First Annual Community Trees Winners Announced

Baltimore, MD, Portland, OR, Norwalk, CT, Davenport, IA Receive $200,000

Las Vegas (June 5, 2006)- The U.S. Conference of Mayors and The Home Depot Foundation announced the winners of the first annual Awards of Excellence for Community Trees and Urban Forestry at the Conference of Mayors 74th Annual Meeting in Las Vegas.

National Forest Foundation Grant- Deadline: July 28 and Sept. 8

National Forest Foundation provides grants to community organizations that improve forest health on, and near, national forests and grasslands. NFF's MAP and CAP grant programs both emphasize cooperative conservation and engaging the public in collaborative restoration.

Helper's High. Volunteering makes people feel good, physically and emotionally. People who exercise vigorously often describe feeling high during a workout -- and a sense of calmness and freedom from stress afterward. Research reveals that these same emotional and physical changes can be produced with activity requiring much less exertion -- helping others.

KaBOOM! University of Play (U Play!)- July 13-15, 2006

(Chicago, Illinois). U Play! is the award-winning 2 1/2 day training that provides all the tools and resources you need to promote play and build great playspaces such as playgrounds, skateparks, sports fields and ice rinks in your community.

USCOM Recognizes the Importance of Urban Forests

At the June 2006 US Conference of Mayors conference in Las Vegas, the nation's mayors passed two resolutions that recognize the importance of urban forests. Thanks to the kind efforts of Tree New Mexico and Tree Trust of Minnesota, Mayor Chavez of Albuquerque and Mayor Rybak of Minneapolis both sponsored the budget resolution in support of increasing the federal budget for urban forestry. This is the first time that the US Conference of Mayors has passed a resolution that specifies budget targets for federal investments in urban forest health.

Trees Atlanta- Working with Volunteers

(Atlanta, GA) Over the last decade, Trees Atlanta developed a thriving volunteer network that plants trees every Saturday, rain or shine, from October through March. From April though September, volunteers provide follow-up care for trees planted in previous years. Approximately 1,500 volunteers plant and maintain 1,500 trees annually.