Urban Arbor Care

The Belle Isle Conservatory is such a wonderful tropical escape from February.  What a great FREE place to bring the kids.  Let them show you the orange tree with oranges or maybe throw a penny into the fountain and make a wish.  I love the orchids. The main room is what I would describe as houseplants gone crazy - in a good way :) 

So now we get to the fun part.  The trees had gotten out of control.  The trimming needs were beyond what they were capable of handling, so they hired independent arborists to do the job - and I was one of them!  I was on a crew of 4 others, 3 of us climb, 2 were strictly ground crew.  Since I am hurt and couldn't use a pole saw I was limited in what I could do.  Still, I was living an Arborist's dream just being there.   It was hard, strenuous and dangerous work, but an incredible experience.  I think we all had fun!

The Belle Isle Botanical Society is an awesome organization dedicated to making Belle Isle beautiful.  Thank you to BIBS for making the Conservatory tree trimming project happen!  Please visit their site and consider a membership.

Click on any of the bird names below to learn more about the species and listen to their song.

Thank you for entering your observation in this year's Great Backyard Bird Count. Below is a report summarizing the bird checklist you submitted.

Here is the information you gave for this observation.

Record ID: S4586173
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Locality: 48382, Commerce Township, Oakland County, MI
Observation Date: FEB 13, 2009
Start Time: 11:00 AM
Total Birding Time: 3 hours
Party Size: 1
Skill: excellent
Weather: excellent
Snow Depth: No snow was present
Habitat(s): 
    suburban
Number of Species: 16
All Reported: yes
Checklist:
    Mourning Dove - 5
    Red-bellied Woodpecker - 1
    Downy Woodpecker - 2
    Hairy Woodpecker - 1
    Northern Flicker - 1
    Blue Jay - 7
    Black-capped Chickadee - 2
    Tufted Titmouse - 3
    White-breasted Nuthatch - 1
    American Robin - 1
    American Tree Sparrow - 2
    Dark-eyed Junco - 5
    Northern Cardinal - 2
    Purple Finch - 1
    American Goldfinch - 8
    House Sparrow - 2
Comments ----------------------------------------
16 species and 44 individuals.  and im in the suburbs wow!
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To see how your results fit into the big picture, go to the Great Backyard Bird Count home page http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/ and click on "Explore the Results." If your bird checklist included unusual species or high numbers of individuals, you may receive an email from a regional editor requesting more details.

Thanks for participating in the 2009 Great Backyard Bird Count. Please join us again for next year's count. Mark your calendars for February 12-15, 2010.

If you enjoyed the Great Backyard Bird Count, check out eBird at http://www.ebird.org, where you can report the birds you see every day of the year. eBird helps you keep track of your lists--and archives your sightings so they're accessible to everyone, including other bird watchers and scientists. It's easy and fun to use--and it's absolutely free!

The Great Backyard Bird Count and eBird are joint projects of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society. Please help support these and other efforts on behalf of birds by becoming a member. Visit http://www.birds.cornell.edu/Membership for membership in the Cornell Lab of Ornithology or http://www.audubon.org/gbbc/index.shtml for membership in the National Audubon Society. Thank you for your support!

The 2008-2009 big tree hunt is underway. People of all ages can go out and find the biggest trees in Michigan. These trees play a vital role in our history and our environment as living landmarks. Winners will be announced in September 2009.

Global ReLeaf of Michigan continued the tradition of the Michigan Big Tree Hunt (MHBTH) in 1993. Prior to that a brilliant botanist named Paul Thompson had been keeping records and hunting down Michigan’s big trees since the early forties. His name is listed in the National Register of Big Trees on most of Michigan’s 47 national champions. Currently, the Michigan Botanical Club has inherited that job. Global ReLeaf of Michigan hosts the MBTH as a way to get people of all ages out looking at trees and helping find those that are champions. These trees play a vital role in our history and our environment as living landmarks.

With this entry form, the tree you nominate starts on a journey of its own towards possible inclusion in the National Register of Big Trees issued every two years by American Forests. First, it is reviewed by Global ReLeaf of Michigan to see if it is a winner in the biennial Michigan Big Tree Hunt. Winners are announced in September 2009 and certificates and prizes are awarded at a special ceremony. Winners are then forwarded to Dr. Woody Ehrle, Michigan Botanical Club Champion Tree Coordinator for the State of Michgan, for further review and possible inclusion in the State Champion Tree List.

Click here for the Entry Form (requires Adobe Reader)