THE LEAFLET

As we mentioned, Gallaudet’s campus lost twelve mature canopy trees in the summer of 2015 due to the invasive Emerald Ash Borer beetle. It was an immediate and shocking loss. Gallaudet reached out to us to start the journey of re-treeing their campus.. and it became so much more.

We were ready, willing, and excited to replant, but the arrival of Hurricane Joaquin in 2015 canceled our plans we worked hard as a team to put together.

However, the setback thanks to the hurricane was a blessing in disguise. While everyone was eager to immediately replant, we took a step back — you don’t often get the chance to help re-envision a campus. With their sustainability team, faculty and students, we began to compile a comprehensive inventory of campus trees. By identifying, cataloging and measuring Gallaudet’s trees, we had an informed plan for the following plantings.

Well, you could say we’ve had a productive partnership. Three years, three plantings, two inventories, 208 volunteers, and 85 trees later the new trees offer not only new canopy, but also optimism for the next generation. Working with the diverse Gallaudet community, we learned it takes more than shovels, dirt and water to do what we do. It takes local involvement, spirit, enthusiasm and curiosity.

When you make a year-end gift to Casey Trees, you align yourself with an informed, ground-breaking and community-committed organization that gets results. An organization involved with our city’s residents in a shared vision for the future.

So what’s the future of Gallaudet’s trees and the District’s trees a whole? Turns out we’re in good hands.

This is part two of a series about our flourishing partnership with Gallaudet University. We’re proud to partner with them to show the power of our mission. What’s next? A campus makeover? An entirely new tree species? The possibilities are endless! Stay tuned to the Leaflet to find out.