a quiet require of me Julian's coming in and Britt is coming in promoting the panelist Would you rather I was planning on taking notes, but oh, no, no, no, that's what we want. Oh, okay. Yeah Okay, I think Julian said he oh, there he is. Okay. He was having the same message that I was getting. Yeah, we all had that Alan had no No signal he was trying to join the meeting and start the meeting so To join long enough to do this, but we couldn't hear him. So there's an invite link. I don't have What was her name the woman came My brain can't remember was it Lindsay? I think so Julian was it Lindsay the woman who joined us Saturday? Lindsay walk-ins. Yes. Um, that's who was here last time and Alan I believe is on vacation with his. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, we we already dealt with Alan He's gonna try to join again. He's So if I make you host Bennett, you can then invite Lindsay unless you can invite her out of participants where you are now Click on the arrow next to participants Yeah Invite yeah, no, I don't I can't do anything. Okay, so I'm gonna promote you to host And then you'd be able to do that co-host We all should have the minutes and the Agenda so I don't have to share them, right Is that gets complicated to that was why I'd make you someone a co-host was to use now All right slow start once again Julian is still there Yep, I'm just grabbing a drink. Sorry. Okay. No problem. Just wanted to check in so we have a quorum I don't know if Sarah is coming. I thought she was but We can start without her and sat without Lindsay Did we not have an we had an August meeting didn't know we had our we had the picnic. That's right. Okay. Yeah So, alright Can we approve the minutes that everyone read them and oh my Sorry, I got let me know of this It's a little better Okay Can we approve the minutes? All in favor thumbs up I Okay, minutes are approved and let's do ours while we're doing this Ellen That just be clear. This would be from July since we didn't record hours last month Um, I don't remember Um, I don't think we recorded because we didn't have our meeting, right? Yeah, but I might have taken minutes anyway I feel like you did I I remember you taking them Let me look look it's on Google Drive actually someone check that I added the The hours to the Google Drive. I'll raise you. I'll see if I can do it I didn't know if to drive I don't remember reporting hours for last month, but I won't see it in Drive. So let me Okay The account saying it needs to verify Lucia shown as iPhone or something What is showing that? The Google Drive account. Oh, it has like a dual factor authentication thing that goes Yeah, see yeah Yeah, I have no hours on there. So I just crush shut the wrong one. I have no hours. So we need to do ours. Yes Okay Down for seven So, I'm sorry Ellen since July how many oh god, I don't know four Then it seven, okay Right, I'm gonna say seven Julian 15 How many for me I don't remember either I'll say Yeah, probably 15. Well, you were at all the events I was at so it probably is about the same Okay, and then we had one person who joined us for the The inventory so she gets three hours for that put that down as adult volunteers. All right, uh So I don't know where she is still not showing up. Did you send her an invite and it? I'm sorry. I don't know how to send her an invite. I don't have her email address. Oh, yeah, I do have her email address I got it the other day. That's why I suggested you do it to me. Okay. Yeah. Yeah, sorry No apologies Yeah, it's like So now the agenda That's frustrating not having Alan. He said he was gonna be here and then he couldn't make it in So we prove the ministry of the hour as the chairs report. Should I do that now? Yeah, um I was looking through old notes about the committee and things we talked about doing and one of the things that came up was Alan Said that Guilford had wanted us to write something up about the loss of ash trees in Amherst and we've never done that So if somebody wants to take that on right up some sort of I guess it would be an op-ed letter or something that we'd put out Saying this is what's happening with ash trees in the world and you know in our town Yeah, so the audience for that is just to kind of communicate to the public why the town is removing These ash trees given the broader context of emerald ash borer, etc. Is that right? Yeah Yeah, and we could include other trees too, but um specifically focus on that so Think about that would be good if someone would write that and the Gazette would be the target or what's the Yeah, we also put it on our website and you know other places on the Facebook Okay, so just like an internal like not necessarily Just public-facing like from the committee, but not necessarily a third-party publication What do you mean third party like like external to us like the Gazette or something? No, no, I would say get it into the Gazette. Yeah Okay, that's the way to reach the most people get it into the indie You know, maybe a press release that we send out to both of them and even Wwlp or something like that NPR, you know, or Yeah, media. Um, I guess I could do that. All right Yeah, I've noted that and they can the minutes and you put names in red when people say they'll do things Right, I'm gonna write this down for myself. So I actually did Yeah, there's just a lot of things Brit. So thank you. But you know We all need to be doing that a little bit. Um, I have a question about that real quick. Um, is this in response are people Asking about what's gone like is it in response any sort of public question about tree removal or it's just a proactive This is what's going on. Here's how we're like Addressing it type thing. Yeah, I think it'd be better if Allen was here, but I think so far it's um It's been um, they haven't taken down that many yet But it's you know, the tip of the iceberg is about to be a lot of them taken down so it's My understanding is gilford and allen just want the public to be aware because It'll be a bit surprising when these relatively large trees have to come down Understanding that they otherwise would be living with exception of this disease Right Yeah, yeah, so maybe it's a broader piece that talks a little bit about like new england forest health um, and I was at the talk at the Tree city usa awards where the head of forest health For for dcr gave like an absolutely comprehensive and fascinating talk on all of these challenges including emerald ash borer um, so I can write something short Maybe more like a letter than a full op-ed Yeah, okay, and I guess like like from the committee So I could send it to everybody first or yeah, okay Should we take some photos of those trees that are coming down so people are aware it's gonna happen Just to include with the article That's good. Yeah, I walked I walked by I know a bunch of them are supposed to come down at kendrick park right at the tip of that Park there and I walked by this morning on the way to work and there were a bunch of Town trucks there and I thought that's what was happening and it was actually just like a water project. I think or some a sewer and water line from the street into the park because There's been a grant to put bathrooms in the toilet. That's right. Yes, that's right. Okay, so that's that was So do we know what the timeline is then julian for the removal of these trees like like how fast do we if if if They're wanting this out Preemptively right like what is the timeline and maybe you don't know that maybe only alan knows that but yeah I mean it depends on how quickly the disease progresses He are in Amherst, but I would Assume we'll probably start seeing it next spring No, I think they're planning to take him down this fall I'm just wondering like when I think that's what alan said. Yeah I was Maybe I'm incorrect. You would have to ask him to be completely sure Yeah, I don't think they're taking them down To prevent the beetles from spreading. I think they're already they're already gone I think they're taking them down because the trees are going to be at risk of falling fairly quickly as they start dying Right and it'd be great to get a photo of the top of that park because those are all ash trees that are all dying so yeah Yeah, okay, I can I'll I'll when I walk to campus on Thursday morning. I'll do that Okay, great no other attendees so Okay, check that. All right. Um, then um, the dcr is doing another tree steward training It's october 13th and 27th And it's a really great program. Some of us have been through that. I haven't actually but sarah has julie and you have right Yeah So it's a two-day training. It's not very expensive, but if you need help the committee can help pay for that We've done that before so Anybody wants where do we find information about that? Um, I'll send out the link. Um, it's in the um The urban far the urban forest the newsletter that comes out got it. Okay. Yeah, that's where that's where it is Or just, you know mass dcr it should be there too um There's a new pest that alan would probably tell us about. I don't think it's an amrist yet It's called the elm zigzag sawfly great name, but They attack the leaves and can defoliate elms that are already struggling from other things. So I think it's a co-morbidity kind of thing um alan Asked me about the block party and it just hit at a bad time And I didn't bring it up to the group, but I think we have a table if we want a table at the block party I don't think I can be there. That's one problem, but You were still thing last year That was a few years ago. No last year you were on stilts. I remember I don't think it was me I was there at one point, but it's been some years. I think yeah um, so does anybody want to take that on and To be contacting alan and finding out what It's thursday week It's this thursday week It's the 21st. I believe it's a week from thursday Yeah, we don't have to do it. It's just another opportunity to get word out about the ash trees and other things Is the block party going that far down down to kendrick park. Yeah, let's go down to kendrick park. I think does um, I know the dpw will be there and have some resources and Stuff like that at the block party But i'm not sure if we want to set up near One of their trucks or if we want to set up near kendrick park or what we we would think is best I think alan reserved us a table in case we wanted awesome. Okay But it just requires getting the literature and the signs and getting them up and staffing it nice I feel like we would do We would be better served spending our time at public facing events when we have The inventory stuff sorted out to publicize that and solicit volunteers for that But I suppose we could also use that to solicit volunteers Or have people sign up and I have some Like nice looking signage that my students created last spring for their like tree their tree fest event that was related to the inventory actually um and how people could Look at the inventory and you know that kind of thing So whether that becomes relevant for next thursday or a future event, you know, I have a bunch of stuff that we can use at Tables in the future including also like a tree trivia game that they made With like you spin a wheel and then you get categories and Signs for different trees and amorous that kind of thing. So I have like a ton of materials that came from that That's really fun. I love that Yeah, and we also have the signs that Bennett wrote the slogans for the The lawn signs and we have some flyers and things Yeah, but you know, especially, you know next spring we'll be at the same sustainability festival again and uh, we probably maybe need a subcommittee to work on Tabling and you know, how our display is going to look and what type of things we put out what we need right So keep that hate giving out flyers just feels like it's Atheetical to what we do Yeah, we use for our stuff. We use signs with qr codes, you know, so you could just take your phone and do our great website I don't personally feel particularly moved to Table next thursday, but if others are tabling I will participate I feel like we always get lost in the shuffle of Other stuff at that at the block party like the sustainability festival Is much more like Not that, you know, I mean there's a you could make the case that well We need to be in places that are unexpected because because of that reason alone, but I don't know man. The block party is pretty chaotic and I feel like we're just You know, if we have like when the path that we had giveaways or pen I don't know what we gave away in the past. It's just like Hey, here's a thing you just throw stuff out and not really making an impact Yeah, although we reach people who are less Aware of the issue perhaps sure Yeah, I think the most useful thing is not that we're giving out flyers But that people come up to us and talk to us about trees That's true and it is less of a self-selecting audience than the sustainability fest for example True. Yeah, although a higher drinking audience More likely to sign up for the newsletter There we go. Yeah Now you've got my attention We can get over 200 subscribers That's right. Yeah All right, um, I was I was just thinking um With the but we have to talk to allen with the ash trees. Um Coming down if there was a way to use that as a public service announcement thing at during block party, but Seems kind of depressing The block party is pretty celebratory and we'd just be a downer. So I probably just didn't do that Somebody I can't remember if it was some dcr. I feel like it was a dcr event. They were giving out emerald ash borer tattoos That's about that's exciting That's relevant There were asian longhorn beetle tattoos before that Yes. Yeah, I might have one of those somewhere too. Um Yeah, that's a good point and I guess back to this to the ash trees coming down there's this question of What to do with the wood other than just chip it And I guess there's no other space on the agenda for me to report this But I had volunteered to connect with shon mahoni of dcr who runs there um I don't remember what they call it, but he had given this presentation in june or may Uh about reusing wood from decommissioned public trees And so he was on parental leave. So we finally connected and we need to have a phone call To share, you know to to kind of like hear his ideas for amherst and and talk a little bit about Things and my understanding is that he's based part time at umas. So he's he's in the area Um, so I will follow up on that with him I just got a reply from him Like last week and I just haven't had a chance to to follow up on that but perhaps the emerald Sorry, the ash trees, you know Maybe that's an opportunity to think about Using the wood in a in a different way than just chipping No spam call. All right. Um Yeah, well that's that is on you know, it's it's in my notes. I was didn't get to it yet Okay, okay. You've talked about the wood bank before No, it's fine. It's good to bring it up. Yeah, not just wood bank, but also like other ideas around that. Yeah Okay. Yeah, that's great um What else? Oh, I got a phone call this morning. I was sitting at my desk and the phone rang and it was a woman from the gazette who wanted to interview me because I had signed on to the The letter supporting the municipal forest bill in state house And i'm not sure how she got my number But anyway, she called and read a nice chat. She asked why it was important why it was important for amherst and It's going to be a think in tomorrow's gazette, but maybe not tomorrow, but soon So that was nice. Um And then uh, Mindy sent an email around that you forwarded, but I also got it from her And the hearing is tonight Um, it's happening right now. Yeah right now. We're started at six. I think so We could join later. It's a hearing on uh using forest as climate solutions Which is the opposite of using forest to put up solar farms, you know, so Yeah It'd be good if someone can go to that after we're done here What time does it go until I think it goes till eight or eight thirty Julie Julian you've been more involved in that Yeah Yeah, um, I think I have another meeting at seven, but if it goes till eight 30 We all go then on Julian's got homework like literal things that have to be done tonight, right? No, no, that is uh, that is I have a meeting at seven and then I um And then if I would go to this at eight, I'd go to that till eight 30 Hopefully and after that I have four pieces of AP homework, which will probably keep me up late at night If I ever take your class at umas you'll I'll be asking you to not give me homework But you'll want to do her homework All right, other things for the chair's report, um Oh, I think um, we need a pr committee or subcommittee in general with someone to be like the head of pr um, you know phyllis, uh Can't think of her last name has a column every week in the bulletin Scott mersbach will God's laugh. Yep. Yeah, there's the emmerist indie. There's lots of places that we could be Talking up trees or getting our events published, you know Like phyllis would be happy to put a bit saying, you know, the tree committee has a meeting or the tree committee has a Uh inventory coming up So but we have to reach out to get get all those things and I have not been that good at that I I agree. I think a pr type thing. It would be more in depth. I feel like social media is almost just surface level type stuff not Um, not as in depth out in the community as we should be going Yeah I think that's one way the committee is not succeeding right now We don't have someone doing that and reaching out. So I feel like everything that we have put in the papers has actually gotten quite a response like, um, when we Publicized the mary maple event last year And when we publicized Uh, or somebody actually con I don't even remember who it was somebody contacted me and said Can I publicize that you are giving away pieces of the mary maple from your home and have them email you? and I was like sure and then I got like 60 emails from People in the community who hadn't otherwise heard about it So I think the papers are A tool for connecting with you know folks over 25 Or 30 maybe like over 40. I don't know older folks who are not as plugged in on the social media side of things Um, I think we need to do this on social media, too Yes, of course Shashana was posting and she's really hasn't done much at all So I've done the last bunch of posting and it's always last minute and I'm not great with social media. So Yeah, I I'm happy to take over. I don't do I haven't done facebook in like 12 years. I don't I don't know how that works these days, but the instagram stuff. I'm happy to Take that over if that's helpful I don't know if that's helpful, but I'll put that out there Well julian's been doing instagram, but um, yeah, if you want to do it. It's another thing off of my back That's awesome, but I'm happy to do the instagram stuff because I feel like I've seen a lot of like other posts recently where I'm like Oh, we could share that Maybe if you want to do the instagram stuff, I could try to Uh, at least be a point person for maybe writing some stuff in the newspaper Yeah, cool Yeah, sure. Well, I just need like the login info at some point then I uh, we'll email that to you right now great And benet on the um emails you send out does it include our instagram and facebook? Thing yeah, great. Okay. Yeah, it says like we're friends, right? Oh, yeah. Yeah, so probably updated, but That one's easy The other thing that I could do is you know, I mean I could like What's her name and the Phyllis for example like I could always forward think you know, like after the newsletter goes out and she's for example is on our list But you know, I could forward it to her to mendy or whoever and say Special note. I wanted you to see this. Um, you know, we have You know an upcoming tree inventory event. I would love to get people out for that or something like that, which is Not quite a full Full-flight pr strategy, but Better than what we're doing Maybe great if you did that every month. That would be your big help and and benet art keen At the indy. I think they're hungry for content And so I think anything that you send him About events and such will he'll just automatically put that in there I agree. They tend to post pretty much everything on the town website as well Just to get that out there. So that's right If we added like a paragraph or a couple of sentences or something about, you know, this is what's happening beyond what's available on the town website I I know that that he would share that and I was surprised they got like 40,000 something views for a little blog You know, okay What's um the guy's name art keen k e and e He was a professor at UMass at some point. I I can't remember what Department but he I mean, he's reached out to me and said like, hey, will you write a column about hiking in Amherst and like I don't I I don't have the time But um You know, and then he like when we did the mary maple stuff and it was in the gazette He reached out to me and said could we include could we publish this in the indy? Would you write up like what you said at that event like there are supporters of trees and I think interested in helping to spread the word In whatever way they can so Great. I think that'd be a big step toward that. Um Yeah, there's something uh, I think I'll change on the agenda. It says right now social media. I think I'm going to just say PR and media in general. Yeah good right, um The only other thing I have for the chair's report is uh, that I'm thinking of stepping down as chair And julian's interest in being chair, although maybe he has too much work going on. I don't know What do you think I think I I would do it But I don't think I do as good a job of it as you partly because I have so much going on and partly Uh, because I don't have as much experience as you do at it I would take my best shot at it and welcome everybody's criticism of how to do better What I would suggest also julian is like feel free to protect your time and your senior year of high school and Um, like it's okay. I feel like learning to say no to things is something that many of us develop as A skill later on in life. So like It's also okay to say no to things. Yeah. Yeah Says the person who agreed to write the op-ed about the ash bores. Yes I need to take my own lessons all the time. Like and I don't so I thought julian if you're Gotcha. No, my friends are telling me the same thing, but I'm always like go get it. Go get it So the youngest chair of the History it looked pretty cool Jane Fonda said she didn't learn that no was a complete sentence till she was in her 80s. So Yeah Especially true of women To say no, but um julian. Thank you if you step up. Um, you definitely get support from all of us awesome And if I do want to step down and julian doesn't want to somebody else might think about becoming the chair so Keep that in mind. If anyone's interested, please. I don't want to stifle anyone's interest That's very kind of you. Yeah Is anyone by the way coming up for reelection or I guess You know the three year. I guess that'd be next june or something. I term ends in I I just got reinstated. Um, I got the paperwork in july, but I just got sworn in to this morning. So Finally officially did it Yeah All right, uh, that's all for the chair's report. Um julian do you have something to add for the vice chair? Uh, I was just gonna say about the I've noticed quite a lot of Believes falling off of the apple trees and other little ornamental trees like that. Um So I noticed that and then the other thing That I think is worth Noting that I spoke about a little via email But I really want to get to the bottom of what happened with that amherst college tree because I understand allen seemed to lay out a great process and the town's trying to be as on them Is they can about it? But at the same time I do I guess wonder I don't want to start a pattern where amherst college feels like Well, if we dig a little too close here or do this there we can skirt around the committee's decision This on south pleasant street. Yeah I get so mad every time I drive by it and it just Makes me feel like Um, I mean, I don't take it personally, but it makes me feel as a committee member, you know It just emphasizes how little Say we have on yeah such things. I mean it makes it makes me feel like we have a big institution here and Like it sort of feels like almost as if the laws don't apply to them sometimes which doesn't seem right I hesitate to share this on a publicly recorded meeting, but they are coming to survey my property line Which I share with amherst college And it's difficult to think that it's a coincidence Um After speaking out about their tree practices Um You know anyway All right anything else julian Nope, I think uh, I think mostly that's it We got two pretty big trees that fell down at mill river. Um Which were interesting, but I think that bank Makes them very prone falling over This mill river playground Yeah Okay All right, we'll skip the tree wardens report Uh, treasuries report Our balance is nine thousand three hundred fifty five and twenty nine cents You tell me when you're ready for another right Um at what point does the line item In the budget like like how do those funds work? That's a great question And that was something that I wanted to talk to alan about so I guess it'll be tabled until next month because I'm not sure if the way the money flow works is whether it comes into the shade tree committee account or If it's tied into alan's dpw account and then when he buys the trees It just won't be deducted from our account Right. Do you have something to add to that henry? Yeah, I can I've spoken to alan about it. It goes into alan's account Okay, and the fact that does not have to be used for purchasing new trees He can use it for anything tree related. So what he recommended is that we Buy a lot of the trees. I think it starts in june or july 1st. Whatever the fiscal year starts um, and he recommends we just buy a lot of trees then or You know so that we've used up the money. So then he can't use it for other things like tree removal And this is his suggestion and I think that's a good idea. So Yeah, but we won't have direct use of that money Um, that sounds fine to me and I'm happy in the treasurer role to keep track of of that. Um Um How much we buy and then kind of divide it out and see how far it'll get us for plantings depending on how big The specific sites are and that sort of thing. Um, I can keep like, you know, an Excel spreadsheet or something and kind of keep track of it My initial hesitation is that july is a hard time to buy plants and keep them alive for an extended period of time So is there a way we can coordinate that with the tree nursery that we were Are planning to do Henry and then get kind of just like a regular regime going for watering to make sure They stay alive during the really hot times we've been having We can do that. I think we don't have to take possession of the trees So we can contract with Amherst nursery or with another place and say, you know, we want this many trees Here's the money and then they hold them until we're ready for them Okay Does most of his stuff so great. Do you know if Amherst nursery is the one we use the most? It has been the one. I'm not sure what's happening now, but I think Alan said we had also been using the sugarloaf nursery up in sunderland Lee as well And I know we've used winzix before as well So I'll just I guess I'll I'll check in with Alan and see what makes sense. Um, and then I'm happy to set up that account with with the buyer. Um, you know as a buyer at a nursery And work that out but Yeah, I was gonna add sarah I think that's I think that's important like because that money won't actually be part of our budget in like a visible way just keeping taps on that to So that we have a sense of how like what our funds are and what's available Yeah, and Because it's a dpw account there. I'm sure that there's going to be formal forms to Right revenues to follow to set that up. Um, so I'll touch base with alan and then I will keep Track of how it works in some sort of excel sheet, which I can share Um, but I'll just start to include that as part of the treasurer's report Great. Thank you Um The next is social media. I don't know if there's anything to add. We did talk about it and shashana's not here julie and div anything to add about social media Uh, not really. Um, no the only thing I did have that was interesting, but I completely forgot it right now uh Oh, right. Um, was about the account. Um, did we ever get the overtime uh budget solved for That money that was leaving the account You mean the payroll deductions? Yeah, alan took care of that Okay, and benet nothing on the website. I assume Okay No, we're all busy people. I appreciate how much we do get done, but just uh This more we could do when we have time. So yeah All right, uh, let's move on to the agenda items I'm going to go get a cough drop too in a second, but the mary maple love letters. That's brit. You want to talk about that? I'll be right back. Yeah, I have no update on that. I will say that, you know, I'm in the process of Where I have now officially brought in two students who will be Working on this like amherst urban forest initiative that dav bloney bloney arts and I kind of brainstormed around a little bit at the first Inventory training And so my hope is that the part of the work of those students will maybe be also to identify grant opportunities And like help us think through that a little bit or just like move it forward a little bit in ways that I just haven't had the capacity to Okay, what I just realized is I do not have the Like I'm logged into the Shade tree account on instagram, but I don't have The password to it that I can share So brit if you wanted to send me absolutely anything That would be amazing and I can just post it. Um, just email it to make this perfect So you're saying that I should not directly post anything if I want something posted I will send it to you and you will post it if that if you could do that That's great because I can't seem to get the password Whose email is it attached to? Uh, it's attached to the shade tree now Well, let's go in and change. I feel like it would be easier to just change the password and give me the password Sure Yeah, so let's do that I just don't have the login for that. I don't think for the email So we need to show them for that Exactly precisely. Okay Sorry for the we'll wait for shoshona's return. All right. Okay The individual tree request policy is next Ellen you're working on this I think if you unmute first Sorry, yeah, I have that. Um, I think I shared it in the past but um I can share my screen if People want to read it. I think I sent it to the actually to everybody Yeah, you did. Okay You can share it though. It'd be good This was a question. Should we add an email here where residents can make their request? Um If we put out something in writing we should do that. I think our Right now it's just a policy that we can put up on the website um Or maybe under the the new page that Ben it's going to do for True requests Yeah, I mean even a google form a link to a google form where they click on it And then there's a google form where they're filling out specific things like what is your address? Why are you requesting a tree? Do you have a specific kind of tree in mind? Um, are you able to water the tree in the future? Are you going to help plant it? Um, then a google form will be sent to the email Address automatically, but it will collect that information. So that might be a good way to do it Good idea the town has um a form center Um, not if we want to use that or not but like if people request to join the committee and things that goes through that Hmm A google form can be put together in like five minutes So that might just be easier with fewer barriers, but um, I I think the language of the tree request policy looks good Thank you. I I would vote to approve this if it needs that um I just one thing it it goes to a google form who gets that who receives that the chair of the committee Yeah, I would have I mean we have like a a tree committee email, right Yeah, it should go to the tree committee email. Yeah, I would just send it directly there But to approve the policy We don't have to worry about that stuff I'd like to get that approved if we have approval Other comments about this policy? No All right all in favor. I Okay, that passes unanimously Thank you, Ellen. Sure I also did the native tree policy, but You got next Um, yeah the am I don't know if you need me to read it But it's committed to selecting and planting trees that will thrive in their environments the committee plants native tree species whenever possible but due to cost availability and the susceptibility of many native trees to disease and pests non-native species are selected as well um tree committee plants a diversity of species to prevent the potential loss of many trees at one time as when the town's american elms experienced rapid decline due to dutch elm disease or the current loss of ash trees Yeah, I added the ash tree bit should it be and or yeah, I think or is the correct language? Great Do we know I add that too what's that the cause of the ash tree decline You could say or the and the current loss of ash trees due to emerald ash the emerald ash borer The only thing that I would add is um the word sometimes non-native species are sometimes selected as well But otherwise, I think it looks good Yeah, like right there Yeah, and again, I mean my previous comments of like this is Not necessarily a policy, but it's like a statement about So maybe we say native tree statement. I think that's nice Yeah, policy makes it a little Like it's got to conform to bylaws. There aren't any like we're not suggesting there are any guidelines or anything here um Just like we tried we try to do it and It's really about picking trees that will do well The borer with an a No, you got it. Yeah, okay. I'd put capital e for emerald just Yep Okay, okay. These are these are on our google docs. So Whoever needs them They are here. This just should not be included on anything obviously That's just a question for us, but okay Um, great. Do we approve the native tree statement? All in favor any other comments All in favor Okay, good. That's great accomplishment tonight. Yay 18 Thank you, Ellen Okay, that's I'm mowing my backyard. Hold on Okay, um, what's next? Uh second Saturday plantings for october, I believe we're going to do the um The tree nursery I wish Alan was here because I have some questions about that, but um, everyone knows where it is right on station road Yeah, it's just the dpw No station road. I don't know where that is Uh, right before the bike path, you know, you get down from the um months in library down the hill You're that temporary bridge Okay, I know where the temporary Sam is common bridge The hill toward the bike path that's Horse farm right near in the temporary bridge that the town water department. I believe has taken over Ellen, you're muted. No, I know. I'm sorry. It's an abandoned horse farm. It looks very empty all the um It's a little overgrown in the paddocks and all the fences are kind of falling down Great So we'll plan that for um We'll have a workday there. Um And we'll with all this new stuff about contacting the indy and phyllis will have a big crowd of volunteers for that um, yeah, and then um Here we have a good good workday saturday. I'm sorry before we jump to that. I'm sorry. Henry before we jump to that, um I haven't driven by today. Um, but I know it's really um if the tree Nursery is going in those paddocks. It really needs to be mowed or The town needs to do something first before we can really get in there um, it's just wild and It will be tons of like machete type work and Yeah, but we wouldn't even get to planting it would just be clearing and maybe that's our job I don't know but the town has a pretty large forestry mower with the highway division um that they used to mow road sides along like country roads Maybe we could have them do that or let tree and grounds or one of us borrow it I don't know but then once it becomes a nursery it will require regular mowing between the Pots right so like is there Can we mulch it can we We will mulch by the trees. I have a side that you're all welcome to borrow Actually, I love signing I could do some of that so it does seem very satisfying but um Are the trees um, maybe this is my ignorance. Are the trees going in pots or are we planting them in the ground? They'll go in grow bags that we did put into the ground So the roots are protected. Yeah And what I'm saying is like once we have rows of grow bags, it's that those large scale mowers are no longer going to be feasible So like this question of like what is the maintenance plan? I think is one to consider. Yeah, and the paddock itself As I said the fence is kind of falling down, you know, I think that's where we're going I'd like confirmation from Alan that that is indeed where the nursery will be Obviously it's been Saw dust and other things for years and years. That's why I was concerned about the trees going into the ground there life we needed to do, you know a few layers of soil or excavate the all the Maneuver and everything else that's been in there for for years So maybe there is another Maybe there is an action item there that needs to happen Before right because there's not going to be another meeting before we meet there That will be the first saturday and then the second No, actually we saturday. So how does it fall in october? Will the meeting Okay, then we meet we'll meet on the we'll meet on the 10th and the second saturday is the 14th Okay, so we'll have four days No, no, I meet with Alan around the first of the month every so I plan the meeting So I'll talk to him about mowing and soil. Okay Okay, because we'll need supply like yeah, we'll need supply otherwise Go up and then there won't be anything for us to do No, I'm sure he'll provide the supplies. We'll buy the seedlings. We have to pick the Types. I think we might have talked about that already, but um, yeah, it'd be really good if he was here Yeah, yeah, these are good questions for him. Yeah Are we allowed to I guess we can't ask him these questions through email. Is that a violation? Of open meeting law. No, that's fine as long as uh You know, we're not really supposed to ask the whole group, but questions. I think it's okay We can't really discuss policy Okay, right since like this. I think we can do and and I would say we'll also need to build in You know, at least in in our discussions with the folks in greenfield who do their nursery, you know, it sounds like they have a winter plan where they Push everything together and then bundle them together, right? There will be winter preparations That we as a committee will need to take care of And budget time for if we grow them in the ground You know, they grow them above ground too They grow them above ground, but if we I think we when we did it last time we did it at my property and we put the bags below ground Oh You don't have to worry about moving them and all that stuff And then you can dig them up and they will not have spilled beyond their Container Well, the grow bags actually encourage roots to go through but you don't get any large roots going through Okay prevent that so you get fine feeder roots and those break off and reform pretty easily But as long as the trees on in there too long, it's not a problem at all We had a couple of the trees the hazelnuts we grew last time that We're in the grow bag for too many years and those were ridiculous to get off, but usually it's not hard. Yeah So yeah, I'm just not sure the quality of the soil around the grow bags If we put them in the ground I'd love to and again, not sure if this is Our volunteer work or town responsibility, but I in addition to to fixing the fence I'd love to paint it and make it nice bright white and look good and I'd love to Put out a sign something about, you know public shade tree You know nursery, you know something to that effect or I don't know we could use one of the ones Well, someone would steal it probably but About I think then it did a clever one about you know shade will be here in 20 years or something. Yes future side of shade or something. Yeah, yeah But just something so people I don't know maybe a sign is asking for trouble But there aren't that many college kids in the in the areas. It's it's a pretty um, it's very far me Yeah, yeah, I might bring in trouble. I don't know, but it's not a bad idea We will be putting up on deer fencing Also, or you know rabid fencing so yeah, okay Another reason to get the fence looking better Okay, I'll check with on but all these things And I I drive by it all the time. I can take some photos tomorrow and Just share them with everyone so you can see the current state I agree good. I also have a ton of um I was just moving things Things around here in the basement and I realized I have a I think I have a ton of like red barn colored paint So not white paint, but anyway, my point is we probably all have some paint cans that I don't want to throw away, but I could you know what I mean like I don't want to just You never know what to do with old paint, but this would be a good use for it. So having to donate Ellen is a curator. She has an aesthetic sensibility You can see on her face that she's horrified by the She's recoiling it barn I would use the red I would use your red paint to paint the barn and then keep the fence That would be very new england and beautiful Okay, can we move on? Yeah I'll check with Ellen about all these things we brought up um You mass interns yes, so I put out a call for student undergraduate students to help out for credit with this idea of the Amherst urban forestry initiative, which is what Dave and I Dave Bloneerts and I and others had kind of talked about at the first training for the tree inventory staff at Kendrick park last last month whenever that was um And there was a lot of response um I ended up bringing two students in It could have been more but honestly I ran out of time before the had drop period ended Which was yesterday and I was gone all weekend. It was just kind of crazy Um, so I have two students who will be working um I think it is Six hours one is going to be eight hours a week and one is going to be six hours a week from now through december with the possibility of doing that again in the spring and they will be available really for Whatever we as a committee think would be helpful including the inventory including the mary maples stuff one of them Is a certified arborist Um, who lives in connecticut. She has just transferred To you mass from a community college My understanding is that she has worked with ever source Uh, which is an interesting dimension to it. But if You know, if we're getting you know, she's going to college for the for the first time as an older person and thinking about things in a different way and so Um, I think it will be to our great benefit. Hopefully to have us another You know a certified arborist who can certainly help with tree inventory training um and You know, it's really I I looked to the committee for guidance on like what it would be helpful to have these folks work on around um this Around all his stuff. Um, the other one is a senior at the stock bridge school of agriculture Um, who is kind of more on like the human social side of things But also has experience with tree identification and has taken lots of like urban forestry classes So I will meet with them this week and get a sense of You know, give them a sense of like what what we're hoping to do Yeah, so uh, first thing comes to mind would be the second Saturday plantings Yeah, another would be, you know, invite them to the meetings Okay Yeah, I don't know if that counts for the hours, but I think sure. Yeah, it does And then um, you know, I don't you know If they have skills with social media, they could do some of that stuff writing You know all the things we're not getting to that we mentioned today or that we're we're taking on that are including us um, but if nothing else then just work on the inventory because the inventory is going to be a lot of hours of work Yeah, and then see us The we I don't think we want to use all our second status that I want to keep planting but um You know, I see that as being extra time that we're going to be working Right. So the I have been thinking, you know, the inventory planning outreach and training Um, the physical inventory itself Going yes, yes, actually doing the um Just taking some notes here I had also been hoping that they might be helpful in, you know I had created those two documents last month that I shared with everyone one related to all of the Um public housing in Amherst, you know, can we investigate possibilities for collaboration with these communities and what might that look like So developing, you know, and Alan had mentioned like, okay, how can we actually develop like a plan related to trees Over, you know, one year three years five years, you know, what are what is our long-term plan? What are our long-term goals? um, including You know from an environmental justice perspective, so that was one thing I was hoping to have them I'm planning to have them work on And then the other is around this subject that has come up often for us Of communicating the benefit of trees to the public How do we do a better job of engaging with the public and getting people to recognize that trees are really important And we shouldn't just be chopping them down because they drop leaves and nuts and little spiky Balls on our driveway Yeah, let's go. Yeah Okay, so I will keep everyone posted on that And hopefully they you will meet them at the the next meeting or at the next Public, you know, I guess it would be the nursery event Yeah Okay, well that sort of leads into the tree inventory. We already talked about the nursery um, we Bennett and julian and I and Bennett's son Came down and then this woman joined us who had just read about it on facebook because they had just posted there And she's a certified arborist just moved here from Oregon and her family's in this area But she couldn't get a job here. So she's going to be end up in dover, new hampshire and working for the New hampshire department of forestry or the us I think she was working for the university new hampshire. I could be wrong in their extension Yeah, okay, but it was through uh, the new hampshire state forestry division or whatever Yeah, yeah, and she was great and she came none of us came prepared to do a tree inventory You have to be able to measure the trees and she had her vest with all the stuff in a one pocket She had the thing to measure the diameter of the trees and uh, she was great and um, she won't be here all the time but she really wants to be helping us our committee and um She I think she had a really good time. She was trying to join tonight, but I guess she couldn't get in So I did send her the invite by the way. I haven't heard back, but I finally got that done. But yeah, that was great Her name was Lindsay. Um Yeah, it was great. So she stayed with us the whole time. Um, and we we just sort of randomly selected trees at, uh Fort Irva school and then we went to um Brent keeps dropping Crocker Crocker farm. You get a cracker. Yep. We did some trees there mostly I don't know how useful the data was it was mostly just to get more training and uh, it was very interesting. We uh at Crocker farm we uh Yeah, we inventory two, uh Crab apple trees And then I happened to notice that one of them had a little tag on it and it said that it was a, um A black not black gum a black hawk viburnum I was like, that's not a black hawk viburnum You know, I just looked all wrong, but I started looking at it. Well, it has opposite leaves apple doesn't have opposite leaves And uh, we figured it was a black hawk viburnum So that was a good learning experience to not just jump to conclusion Has these fruit that around it. They didn't look like black haws. They looked like apples crab apples so Yeah, to be careful and we had a lot of discussions about You know, you have to judge the quality of the tree the health of the tree and um So that was interesting. It was good. It was good good practice for us And I think I'm ready to actually start doing it and I don't know how about you julian and benet I feel similarly. Yeah, I would love to yeah started How did we fund that app? like Yeah, yeah, he trained us at the um What was that last month whenever that was I assume it's the only app for doing that. I can't imagine there's like 20 different tree inventorying apps. I found myself Yeah, I think it's an app designed for something completely different that they have just found to be useful in recording information like that It was designed for epidemiology studies, right? Yeah Collect but there are other apps that make sense. Yeah, you'd be surprised there are other apps for this but The question that for alan is how does that tie into the town tree inventory? And he wasn't really sure about that either and then we took a bunch of notes of things that we would like to improve on the app So um julian has that we'll talk to you're going to talk to you're going to email both alan and dav, right? That's us. Yeah, you are just going to send me dav's email and then I was going to email him. I did didn't I? I don't think so. I'll do it again. I'll make sure I did it. Yeah. Thanks Okay, so it's good. Yeah, we missed all of you the rest of you, but It was good. Yeah All right, uh, so it's 646 One quick question. I'm sorry. I missed the training. Um When you say get ready, you know get started Where are we recording all this information? It's going into an app or is it going into an excel spreadsheet? Like what is it? No, it goes into the app and then alan and dav's job is going to be to figure out how that Gets into the tree inventory itself. Okay So we collect the data and then you know, it's on our phone and then we upload it to Wherever it goes there and then someone can look at that data and review it and somehow figure out how to Tie that into the tree inventory And so there's something on the app that has the location Exact location pinpointed so that yeah will make sense. Okay. There's a gps. So you stand there Click on renew location, then you click on the next thing and it has the date and the team Yeah, we all did team a really figure out anything else and then yeah, it asks it's all prompt and they're all required questions Are mostly required questions Thank you Yeah Um, were you there for the training with dave or you haven't been there at all? Ellen I missed the training on saturday No, but how about when dylan was on I think she was on vacation for that one. Yeah, no, I haven't had any So it's it's pretty intuitive. Um, and I will do teams of probably teams of two or maybe more people With one person who's experienced and then as more people get experienced we can branch out. So Yeah Do you have to know that what the tree is? to do it like You have to become an expert first in identifying every tree before you can fill that information out, I guess Well, we use some apps when we had questions. Um If you get to the genus, that's pretty good, you know, it could also be that somebody reviews it and goes and checks Oh, this is this, you know So, yeah, you you can skip The species name you have to put in some name, but you can do a genus name and I've I've never used one of those apps But I feel like it is essential to like if I did it again I would download the app for identifying trees in the wild because by the way, it seems like there's a lot of stuff you measure that I don't know. I don't know how useful some of this stuff is depending, you know, but it seems to me that the species is The type of tree is important. Yeah There's so many variants. Yes maple or whatever. So exactly Yeah, the species the species identification apps are not foolproof right And so one of the things that we had discussed at that initial training with dave was Creating some kind of system wherein like an expert or someone who has significant Expertise it with in tree identification is like the leader of a smaller group Of people so that they're confirming the Identifications and making sure that all of the data is usable because dave mentioned some Number of hours that it take that they recommend for like getting up to speed with tree identification It's like 60 hours or something that like I don't think every person who's participating in this inventory is going to be able to log before actually making recordings and so maybe one of the things that The students that I'm working with In collaboration with the committee can talk about is like what what do we want our model for these teams for identification and Inventorying to look like And that could be another question another thing to put on the app You know tree species and then Is this a confirmed confidence level or like? Yeah, right? Yeah, I'm sure this is the right tree kind of thing It wouldn't be a criticism would be like right or do you does someone need to review this? Yeah So julie, can you add that to the list of things to send to davin alan? Already did it Good. All right great Can we move on? So the town tree tour I thought I came up there doing it october 15th and ellen I wanted to check with you as someone who was my partner on that last time But uh sunday the 15th Yeah, I mean it should be fine. Um, I'm in a little bit of a holding pattern right now with my father. So It's hard for me to commit to anything but um, but yeah We need to get out and go look at all the trees and make sure they're still standing or see if there's any changes to the thing Okay, I'll give you a call and we'll try to figure out a time we can get together and do that walk Okay, did anyone else want to be part of that? Organizing the you're all welcome to come of course, but organizing the tour I'm happy to Help a little bit with that So, yeah, it's like the walk and I because I haven't been a part of it in the past. Um, yeah Okay my fall is pretty crazy, but but Little things here and there on the tree tour I can I can you know the walk and the actual Running of the thing on the 15th. I can be helpful with great all right, I'll um I'll send you both a couple suggestions of dates that we could try to do the You know a preliminary walk and see what see how it's changed since last time Okay Good. Thank you, uh the library trees um and also the apple tree that um the historical society apple tree Alan was going to try to get someone to identify the variety of apple And he's not here. So is anyone else know anything about that? all right state level initiatives The thing with Mindy is happening now. So um Anyone who can go to that when we're done is good. She's not doing that thing but that she sent out and um um Yeah, I haven't really done much else. I have put out a few feelers to contact other people and there's a I heard from a I think long meadow is setting up a new there's a new tree warden long meadow east long meadow And I got a contact from them saying they wanted to know, you know, how we set up the uh Our tree committee and how that all works and how we work with Alan. So I had a conversation with them So that's good. Um If you can tree ordinance anything new There I know And the solar bylaw group julian Nothing new Okay And uh sarah we did hours before you joined so were your hours for the last two months seven Okay And uh any other comments or anything else? The one thing that we keep forgetting to bring up henry is that I have that table in my barn Ah the table Yes, totally forgot All right, let me put that on the agenda for next month Okay Well, all right, we can talk about it now, but uh, that's what I mean so somebody who came to me in The winter and took a big piece of the merry maple Made a really beautiful table out of like a pretty large piece and has donated it to the committee and it is in my barn And so the question is like what or what do we want to do with this and the options include like Auctioning the table raffling off the table Donating the table to the uh to the town so that it can be displayed um Brad, can you possibly take a photo or two of it and also the dimensions like is it like a dining room table or is it a side table Small I have a picture of it somewhere. Let me see if I can It's like a side. It's like a low side table side table. Yeah Um, but it's really beautifully done and the woman doesn't even live in amherst She Lived here briefly and then I think her child went to school here And so she felt some connection to it And she's a woodworker and so she came and got the piece and then took it to her studio in main And then brought it back like five months later um As a donation to the committee so That's so nice There it is. I got it. All right. Um, I will share my screen Um, it's the table's gorgeous. Yeah, that's great. So it's small. Um, the base pieces are I think Norway maple No, this is Yeah, I remember what we said the base pieces were made from But the whole thing is probably what like I don't know like 30 inches Yeah, two and a half feet. Yeah about that And stands maybe 18 inches tall and then the butterfly that's holding the crack together is black walnut Yeah, it's really beautiful. Yeah I I bet people would pay for that. I mean, I don't know how much we could get but Could be a fun like online raffle or Yeah Yeah raffle or an option and then you know again like we could also still do a raffle or an auction and Or say like who wants to donate to this and then we'll like Give it to the town hall or something. I don't know. There are there are lots of options Yeah, I'd like to see it in the new library or something like that. Yeah, it's public Yeah, I think it would be great to see it in town hall or Maybe in the new library new elementary school one of those type things I wonder if we could time it If we donate it or whatnot With like the tree lighting You know around the holidays That's a nice idea Yeah Let's uh, I'll I'll get that in the agenda next month. We'll talk about it. Um Think about what we really want to do it though before then. Yeah It really would be a good PR for us. Yes And I hadn't thought about the library until one of you mentioned it, but that would be a great Little far off, but that would be so great Yeah And I also still have that whole sculpture that my students led Um with participation of like dozens and dozens and dozens of community members So, you know thinking about a future for that might also Be worth talking about All right, good. Um anything else we need to talk about All right, Bennett, you'll send the minutes out to me and uh I'll get them out to everyone and um, yeah That's too bad Alan couldn't be here, but I think it was a good meeting So we'll see you all Yeah, you're welcome. Thank you. We'll see you all sometime soon next month. Thank you. All right. Thank you everybody Hey, Britt One second. I saw you were at milkwood It was oh my gosh, I'm so jealous It was amazing, Ellen. I have to tell you about it and I heard that kofi is coming to the museum in december So, um, yeah, I told her we'll we'll connect when she's in town, but it was amazing. It was great. It was so cool Yeah, that's very cool. Okay. Thanks. Bye. Bye everyone. We hope Alan has a nice vacation Yes on the record