Tree Circus joins Arbor Day at Burbank Farm, March 6, 10:00 AM

[Erin Sheffield]

The volunteers at Luther Burbank’s Gold Ridge Experiment Farm are delighted to host the Tree Circus again, to celebrate Arbor Day.  This will follow the traditional tree planting in honor of Luther Burbank, scheduled at 9:30 AM at the Farm.

Here is the description of last year's Tree Circus, plus a list of the places where it was performed, with enthusiastic audience participation.  The report was prepared for the sponsoring CalFire Urban Forestry grant, and organized by the Western Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGLu4iMXIb0

Members of the audience are given the chance to climb a tree, with the equipment used by certified arborists.  
What a photo-op! The program is fully insured.

Attached is a photo of Sebastopol's retired City Manager, Mel Davis, participating last year at the Farm.  Shown are Tim Womick, Chad Brey, and Mel Davis.  Credit:  Erin Sheffield

FMI:
Erin Sheffield
(707) 481-3488
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Tree Circus in California, 2012

The TreeCircus put on 16 shows total, 9 of which were for school children, and 7 of which were at public Arbor Day celebrations.  Professor Arbor E. Tum (a squirrel “treesearch scientist”) inspired both young and old, and played in nicely to Timmy Womick and Chad Brey’s high energy performance style.

During their performances, TreeCircus dropped tidbits of biology to show how trees filter urban particulate pollution and bits of mathematics concerning the percentages of folks living in the urban forests of our megacities. They helped students gain a sense of the importance of their canopy’s shade on dropping the temperature around us. Throughout the hour-long program, participants learned about trees, the value of trees, why we should plant more of them, and even learned how to climb them like a pro at certain locations. Those who suddenly find themselves a part of the TreeCircus and in front of the audience generally blossomed in their own right. Student participation is what it was all about.

The TreeCircus paid special tribute to Luther Burbank on the tour.  Burbank, whose turn of the century farm experiments changed the food we eat, is the only person to have a state’s Arbor Day celebrated on his birthday.  Mr. Burbank on a bicycle became the event centerpiece, prompting questions from the public and sparking a conversation about this patron saint of California Arbor Day.

Event Itinerary:

Luther Burbank Arbor Day & Bike Ride, March 4, Sebastopol & Santa Rosa
Whole Foods Arbor Day Tree Giveaway & Ask the Arborist, March 4, Santa Rosa
Loomis Grammer School Arbor Day Performance, March 5, Loomis
Luther Burbank High School Arbor Day Performance, March 5, Sacramento
California ReLeaf Arbor Week Kickoff, March 7, State Capitol, Sacramento
UC Davis Arbor Day Celebration, March 7, Davis
City of Santa Rosa Arbor Day Dinner, March 7, Santa Rosa
Luther Burbank Arbor Day Breakfast, March 8, Santa Rosa
City of Santa Rosa Arbor Day Festival, March 8, Santa Rosa
Brentwood Elementary School Arbor Day Performance, March 9, East Palo Alto
Belle Haven Assemby School Arbor Day Performance, March 9, Menlo Park
Canopy Palo Alto Arbor Day Festival, March 10, Palo Alto
Fairyland Arbor Day Celebration, March 11, Oakland
New Leaf HS Arbor Day Performance, March 13, Martinez
Friends of the Urban Forest After School Program, March 13, San Francisco
Synergy School Arbor Day Performance, March 14, San Francisco