Friends of the Urban Forest

Good news for San Francisco’s urban forest: after an extensive search, Friends of the Urban Forest has hired Brian Wiedenmeier as our next executive director. He’ll start on June 8. . Members of the FUF community may already be familiar with Brian, because he’s currently the executive director of @sfbike, where he has strengthened the organization’s fundraising, integrated antiracist practices, and advanced transportation equity. Previously, Brian had a long career in fundrai...sing for the @sflgbtcenter, @performingartsworkshop, @odcsf, and the Bike Coalition. . FUF's Board of Directors is particularly impressed with Brian’s commitment to making San Francisco a city that works for all residents, his passion for addressing climate change, and his strong and deep relationships with a diversity of local leaders. . FUF and the Bike Coalition have a natural alliance, as both organizations are working to make San Francisco more sustainable. We have worked together on Bike Tree Love, an annual bicycle-powered tree planting event (temporarily suspended due to the pandemic), and FUF volunteers and interns have benefited from the Bike Coalition’s Bike It Forward program. With Brian joining FUF, that partnership is strengthened. . Brian is joining FUF at an exciting time in FUF’s trajectory, as this year is the organization’s 40th anniversary. He’s also starting with several big opportunities and challenges, the first being how to lead FUF’s transition back to community-based plantings with volunteers, neighborhood residents, and staff working side by side. . In the face of a climate crisis, the need to increase San Francisco’s meager tree canopy has never been more urgent. Please join us in welcoming and supporting Brian when he comes on board in June. See more

Check out this #EarthDay webinar celebrating our urban forest. The 45-minute presentation, produced by San Francisco Public Works, features experts from Public Works along with Dan Flanagan, executive director of Friends of the Urban Forest. https://youtu.be/vW4MEJA45Ak

The Inner Richmond neighborhood is the winner of the 2021 Brian Tsai Greener Block Award. . Each year since 2013, FUF has recognized an area in San Francisco that has undergone the greatest green transformation during the past year. We evaluate candidates for the award on the basis of their progress in planting and maintaining street trees (and sometimes sidewalk gardens) with the participation of neighborhood residents. . The Inner Richmond in particular, the area bounde...d west and east by Funston and 10th avenues, and north and south by Lake Street and Geary Boulevard got 50 more trees last July thanks to the organizing efforts and participation of neighborhood residents. . The trees we planted mostly Maidenhair (Ginkgo biloba), Small-Leaf Tristania (Tristaniopsis laurina), and Australian Willow (Geijera parviflora) replaced almost 1,000 square feet of concrete. . We’re impressed with the work of FUF, and we’ve admired the trees in other neighborhoods, said Donna Culpepper, who moved into the neighborhood in 2013 (her daughter and son-in-law, Nikki and Gary Fuges, have lived there for about 17 years). We love the greener neighborhood, and wish more people would plant trees. . Congratulations and thanks to the Culpepper/ Fuges families and all the neighbors who participated. See more

The Inner Richmond neighborhood is the winner of the 2021 Brian Tsai Greener Block Award. Each year since 2013, FUF has recognized an area in San Francisco that has undergone the greatest green transformation during the past year. We evaluate candidates for the award on the basis of their progress in planting and maintaining street trees (and sometimes sidewalk gardens) with the participation of neighborhood residents.

Church Street at 16th Street, 1973 and 2010.

We love our native tree species. But native trees aren’t suitable for most sites that can accommodate a street tree in San Francisco. For those sites, if the choice is to plant non-native trees or no trees at all, we’ll plant non-natives....

Urban foresters think a lot about their cities’ distant future, because when you plant trees, you have to. A well-maintained tree in an urban park can last 150 years or longer. A sidewalk tree lives a shorter period, but it still might get 30 years or more. So a city arborist is always thinking: What’s this city going to be like 20 years from now? Or 50? Or 100? Trees are time machines, connecting us to the future.

"There is a balm in these rooted beings continuing on their mortal path alongside us, likely unaware of our suffering, joys, failings, our toil for redemption, for greatness, for love. Perhaps they bear silent witness to our humanity over these millennia. Perhaps they do not even notice."

See where the California fall colors are peaking on the wonderful https://www.californiafallcolor.com/ website. "Dude, autumn happens here, too."

It may seem like magic, but each leaf’s new look comes from chemical changes happening within. Here’s what’s going on....

Scenes from the San Francisco urban forest: the Vulcan Steps near Corona Heights. Photo by Howe Ng.

Friends of the Urban Forest can provide emergency care for small young trees (for about the first five years after planting). But FUF is not equipped to care for mature trees. Report problems with mature street trees to SF311, the city’s customer service department ... (read more)

Doesn’t this tree on Page Street look like it’s trying to sneak away?

Here are some tips for keeping the urban forest on your block in good condition....

You're invited to a free urban forestry webinar this Sunday, October 18, at 11am PDT: "Branching Out: Creative Solutions in Complex Urban Environments." Urban environments are complicated, with competing infrastructure, safety concerns, and limited budgets (especially in the era of COVID). Solutions will be discussed by panel of professionals including FUF's Zeima Kassahun.

In 2018 the San Francisco Board of Supervisors declared the second Monday of October as Indigenous People's Day. The Ordinance reads, "San Francisco recognizes... the historic discrimination and violence inflicted upon indigenous peoples in the United States, including their forced removal from ancestral lands, and the deliberate and systematic destruction of their communities and culture." Today we acknowledge the Muwekma Ohlone tribe as the original inhabitants of the area now known as San Francisco. We encourage you to visit http://www.muwekma.org/home.html for more information on tribal history, culture, and more. Makkin Mak Muwekma Wolwoolum, 'Akkoy Mak-Warep, Manne Mak Hiswi! We Are Muwekma Ohlone, Welcome To Our Land, Where We Are Born! See the full City Ordinance here: https://bit.ly/3iPVwbx

Love your job! Are you experienced with urban forestry or arboriculture? We're hiring a Tree Care Manager. Join our team and make San Francisco greener.

Scenes from San Francisco's urban forest: the top of Duboce Avenue at Buena Vista Avenue East.