Trees Bring New Life to Caillavet

Biloxi, MS (December 5, 2006)- Biloxi lost about 3,600 trees to Hurricane Katrina. Working with the Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain, volunteer organizations such as KaBOOM!, the Alliance for Community Trees, Hands On and others have planted about 370 trees at John Henry Beck Park, Monsignor John Joseph O'Reilly Memorial Park, Miramar Park, and elementary school grounds.

General Mills Healthy Kids Grants- Deadline: Feb. 1 

The goal of the General Mills Champions for Healthy Kids initiative, a partnership of the General Mills Foundation, the American Dietetic Association Foundation and the President's Challenge, is to encourage communities in the United States to improve the eating and physical activity patterns of young people. 

More Trees = Reduced ADHD Symptoms.  Two surveys of parents of children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have shown that performing activities in green settings can reduce the symptoms of ADHD. Adding trees and greenery near homes and schools and encouraging kids with ADHD to go outside may help supplement established treatments to improve functioning.

Handheld Computer Technology, UNRI Webcast- Jan. 17

(National Webcast). The upcoming Urban Natural Resources Institute (UNRI) Informational webcast will provide a useful overview and introduction to utilizing handheld Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) in Urban and Community Natural Resource Stewardship efforts, as well as demonstrate several software resources that utilize PDAs.

Comments Filed by ACT on Forest Service Open Space Agenda

Washington, DC (December 26, 2006)- The Forest Service recently announced a request for comments on its Open Space Strategy and Implementation plan. ACT filed comments that centered on the value of the agency's Urban and Community Forestry Program as a source of expertise that will be critical to the agency's success in tackling the issue of open space fragmentation and loss.

Tree Trust- Landscape Services

(St. Paul, MN) Tree Trust has created a fee-for-service, landscape services division to provide earned income to help support the operational costs of its other programs. Projects provide training opportunities for unemployed young adults to learn skills that help them become independent and self-sufficient. This program is an excellent example of a social enterprise where an organization markets its services to help fund its mission.