WINDERMERE NAMED FLORIDA'S 2007 TREE CITY OF THE YEAR
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			Left to Right: Tree Board Chairperson Janet Maland, Mayor Gary Bruhn, Charlie Marcus - Urban and Community Forestry Coordinator - Division of Forestry, Tree Board Secretary Theresa Schretzmann-Myers
News: Top Stories Windermere named Tree City of the Year The town has been recognized statewide for its 'green' tree practices. By Kathy Aber When Charlie Marcus drove into Windermere for the first time a couple of weeks ago, he immediately felt enveloped by the town's majestic tree canopy. As the coordinator of Urban Forestry for the Florida Division of Forestry, Marcus was well aware of the town's long-standing tree preservation efforts. In 1992, the town adopted an ordinance to protect its tree canopy and regulate removal of trees, and in 1994 it started a Tree Board. For the past 15 years, the town has been recognized as a Tree City USA and has been working hard to preserve its trees and educate the community on the importance of healthy trees. Marcus came from Tallahassee to attend the June Town Council meeting and present the 2007 Florida Tree City of the Year Award to the Tree Board, mayor, staff and Town Council. He congratulated the Tree Board and town officials for their commitment to urban forestry and their excellent programs. "I am honored to accept this award," said Mayor Gary Bruhn. "This award belongs to the members of the Tree Board, the residents and the elected officials who have supported and continue to support our environmental efforts." The mayor complimented Tree Board Chairman Janet Maland and Secretary Theresa Schretzmann-Myers for their leadership and creative ideas and for spurring citizen involvement in environmental education. In discussing the award with The West Orange Times this week, Maland emphasized the entire town's involvement in winning the award. "It's a group effort - a whole town award - involving the office staff, administration and everybody in town," said Maland. "It's everybody who ever planted a tree," said Schretzmann-Myers. In a few weeks, the town will celebrate the award with banners proclaiming: "Congratulations Windermere, Florida's Tree City USA." In addition, the town's annual Treebute for Arbor Day in January 2009 will be a communitywide celebration of the award. The Florida Tree City of the Year Award is co-sponsored by the Florida Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture, Florida Urban Forestry Council, Florida Division of Forestry and the University of Florida Extension Service. There is a monthlong selection process, and Windermere was chosen from more than 135 cities and towns in Florida that have achieved Tree City USA status. They range in size from Pomona Park near St. Augustine that has a population of 900 citizens to Miami, which has more than 300,000 residents. A panel selected Windermere for the top honor from a group of 33 finalists, and the award was formally announced at the Trees Florida 2008 Annual Conference Awards Program held June 10 in Weston. At the conference, Mike Conner, chairman of the Trees Florida Awards Program, recognized the Windermere Tree Board for its outstanding people, projects, techniques and management of its natural resources with special regard for Windermere's urban forest. Before an audience of more than 500 attendees, Conner presented the award to Maland and Schretzmann-Myers. In the presentation, he noted the town's commitment to environmental stewardship and exemplary "green" tree practices. In accepting the award, Maland said: "We are honored to receive this prestigious award. We have been supporting our urban forest as a Tree City USA for 15 years. Trees are a key indicator species of a healthy urban environment, but most towns are struggling to keep up with growth and essential services and lack funds for trees." Windermere's Tree Board has written grants to obtain state and federal funding of more than $339,000 to create a tree inventory for the town and to provide educational seminars, replacement trees and environmental programs and Arbor Day observances. The recent comprehensive inventory of the town's trees values them at more than $33 million in an area of only two square miles. "Our goal is long-term impact in Windermere," said Maland. "When you plant a tree, you plant a legacy." Maland is an ISA-certified arborist and serves as a committee member of the Board of the Florida Urban Forestry Council filling the position of tree advocate. Schretzmann-Myers is a paralegal and grant writer and the Arbor Day chairman for the Windermere Garden Club. Other Tree Board members include Treasurer Pat Uhl, Pat Coleman and Mary Bissen. Attorney Bob Sprick is the Town Council's liaison to the Tree Board. For the past two years, the Tree Board has hosted the Annual Geezers in the Treezers Lorax Invitational Official Unofficial Tree Climbing Competition in conjunction with its annual Arbor Treebute program in January. The tree-climbing event is actually an emergency training exercise to certify tree climbers to rescue and retrieve power line workers and others who get stranded in trees. "They use Windermere's trees for safety training," said Maland. The Tree Board and staff have just finalized reports to wrap up three Urban Forestry Grants to replace trees lost in the 2004-05 hurricanes. Most recently, the team has written a grant application for an Urban Forestry Grant for 2008 to obtain funds for another tree adoption program during the Arbor Day Treebute next year. Other programs include updating the town's tree ordinance to address the challenges of future growth and development. The award is on display in the town's administrative offices. For more information on Tree Board programs, go to www.windermere.town.fl.us.
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