The Brown Bag Lunch Series is a monthly webcast held at the lunch hour. The goal is to provide informal training opportunities for local urban and community forestry practitioners. The trainings highlight successful programs and practices that you may want to adopt in your community.

About the Brown Bag Lunch Series
The series is geared for volunteer organizers, community groups, and others who work with the public. Webcasts are open to all. Sessions are planned to last no more than one hour, with two presenters speaking on the same topic from slightly different perspectives, each for 10-15 minutes, followed by 10-15 minutes of questions and answers. The Brown Bag Lunch Series is made possible through support from The Home Depot Foundation and partnership with the USDA Forest Service.

Read more about and register for an individual session by clicking on that title below:

Date: June 28, 2007
Session: Raising Money Through Commemorative Tree Plantings
Trainer: Joan Lionetti, Trees for Tucson (Tucson, AZ)
Trainer: Scott Fogarty, Friends of Trees (Portland, OR)

Date: July 19, 2007
Session: Natural Capitalism: Green Partnerships with Businesses
Trainer: Greg Levine, Trees Atlanta (Atlanta, GA)
Trainer: Prescott Gaylord, Baltimore Landmarks Homes (Baltimore, MD)

Date: August 16, 2007
Session: Operating a Nursery, Community Garden, or Arboretum
Trainer: Mike Bradshaw, Texas Trees Foundation (Dallas, TX)
Trainer: Glenda Daniel, Openlands (Chicago, IL)

Date: September 20, 2007
Session: Getting into Greenroofs
Trainer: Katrin Scholz-Barth, Scholz-Barth Consulting (Washington, DC)
Trainer: Ed Snodgrass, Green Roof Plants (Street, MD)

Date: October 18, 2007
Session: Organizing Work Programs for High School Students
Trainer: Amanda Benner, UC Green (Philadelphia, PA)
Trainer: Kemba Shakur, Urban ReLeaf (Oakland, CA)

Date: November 8, 2007
Session: Smart Growth and Urban Forestry
Trainer: Dannielle Glaros, Office of Councilman Eric Olson (Upper Marlboro, MD)
Trainer: Peter Harnick, Trust for Public Land- Center for Parks Excellence (Washington, DC)

Date: December 20, 2007
Session: Starting a Tree Group & Operating Sustainably
Trainer: Marcia Bansley, Trees Atlanta (Atlanta, GA)
Trainer: Anna Dooley, Greenscape of Jacksonville (Jacksonville, FL)

Date: January 17, 2008
Session: Partnering with Utility Companies to Plant Trees
Trainer: Joan Lionetti, Trees for Tucson (Tucson, AZ)
Trainer: Patty Peterson, Trees Forever (Marion, IA)

Date: February 21, 2008
Session: Affordable Housing and Trees
Trainer: Fred Wacker, The Home Depot Foundation (Atlanta, GA)
Trainer: John Linner, National Development Council (Toledo, OH)

Date: March 20, 2008
Session: Adult Workforce Training
Trainer: Renee Toll-Dubois, Eagle Eye Institute (Somerville, MA)
Trainer: Karen Brook, Trees Forever (Marion, IA)

Date: April 17, 2008
Session: Heading Towards Sustainability- Part I: Agroforestry
Trainer: Brad Riphagen, Field Coordinator, Trees Forever (Marion, IA)
Trainer: Richard Straight, Lead Agroforester, USDA National Agroforestry Center (Lincoln, NE)

Date: May 15, 2008
Session: Tree Sales and Giveaways
Trainer: Greg Levine, Program Director, Trees Atlanta (Atlanta, GA)
Trainer: Patrick Hayes, Executive Director, The Park People (Denver, CO)

Date: June 19, 2008
Session: Technology in the Urban Forest
Trainer: Holli Howard, Director of GIS & IT, Casey Trees (Washington, DC)
Trainer: Scott Maco, Research and Development Analyst, Davey Tree (Seattle, WA)

Date: July 17, 2008
Session: Trees and Transportation
Trainer: Pam Helfer, Field Director, Trees Forever (Marion, IA)
Trainer: Dorothy McDaniel, Executive Director, Trees Columbus (Columbus, GA)

Date: August 21, 2008
Session: Special Event Fundraising
Trainer: Ryan Teller, Development Manager, Friends of the Urban Forest (San Francisco)
Trainer: Kelley Skumautz, Annual Fund Director, TreePeople (Beverly Hills, CA)

Date: August 28, 2008
Session: NeighborWoods Month 101 (special webcast)
Trainer: Kari Smith, Community Greening Program Manager, Parks & People (Baltimore, MD)
Trainer: Adrienn Mendonca, Communications Director, Savannah Tree Foundation (Savannah, GA)

Date: September 11, 2008
Session: NeighborWoods Month 101 (special webcast)
Trainer: Patrice Sheehan, Tree Program Manager, Delaware Center for Horticulture (Wilmington, DE)
Trainer: Claudia Schenck, Office Director, Tennessee Environmental Council (Nashville, TN)

Date: September 18, 2008
Session: Urban Forestry Partnerships in Education
Trainer: Nancy Wolf, Magnolia Tree Earth Center (New York, NY)
Trainer: Peggy Davis, Executive Director, LSU Hilltop Arboretum (Baton Rouge, LA)

Date: October 16, 2008
Session: Marketing & Communications- Part I: Marketing 101
Trainer: Laurie Kaufman, Director of Communications, TreePeople (Los Angeles, CA)
Trainer: Shannon Forsell, Public Relations, Keep Indianapolis Beautiful (Indianapolis, IN)

Date: November 20, 2008
Session: Marketing & Communications- Part II: Strategy & Public Relations
Trainer: Laurie Kaufman, Director of Communications, TreePeople (Los Angeles, CA)
Trainer: Mandy Hunsicker, Senior Account Executive, Manning, Selvage, and Lee (Atlanta, GA)

Date: December 18, 2008
Session: Marketing & Communications- Part III: Building & Positioning Your Brand
Trainer: Laurie Kaufman, Director of Communications, TreePeople (Los Angeles, CA)
Trainer: Constance Crawford, Outreach Services Director, Sacramento Tree Foundation (Sacramento, CA)

Date: January 15, 2009
Session: Marketing & Communications- Part IV: Advertising & Promoting Tree Events
Trainer: Laurie Kaufman, Director of Communications, TreePeople (Los Angeles, CA)
Trainer: Jean DuBose, Director of Development & Promotions, Parks & People (Baltimore, MD)

Date: February 19, 2009
Session: Incorporating AmeriCorps and Recent Grads Into Local Programs
Trainer: Yvonne Lee, Assistant Director, Shreveport Green (Shreveport, LA)
Trainer: Ashley Atkinson, Program Director, The Greening of Detroit (Detroit, MI)

ACT member organizations engage thousands of volunteers nationwide to transform cities for the better. Together, members of Alliance for Community Trees have planted 7.8 million trees in cities, with help from 450,000 volunteers. We're proud of our collective achievements, but there is much more work to be done to make our cities healthy, sustainable, and successful.

Individual donors are an important source of support for ACT. Your donation will support ACT's advocacy, education, and planting initiatives nationwide. Alliance for Community Trees is unique among national conservation organizations in our urban focus and grassroots approach - we truly think globally, and act locally.

Your contribution helps support:
* Advocacy for a National Agenda for Trees
* NeighborWoods
* NeighborWoods Month
* Community Tree Leadership Training
* Brown Bag Webcasts
* and other valuable programs that support urban greening nationwide

The Alliance for Community Trees is a 501(c)3 tax exempt organization (EIN # 68-0319301)

ACT participates in the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC # 12402) and is eligible for employer gift matching programs.

To discuss planned giving opportunities, call us at 301-277-0040.

Faith-based Advocacy: Galvanizing Communities to End Childhood Obesity, an initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, supports faith-based coalitions (Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, interfaith) to advance community policies or environmental changes that improve access to healthy foods and/or opportunities for physical activity.

For more information, visit Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Funds for Childhood Obesity Prevention Efforts.

Do Something is inviting America's middle and high schools to reduce their carbon footprint this fall through the "Increase Your Green" competition. Participants must make concrete efforts toward reducing the environmental impact of their school during the eight-week competition. All initiatives must be youth-designed and -led. A representative from each group must submit an online report of the school or club's actions to save energy, reduce waste, and raise awareness during the competition.

Participating schools are eligible for a first-place prize of $1,500, a banner, plaque, and eco-friendly gift bags. Three second-place prizes of $500 each will also be awarded. Winners will be featured on the Do Something Web site and in local press.

Students should register their club or school to receive an "Increase Your Green" action guide with tip sheets and materials (e.g., stickers, posters, flyers) to help launch the competition at their schools. The competition opens October 13.

For more information, visit Do Something Increase Your Green School Competition.

The mission of the Melinda Gray Ardia Environmental Foundation is to support educators in developing environmental curricula that integrate field activities and classroom teaching and that incorporate basic ecological principles and problem solving. Grants are in amounts of up to $1,500 each.

For more information, visit the Melinda Gray Ardia Environmental Foundation Classroom Environmental Programs.

The PepsiCo Foundation primarily supports nonprofit organizations located in U.S. communities where company employees live and work. The emphasis of the Environment category is water resource management in developing nations. The Thought Leadership category supports research initiatives that address issues critical to the betterment of society.

* The Foundation's Health and Wellness grant category encourages healthy lifestyles and positive behavior changes.
* Through the Diversity and Inclusion category support is provided to organizations that focus on minority-owned businesses, workplace equality, or skill development for low-income high school students.

Grant requests of up to $100,000 may be submitted throughout the year.

For more information, visit PepsiCo Foundation Grants.

The Patagonia Environmental Grant Program provides support to small, grassroots activist organizations with provocative direct-action agendas, working on multi-pronged campaigns to protect the environment. Patagonia primarily funds local groups working to protect local habitats in the United States.

For more information, visit Patagonia Environmental Grant Program.

TogetherGreen is a new National Audubon Society program to build conservation leadership, engage people in conservation action, and achieve lasting conservation results. The program is open to all members of the Audubon network (certified Chapters, state and national programs, and Center programs) as well as independent Audubon entities that wish to form a cooperative arrangement with National Audubon Society for this purpose. However, an important requirement for all grantees is the significant involvement of an additional partner-organization outside the Audubon network that will allow us to reach new audiences and increase the impact of project results.

Successful grant proposals will clearly state project objectives and anticipated results and highlight how innovative strategies will be used to achieve objectives while building on existing best practices. TogetherGreen will support either new projects or new approaches that improve initiatives already underway. Projects should be completed within the one-year term of the grant. Applicants can apply for a second year of funding, if additional funding will clearly build on the success of the first year's grant. However, only a limited number of projects will be able to receive additional support. Applicants are encouraged to seek matching funds to leverage TogetherGreen funding.

For more information, visit TogetherGreen Grants & Leadership Program.

College Park, MD (July 1, 2008)- Grab your camera and document urban forestry in action during NeighborWoods Month. Send us your most dramatic, artistic, and heartfelt photographs that capture the spirit of volunteerism through NeighborWoods. If we pick your image, you will win $500. In addition, we will post your winning photo on our website and on future NeighborWoods promotional literature. Photos can be landscape or profile, action or portrait, individual or group, etc. Before submitting, please be sure to read the contest rules.

Make sure to include:
* TIFF/JPEG photo in color or black & white (preferably high resolution)
* Your full name(s)
* Address / email / phone number
* Caption / Picture Subject(s) Names and Titles
* A one-sentence description of the framed moment and event
* How you featured NeighborWoods (if not evident from the picture)

How to submit your entry:
* By Email:
jared@actrees.org

* By Mail:
Alliance for Community Trees
Attn: Photo Contest
4603 Calvert Road
College Park, MD 20740

Related Resources:
Photo Contest Rules
NeighborWoods Month 2008

The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics is an educational, nonprofit organization dedicated to the responsible enjoyment and active stewardship of the outdoors by all people worldwide. Connect Grants provide direct support and training grants for organizations and people that serve culturally diverse communities. Grant awards range between $500 and $2,500 and can be used for Leave No Trace educational materials and/or to cover the tuition of a Master Educator Course.

The Union Pacific Foundation's mission is to improve the quality of life in the communities served by Union Pacific Railroad, primarily in the Midwestern and Western United States. Through the Community-Based Grant Program, the Foundation provides grants in the following areas of interest: Community and Civic, Fine Arts, and Health and Human Services.

For more information, visit Union Pacific Foundation Community-Based Grant Program.

National NeighborWoods Month is a united campaign to celebrate trees and raise awareness for the value of urban forests. During October, tree groups across the U.S. will engage thousands of volunteers in stewardship events and educational programs, communicating a shared message that trees are essential to the health and livability of communities. Last year, NeighborWoods Month staged 235 events in 62 cities, engaging over 15,000 volunteers in hands-on service to care for city forests.

Register for the NeighborWoods Month 101 Webcast.

Trainers:

Kari Smith, Community Greening Program Manager, Parks & People Foundation (Baltimore, MD)

The City of Baltimore has a goal to double the city's tree canopy over 30 years. The public initiative is called TreeBaltimore. The plan for delivery significantly hinges on the work of Baltimore's nonprofit community. To that end, Parks & People Foundation, Jones Falls Watershed Association, and Herring Run Watershed Association have joined forces to implement TreeBaltimore. Their initiative is called NeighborWoods. Working closely with city officials and agencies, NeighborWoods engages more citizens in tree planting and tree care, and expands mutual efforts into a marketable campaign to gain greater public awareness, knowledge, and stewardship commitment.

Adrienn Mendonca, Communications Director, Savannah Tree Foundation (Savannah, GA)

To recognize Tybee Island's 120th birthday, the Savannah Tree Foundation, in partnership with Mayor Jason Buelterman, Councilman Paul Wolff, Councilwoman Kathryn Williams, the city manager, and Melaver, Inc. planted 120 trees at Memorial Park. The planting of live oaks commemorated Tybee's birthday, and also included a pruning & mulching workshop for city employees, a tree care presentation for home & business owners, and a poster contest for local children. The Home Depot Foundation and U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston were in attendance to recognize achievements by Savannah Tree Foundation and speak about the importance of trees in building healthy and livable communities.

Webcast attendees will learn:
* How to stage an event to help your local urban forest.
* Using the NeighborWoods Month Planning and Promotion Kit
* Funding resources available.
* Free downloadable tools, templates, and resources.
* NeighborWoods Month website.

About this Webcast
This special NeighborWoods Month webcast is made possible through support from The Home Depot Foundation and USDA Forest Service. The content is geared to mainly serve the needs of volunteer organizations and community groups, although webcasts are open to all. The session is planned to last no more than one hour, with two presenters speaking on the same topic from slightly different perspectives, each for 10-15 minutes, followed by 10-15 minutes of questions and answers.