Tumwater summer forestry program for teens in the works, 60-foot Garry Oak nominated as heritage tree

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The Tumwater Tree Board talked about a proposed summer program with Tumwater school district, along with recommending a heritage tree, during its regular meeting yesterday.

Tumwater School District Summer Program

The Water Resources & Sustainability Department plans to partner with the Tumwater School District, Pacific Educational Institute, and other educational institutions to create an urban forestry program during the summer of 2023.

“Basically, it's a forestry and stream management program,” Water Resources Specialist Grant Gilmore said. “The subject matter is going to consist of forest practice law, one of the subjects is focused on wetland delineation.”

Gilmore shared that the program will be five weeks’ worth of instruction and hands-on science, and the 16 pioneering participants will be high school students from grades 9 to 12.

“I think it's going to be fairly competitive because there's a lot of students that are very interested in the program, but they only want to offer it to those students who are considering a career in conservation forest management,” Gilmore said.

The participants will be selected from a pool of applicants. The youth will experience a total of 180 hours of exposure to different activities connected to forest practice law.

“There'll be a mapping component, and then there'll be opportunities to plant trees and to have and to actually implement a restoration project of their own,” Gilmore added.

The program, projected to start in August, was initiated due to objective 6.2 of the Urban Forestry Management Plan (UFMP), which is to “maintain a community and urban forestry educational program.”

Heritage Tree Nomination of 60-foot Gary Oak (Oregon White Oak) near Walmart

The Tree Board recommended this rare 60-foot Gary Oak (Oregon White Oak) tree located at 5800 Littlerock Road, Tumwater, to be a Heritage Tree.
The Tree Board recommended this rare 60-foot Gary Oak (Oregon White Oak) tree located at 5800 Littlerock Road, Tumwater, to be a Heritage Tree.

Tree Board member Jim Sedore nominated a rare 60-foot Garry Oak (Oregon White Oak, Quercus garryana) as a Heritage Tree last February 28, 2023. 

The tree is located between the Walmart parking lot on the West and at 5800 Littlerock Road on the East, across from the Union Cemetery.

A heritage tree is provided special protections, and it is defined on Tumwater’s website as a tree that has historical significance by virtue of age, association to a historical structure, district, person/event, is a rare/unique species or has a significant stand or grove.

Sedore wrote in the nomination that the tree is classified as ”Rare,” which is one or very few of a kind or is unusual in some form of growth or species.

“I nominated it to keep it a little more protected than it has been,” Sedore said. “It’s beautiful. We've built parking lamps and roads around it for years.”

The City’s Tree Professional assessed and consented to the nomination of the tree last March 15, 2023.

The Tree Board has submitted the application as a recommendation to the City Council for final action.

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  • HerNameIsMon

    As long as Gilmore is not working with youth. He doesn't pass the volunteer requirements for the Olympia school district.

    Friday, August 4, 2023 Report this