Tree Advisory Committee
The Tree Advisory Committee is an advisory organization established by the City Council in 2013 that works with the City Tree Warden to promote the improvement and preservation of a healthy environment as it relates to public trees. The committee provides a mechanism for the planting, maintenance, protection and removal of trees on public streets, parks and City-owned properties.
The Committee meets the third Tuesday of every month at 5:30 PM.
Upcoming Meetings
Access upcoming meeting documents by clicking on the meeting.
Tree Advisory Committee 6/20/23
5 PM–7 PM
June202023
Tree Advisory Committee 7/18/2023
5 PM–7 PM
July182023
Tree Advisory Committee 8/22/2023
5 PM–7 PM
Aug222023
Tree Advisory Committee 9/19/2023
5 PM–7 PM
Sept192023
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News from the Tree Advisory Committee
Volcanoes in Vermont?
A true sign of spring is the smell of mulch spread on gardens and piled high around ornamental trees. Often called volcano mulching, the practice is not healthy for trees and should be avoided.
Applying mulch to trees is beneficial but should be applied in moderation. Mulching helps the tree retain moisture, adds organic matter to the soil, reduces soil erosion, and protects the bark from lawn mower and string trimmer injury.
Too much mulch, like volcano mulching, may create insect and rodent damage and possible bark decay. The over-application of mulch may encourage adventitious and circling roots which can girdle the tree, causing premature death.
As a rule of thumb follow the 3+3+3 rule for mulching trees. A 3’ diameter, 3” thick, and 3” away from the trunk. If you mulch every year, do not let the mulch build-up. Remove some of the old mulch to maintain the 3”-4” depth.
For more information and additional resources, visit the Vermont Urban and Community Forestry at www.vtcommunityforestry.org.


Tree & History Walk
JUNE, The Month for Tree Walks! Don’t miss this upcoming stimulating treeful event.
Join us for the 1st annual City of Essex Junction Tree and History Walk on June 3rd from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. beside the Amtrak station, Railroad Ave. The walk will be led by two local experts, Warren Spinner, Essex Junction Tree Warden, and Tim Jerman, local historian. This free event will combine interesting facts about local trees and buildings of historical significance in Essex Junction.
Warren Spinner, Essex Tree warden and former arborist for Burlington will share his expertise in tree identification and other interesting facts along the streets of Essex Junction. Warren was one of the founders of Branch Out Burlington! (BOB!) when serving as the city arborist. He is also one of the founders of the Tree Advisory Committee of the City of Essex Junction. He has continued to be actively involved in BOB!, tending to trees in the community nursery, which supplies low-cost trees for Essex Junction.
Tim Jerman, a local historian who lived in Essex for many years, will share his knowledge of the notable landmarks and buildings along the way. Tim was a long-time Village Trustee and State Legislator who has written about our local past for the Essex Community Historical Society.
For additional information or questions, contact Warren Spinner at wspinner@. comcast.net
City Awarded Tree City USA Recognition
The City of Essex Junction has been named a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation in honor of our commitment to effective urban forest management. This is the eighth consecutive year the City has received this award.
The Tree City USA program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters. Essex Junction achieved Tree City USA recognition by meeting the program’s four requirements: a tree board or department, a tree-care ordinance, an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation.



Branching Out: Branch Out Burlington Welcomes Essex Junction
Summer is upon us, and our City landscape has been transformed as life re-emerges on our streets. In the warmth, dog walkers are taking longer routes than they did a few months ago, young families are heading to Maple Street pool, and couples are enjoying an early evening stroll. On a hot day, they might linger a bit below a shade tree, the dense foliage of the canopy providing respite from the sweltering heat. A bird’s song might entice them to peer up into the canopy where the branches of one tree extends and intermingles with its neighbor. What they cannot see but is worth taking time to ponder, is what is happening below ground--a complex network of roots extending even further, feeding and sustaining these shade-giving giants.
The volunteers of Branch Out Burlington (BOB) are the roots that have sustained this organization’s significant impact on the City of Burlington’s landscape. BOB’s mission is to “promote a vision of a city graced by a variety of beautiful and healthy trees, and a citizenry actively involved with the perpetual expansion and preservation of our urban forest.” At their Burlington Community Tree Nursery at the UVM Horticulture Farm, they have raised over 2000 trees, and now approximately 1500 of these grace the streets of Burlington and contribute to a vital urban forest.
Branch Out Burlington’s commitment to promoting and nurturing the urban forest has recently branched out beyond the City of Burlington. The organization has generously given the City of Essex Junction space at its nursery to grow trees for our own public spaces. The ability for Essex Junction to grow its own trees is a significant cost saving to taxpayers. When the City buys a tree from a commercial nursery, it can cost over $300 per tree. In contrast, it costs well under $100 to plant and raise a tree at the Community Tree Nursery.
This spring the Essex Junction Tree Advisory Committee joined Branch Out Burlington and its many volunteers on its annual tree planting day. Every year it is a festive event with music, food, and shared missions. At this year’s event over 200 trees were planted and two rows of 28 trees were designated for planting in the Junction. Some of these trees include a variety of maples, river birch, tree lilac, hackberry, and crabapple.
Like the tree roots intertwining below the surface, connections among neighboring communities help to build a greater foundation for each. At a time when communities have fewer resources to deal with emerging challenges like repairing aging infrastructure and dealing with the detrimental effects of climate change, the collaboration among communities is ever more critical. One issue that the Essex Junction Tree Advisory Committee has already begun to plan for and to address is the inevitable arrival of Emerald Ash Borer. This pest can decimate a community’s ash trees in just a few years, requiring a potentially costly replanting program. This plan includes the removal of potentially infected ash trees and the planting of more diverse species. Thanks to the support of BOB, some of the costs can be mitigated as the City begins to raise trees at the Burlington Community Nursery.
Throughout the year, Branch Out Burlington needs the support of its volunteers to care for their young trees by fertilizing, weeding, mulching and pruning. The Essex Junction Tree Advisory Committee is also seeking volunteers committed to supporting our urban forest through serving on the tree committee and/or helping to nurture these future members of our City landscape at the Burlington Community Nursery. If you are interested, please contact the Nick Meyer (Chair of the Essex Junction Tree Advisory Committee) at nmeyer52@. aol.com
By Rich Boyers, Essex Junction Tree Advisory Committee


