Ryan Murphy from Urban Forestry Outreach and Research shared updates on existing & emerging tree pests, and tree care tips
10/02/2024
The September monthly meeting was held at the Roseville Oval and via Zoom from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 17, 2024. Watching the recording of this meeting can be counted as 2 hours of Continuing Education. (Find the recording in the Archives of the Monthly Meeting page.)
THANK YOU!
Many thanks to the RCMG volunteers involved with the March Meeting:
Education Committee: Simba Blood & Gene Ranieri
Journalist: Mindy Johnson
Presenters: Ryan Murphy
Set-Up: Nick Gisi
Coffee Courier: Judy Johnson
Greeters: Kathy Fryxell & Bev Paulus
AV Team: Christopher Skelly & Tiffa Foster
Zoom Aide: Pat Gannon
Clean Up: Ian Goldsmith
RCMG Board Announcements
Meeting started off with an in-person icebreaker from the Education Committee regarding the topic of trees, particularly identifying trees by their leaves. If anyone has ideas for future icebreakers feel free to contact the Education Committee.
Julie Bechtold- RCMG Board Chair
MISSING ITEMS – If you’re missing anything from the 2024 plant sale, contact Julie and let’s see if it’s in the lost-and-found bag.
STRATEGIC PLAN – Update on our nonprofit corporation strategic planning: in August the board of directors voted on and approved the mission, vision and guiding principles; in September the board of directors voted on and approved the goals as they relate to the mission, vision and guiding principles; a big thank you to the strategic planning committee for their continued work on determining the goals, then setting the actions and deliverables on these goals; overall we are on schedule and look forward to implementation on January 1, 2025.
PLANT SALE 2025 – If you’re already a part of our plant sale committee, we’re looking for a dedicated person to co-lead the sale day team, including clean up. You’ll have lots of members willing to help do the work, but we’re looking for someone who can manage their efforts. It’s a good way to get more involved with the plant sale while being physically active! Please contact Cheryl Brady or Molly O’Rourke if you’re interested or if you want to learn more about the plant sale in general.
MG MERCH ORDER – Due to popular demand, if you’re looking to order any Master Gardener merchandise from the official store, email Julie Bechtold with your order no later than October 4th and she will put in a bulk order to save on shipping costs. Julie will collect payment from you once I get your order request. This is a different order than the t-shirt order that is listed in the newsletter. Also, there is a brand new long sleeved women's embroidered MG shirt that is up for sale - a member purchased it and it didn't fit, so their loss is your gain! We're offering it at a discounted rate. No holds on the item and once it's gone, it's gone. Contact Julie if interested
Kay Wimer- RCMG Board Co-Chair
2025 BOARD ELECTIONS
RCMG members are asked to vote for candidates running to join the 2025-26 RCMG Nonprofit Corporation Board of Directors. Voting will be held October 16 through October 30
The board is a group of people who assist RCMG Program Coordinator Darren Lochner with the non-profit part of the program including the distribution of funds from the plant sale. The board consists of a Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, and leads from the New Member Committee (2 people),
Marketing/Communications Committee (2 people) and Education Committee (2 people).
The time commitment involved varies with the position.
RCMG 2025-2026 Board Candidates
Beth Fritcher: 2025 Vice Chair, 2026 Chair Kristina Hughes: 2025-26 Treasurer
Laurel Watt: 2025-26 Secretary
Sue Mason: 2025-26 Education Co-chair
Susie DeShon: 2025-26 New Member Co-chair
Nanette Boudreau: 2025-26 Marketing and Communication Co-chair
A ballot will be emailed to all active and certified volunteers (including interns who have completed the Core Class and their 50 volunteer hours) beginning on October 16. All votes must be in by midnight October 30. To certify the election results, a quorum of 30% (number of responses from voting members) is required.
Polls Open Oct 16-30, members will receive an email for voting, even if only one candidate is nominated it’s still important to vote to support candidates running. Candidates Running for board are at all member levels.
Darren Lochner's Coordinator Updates
Thank you to all the RCMG members who volunteered for the Minnesota State Fair. This year’s demonstration gardens theme was creative container gardens. Interested in volunteering next year Contact Julie Last name(?)
Nov 5 is Presidental Election Day. Just a reminder that if the topic of politics comes up while volunteering with RCMG or at an event, please keep the conversation focused on gardening.
RCMG volunteers in need of hours
Volunteering shifts are winding down for the season, but there are always opportunities for interns and Master Gardeners to get their hours in. Contact Darren Lochner or the New Member Committee to see what may be available.
2025 Master Gardener Applicant Interviews
This fall interviewers are needed to inform new Master Gardener applicants about the RCMG program per a casual online conversation. Interns may volunteer to interview. Available shifts are in SignUpGenius. Be sure to also sign up for the online Interviewer Orientation if you volunteer for these shifts. The orientation will be recorded for those who can not attend.
Project Updates
Yard Waste sites – Laurel Watt and Liz O’Toole
There are plenty of volunteers needed for October Yard Waste site shifts. Volunteers approach residents asking if they have any gardening or composting questions, hand out bookmarks and other printed information. There will be training on site for volunteers. It is recommended to wear old clothing and sturdy shoes during the shifts. Volunteers do not work alone, feel free to ask Liz or Laurel to work a shift with you. The Yard Waste sites are a partnership with Ramsey County that provides significant funding for our program.
Children’s Garden in Residence Curriculum – Marlys Daugherty
Marlys uses the Children’s Garden in Residence Curriculum to work with youth who are involved with organizations that are providing summer programming.
RCMG is hosting a training in October specifically for Master Gardeners about the Children’s Garden in Residence program. The goal of the training is to introduce one to the ideas behind the program, which is to follow the lead of the children and engage them with what they’re interested in.
If you’re not familiar with working with children, particularly in a discovery-based setting, feel free to ask questions. If you’re interested in working with youth over an extended period of time, you get to build relationships with them. Great opportunity to introduce youth to growing plants including vegetables.
Ed Shinbach introduces himself. Ed and Susan Cathey are project leaders for RCMG volunteer shifts working with youth. Their goal is to get more Master Gardeners involved in working with youth, potentially leading future volunteer sessions.
Registration for the Children’s Garden in Residence training is on the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum website; Ed will also provide a direct link on a SignUpGenius posting. Sign up early as shifts are expected to fill fast; if they are full contact Ed and he may be able to find you a spot. The training is $30 to offset costs, yet those who register and attend will be reimbursed the fee. The training is one session Wednesday, Oct 16, 9am-3pm. Food and drink will be provided. There will be other training opportunities in the future for those who can’t make this session.
Guest Lecture - Community Forestry Today: Trends in Minnesota’s Community and Urban Forests
Guest Speaker: Ryan Murphy from the Urban Forestry Outreach and Research
Ryan L Murphy works with the Urban Forestry Outreach & Research (UFOR) Lab & Nursery. UFOR teaches about trees throughout the state of Minnesota through various programs.
He also helps run the Minnesota Certified Tree Inspector program, which educates people about tree pests, forest insects and pathogens.
Tonight’s presentation focuses mainly on shade trees that grow over 10’ tall and includes information about tree health issues like apple scab and fire blight, insects such as linden borer and zigzag sawfly. He also talks about the UMN Elm Selection Program, a research project that aims to find elm trees that have survived Dutch Elm Disease.
The discussion then turns to educating people about how to successfully extend tree life by planting properly. He provides information about how improper planting negatively impacts trees.
The presentation concludes with information regarding federal funding for tree projects and organizations in Minnesota through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Also, information is given about what characteristics make an adaptable tree.
Questions asked during the Guest Lecture:
Besides maybe an animal, or possibly a person tampering with it, is there anything that would cause the bark of a maple tree to appear like it’s being stripped off? Particularly a tree that was planted about 3 years ago?
Gingko has a white bold growing around the base of the tree, what could be the cause?
People planting trees, including construction workers, don’t seem to be knowledgeable. Is there some way to train people to plant trees correctly?
Coming out of three years of drought, how long can we expect tree damage to last?
Are treated elms of interest to your survivor elm research?
Are hybrid trees available or are there any trees light resistant?
What are the benefits or cons of green water bags?
What would you recommend to replace an oak tree that has been treated but is not healthy enough to save?
Why are gingko trees recommended to plant?
Do you have any information about pawpaw trees?
What can you tell about botanical sexism in allergies?
8:00 - 8:30 pm Additional RCMG announcements
Free Garden Books
The Resources Center (previously Diagnostic Clinic) is clearing out outdated or unused books. The books were at the RCMG monthly meetings and are free for volunteers to take or find a place to donate them.
Memorial for Emma and Troy
Dawn Cameron shared that RCMG recognizes that in late May volunteers Emma and Troy were killed in a car accident. More information is detailed in the RCMG volunteer newsletter sent out, including a link to the obituaries. A celebration of their lives will be held Oct 6 at 2pm at the Roseville Muriel Sahlin Arboretum. For RCMG volunteers who would like to attend, there will be a SignUpGenius although it’s not required to register.
Recap provided by Mindy Johnson
RCMG Volunteer