After this year, we’re hoping you don’t just think of trees and the forever-preceding Earth Day when someone mentions Arbor Day – because, if you’re anything like us, you’ll likely be thinking about the roller coaster ride we took your taste buds on. 

A star-studded culinary experience is lined up for the lucky 350+ people who helped us sell out the inaugural Casey Trees Canopy Awards, and we’re rewarding each and every one of them with a collection of tastes that you just won’t find anywhere else.

Headlining your concert of cuisine is Shake Shack, the NYC-original that’s spread like wildfire down the coast and continues to rival D.C.’s famed burger joints for the District’s #1 burger spot. They’ve got a unique take on a old-fashioned classic – the hot dog – and though it was originally released as a limited menu item, they’re bringing it back… JUST FOR US.

For this concoction, they combined with Gordy’s Pickle Jar, “a DC-based artisanal pickle purveyor that creates hand-crafted, small-batch pickles using fresh, local produce and responsibly cultivated spices.” Entitled the “Super Fry Frickle” Dog, it’s an all-natural, split and griddled flat-top hot dog with cheddar and American cheese sauce, crispy-fried Thai Basil Jalapeño pickles and shallots marinated in their own Brooklyn Brewery collaboration brew, the ShackMeister Ale.

YES, PLEASE.

We’ll also be passing around a variety of other bites from haute catering, a D.C. event specialist with a green emphasis, including mac’n'cheese bites, petite Chesapeake crab cakes and fried chicken & waffle bites with a maple glaze (you read that right). Vegan or gluten free? No worries – how about a cucumber cup with black bean & corn relish, or a roasted root vegetable skewers with a honey dijon glaze? We thought that sounded good, too.

To top all of that off, we’ve recruited Buffalo & Bergen to help you wash down these delishous (that’s not a misspelling) eats with their specialty, homemade Italian sodas and egg creams. The Union Market staple is bringing eight of their tree-inspired flavors (Orange Sassafras, Pineapple Cardamom, Grapefruit Rosemary, the list goes on…) upstairs to the DOCK5 event space for us, and seriously, if you don’t try one, you’re not invited back next year.

(Just kidding.)

(Kind of.)

Beer? Pabst & Great Lakes Brewery are helping us out. Wine? Ingleside Vineyards & First Vine have got it curated.

We weren’t kidding, you guys. We like food, and we take it very seriously.

A little alley-way triangle park in the Shepherd Park neighborhood is finally starting to get some much-needed attention, after years of passing neglect.

The neighborhood, named after its most famous resident – the last Governor of the District and tree champion, Boss Shepherd – was designed many years ago to support a mature tree canopy, and the space shows that possibility now, but not without a little help. The garage that once stood on the site has long since burned down, and now the community is dedicated to reclaiming this patch of underused land and turning it into a beautiful park.

So, naturally we decided to help project organizers Tony Dixon and Patrice Jennings-Dixon plant nine trees, including a balsom fir, juniper and ironwood, among a variety of others to jumpstart the park’s transformation. When asked about his attachment to the site, Tony responded, “I’m attached mostly by how I am affected by its ugliness. For the three years I have been in this house, I awake to an unobstructed view of weeds gone wild, but recognized it had great potential and could benefit us all if it were cared for.”

But local residents aren’t the only ones hoping to forge closer bonds to the area and see it succeed – mayoral-hopeful Muriel Bowser came out and joined in the planting, and a long-time partner of ours, Tower Companies, donated eight of the trees in honor of each of their eight locations. They’ve been a friend to our mission for several years, and are green visionaries for D.C.

The complications for the site are numerous though, and it’s already had an impact on even what trees can provide. Tony explained, “Our biggest challenge is that a 1,000 square foot concrete garage pad and foundation remain on the property. Its presence has influenced our current design, the number of trees we could plant, and limited what we are able to initially do with the site. ” But that’s not to say there isn’t hope, and alternatives, especially when committed volunteers are there guiding the way.

“[When it's] trees vs. weeds? Weeds come in a distant 2nd place,” Tony said. “I think the trees are the easiest way to transform a blighted eyesore.”

We agree, Tony!

As part of the entertainment for April 24th’s #CanopyAwards, we’ll be joined by two incredible live bands.

One – the Bumper Jacksons - are a D.C.- and Baltimore-based group with a sound so unique, they consider it “trad jazz, ragtime, and pre-war country.” Their unique blend of music is reflective of their unconventional cast – lead singers Jess Eliot Myhre and Chris Ousley play a combination of clarinet, washboard, ukulele, banjo and guitar, while you’ll find bandmates Alex Lacquement on the upright bass, Dan Cohan on the suitcase percussion, Brian Priebe on the trombone and Dave Hadley on something called the “pedal steel” (we don’t know what that is; we just know we love their music).

The second half of the night’s musical talent will be provided by Andrew Lipke and the Azrael Quartet. “As a highly active artist, producer, songwriter, entertainer, and over-all member of the Philadelphia music scene,” Lipke has received considerable praise not only for his own music, but for his chops as a producer as well. With the #CanopyAwards only a few days away, we decided to ask him a few questions -

CT: Any green interests?

Well I hate to say it but I have whatever the opposite of a green thumb is…my father is an amazing gardener and can make any plant grow pretty much anywhere. I, unfortunately, did not get this gene. However I am very much into recycling and also conserving water.

CT: How old were you when you started playing music? 

I started playing the piano when I was 5 and guitar when I was 12. I recently got the opportunity to perform an arrangement I wrote of one of my songs – Up To Here – for full orchestra. That was a dream of mine for a long time, so to get to hear my music played in that way was a thrill…and it’s going to happen again!

CT: Any stories, memories or songs that relate to trees at all? Connect us to you through trees, if possible.

I was born in South Africa and when I was about 8 years old – with the help of my father – I did the thing where you place the avocado pit above a little container of water to pull the roots out. The pit grew very well and so we decided to plant it out in the yard. 7 years later we returned and the tree had grown into a very healthy avocado tree and as I understand it, now – 28 years later! – the avocados are giant and delicious! 

CT: Excited about performing for our #CanopyAwards?

Yes! Love performing with The Azrael String Quartet and to do so in a classy venue, for a great cause, is icing on the cake!

CT: What can our audience expect from you April 24th?

We do a mixture of my original music and some cover songs that I’ve arranged for myself and the string quartet. The players in my quartet are world class classical musicians and performing with them is always inspirational for me.  And we always have fun!!

A sneak peek at the event space – Union Market’s DOCK5 – and Andrew’s song “Up to Here” is featured in our video at the top, and we’ve shared a few more songs to check out from the Bumper Jacksons and Andrew below:

Because urban forestry issues span a wide range of topics and are constantly a source of local, national, and international news, we think it’s important to provide you with the most up-to-date information on everything tree-related: from local and national headlines to the latest in research and technologies, to simply feel-good stories.

Look for our reoccurring Treelines every week right here on Tree Speak + updates on our social channels, Facebook and Twitter.

This week in the Treelines…

• Scientists find new way to make high-tech energy storage devices from trees
  via DNA
  “Researchers at Oregon State University (OSU) found that cellulose – the most abundant organic polymer on earth and a key component of trees – can be heated in a furnace in the presence of ammonia and turned into the building blocks for supercapacitors.”

• Duke Energy suspends program using pesticide to stunt trees’ growth
  by Stephanie Coueignoux, WSOCTV
  “A Duke Energy spokeswoman said they wanted to keep trees there from growing into power lines. Tree trimming is very expensive, and those costs go straight to customers. Many are concerned about the long-term effects, include those on human health.”

• The sadness behind the Central African Republic’s mango trees
  by Tim Whewell, BBC News
  “The Central African Republic has been torn apart by inter-ethnic violence in the last 12 months. The conflict has left its mark on the landscape in many ways. You can always tell where there used to be a village by the sudden profusion of mango trees in the middle of nowhere.”

• Young NM scientist experiments with Pecan orchards and carbon dioxide removal
  by John Fleck, ABQ Journal
  “Albert Zuo and Eli Echt-Wilson, a pair of La Cueva High School juniors, were curious about the optimal way to grow trees to “sequester” carbon, one approach to reducing the impact of fossil fuels on Earth’s climate. With some inspiration from La Cueva biology teacher Jason DeWitte, the pair built a computer simulation of an orchard of growing trees.”

• Reflecting on the loss of the Eisenhower Tree
  by Jason Sobel, Golf Channel
  “This is a story about a tree. But really, it’s about so much more than that. This is a story about a tree that was born lucky.”

Don’t forget to check back next week for more Treelines! Any thoughts on these articles? Post your comments or questions below or via our social media channels - Facebook.. Twitter.. thanks!

Why not arrive in style to what is set to be the biggest and brightest celebration of D.C.’s trees?

We’re partnering with UBER to make sure your trip to the Canopy Awards — at DOCK5 @ Union Market on April 24 — is just as stylish and fun as the event itself. And we’ve made it incredibly easy for you.

When you’re ready to leave on the 24^th:

• Download the UBER app on your phone and create an account (for iPhone here, and Android here).
• Tap the profile icon in the top left – then tap “Promotions”
• Enter in the promo code: CASEYTREES
• Order your personal Uber (vehicle options: UberX; Black car; SUV)
• Get up to $25.00 off your first ride

NOTE: DC users only. New users only. Not valid on uberTAXI.

Not familiar with Union Market? Here’s how else you can get there:

• Metro: Union Market is just a few minutes walk from the Red Line NoMA/Gallaudet U Station.
• MetroBus: The market is accessible by the U St-Garfield Metrobus lines (90, 92, 93).
• Bike: Bike racks are available in the Union Market parking lot. The closest Capital Bikeshare station is located on Gallaudet University’s campus at 8th St NE and Florida Avenue.