Burlington--Several Vermont tree champions recently were recognized by the Vermont Urban and Community Forestry Program (VT UCF) for their stewardship of their community's forests and trees.

The Vermont Arbor Day Award was given posthumously to David Raphael, founder of LandWorks, a landscape architectural firm in Panton. This prestigious award recognizes an individual who has made a long-time commitment to preserving and protecting the local urban and community forest. In addition to being a dedicated steward of the environment, Raphael shared ideas and expertise as a member of the VT UCF Advisory Council for more than two decades.

Recipients of the 2022 Vermont Tree Steward Awards included:

HAMILTON AWARD: Paul Wieczoreck, Hinesburg. This award goes to a tree warden who has advanced the goals of urban and community forestry through public education and sustainable forestry practices. As Hinesburg's tree warden for 20 years, Wieczoreck has guided the removal of hazard trees, led the town's public tree and ash inventory and advised his town's planning commission and development review board in both the development of regulations and during the review process of major subdivision applications. He also organizes volunteers to plant trees on Green Up Day and to inspect and prune trees in the fall to prevent damage from sidewalk snowplows. In addition, he is the president of the Hinesburg Land Trust and led the effort to acquire 291 additional acres for the Hinesburg Town Forest, increasing its size to 1,125 acres.

LEADER AWARD: Amanda Garland, Barre City. Garland planted and maintains a small tree apple orchard at the Barre City Elementary School. She also applied for, and received funds from, the Barre Rotary Club to establish apple orchards at five central Vermont schools. For the past 10 years, she has organized more than 100 volunteers to prune trees at the Orchard Valley School in East Montpelier. Garland was instrumental in establishing the Barre City Tree Stewardship Committee and the Community Garden Committee, and currently chairs both. Under her leadership, the Tree Stewardship Committee established and maintains Barre's first tree nursery at the Barre City Dix Reservoir and has planted trees at Torquinio Park and other city locations. She has worked with the Barre Community Garden Committee to plant trees at two community gardens and is in the process of establishing a parklet on city land across from a downtown playground. 

Ethan Tapper, Chittenden County forester, was honored by the Vermont Urban and Community Forestry Program with its 2022 Tree Steward Practitioner Award for his work including management plans for municipal forests and public forestry education. (photo courtesy of the Vermont Urban and Community Forestry Program)

PRACTITIONER: Ethan Tapper, Chittenden County forester. This honor recognizes a practitioner's leadership in the profession and unique contributions to the field of urban and community forestry. As county forester, Tapper has developed and implemented management plans for many municipal forests, including Indian Brook Park in Essex and Andrews Community Forest in Richmond. He writes newspaper columns on a regular basis and hosts tree walks and other educational events to educate the public about forestry practices that enhance ecosystem health.

UNSUNG HERO AWARD: John Akielaszek, Montpelier. Akielaszek developed an emerald ash borer (EAB) preparedness plan a decade ago, which was invaluable to town officials when EAB was discovered in Montpelier in 2018. He continues to take the lead in revising and implementing the plan, which has served as a model for other Vermont communities. He was recognized as an unsung hero for his sustained efforts to increase public awareness of EAB and for his work in his community to identify and manage this invasive pest.

VOLUNTEER GROUP AWARDS: This award is given to an organization, team, ad/hoc group or community that has demonstrated a strong commitment to introducing or sustaining an urban and community forestry project in their community. This year, three volunteer groups were recognized.

Barre Town Weed Warriors, Barre Town. Since 2019, this volunteer group has gathered for work days to remove Japanese barberry, honeysuckle, buckthorn and Japanese knotweed from the Barre Town Forest. Their efforts have significantly reduced the non-native invasive plant population on the 380-acre property.

Burke Conservation Commission, Burke. Members of this town commission have raised funds through grants and local funding for a number of projects including tree plantings, an ash tree inventory to monitor for EAB and the purchase of land and creation of a community forest. They have maintained walking paths on property adjoining the recreation park and offer classes for the public on EAB and other topics.

Johnson Tree Board, Johnson. The board, founded in 2014, helps care for and maintain public trees throughout the community and has organized tree plantings at schools, the library, Whiting Hill Cemetery and other locations. They hosted Arbor Day their first year and have held activities every year since except 2020 due to COVID-19. In January 2020, the board formally established the Johnson Arboretum at Nelson Duba Field, working with a landscape professional to create a landscape plan.

Earning Tree City USA recognition were Burlington, Essex Junction, Hartford, Middlebury, Montpelier, Rutland, Shelburne, South Burlington and Winooski. Middlebury College received the Tree Campus USA award. The Vermont Electric Power Company earned Tree Line USA recognition for the sixteenth consecutive year.

VT UCF is a partnership between UVM Extension and the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation. To learn more, visit www.vtcommunityforestry.org.