TREE Fund announces 2018 grant recipients

Naperville, IL – TREE Fund has announced its 2018 grant recipients, with the grant totaling in at just over $260,000. The grants go toward urban tree research and education.

Since its start in 2002, the TREE fund has provided over $3.6 million in grants and scholarships, including this year’s grants. 

The Hyland R. Johns Research Grant went to Andrew Hirons, PhD and co-investigator Henrik Sjoman, PhD. “Enhancing the performance of urban storm water management schemes with tree selection: developing a new approach to accessing waterlogging tolerance in temperate trees” aims to improve tree selection for stormwater management schemes and sites prone to waterlogging.

Safe Arborist Techniques Fund Grant went to Alexander Laver. Laver’s research, “Optimised techniques for arboreal activities,” uses motion capture equipment to track the movements of a tree climber to analyze climbing methods, depending on the climber’s body. 

Utility Arborist Research Fund Grant went to John Goodfellow's research “The cost-effectiveness of integrated vegetation management." It will build on his previous research into the economic business aspects of integrated vegetation management.

Sponsored Grant recipient Carolyn G. Mahan, PhD will collaborate with the Center for Pollinator Research and the Frost Entomological Museum at Penn State University in her study “Long term effects of electrical right-of-way vegetation management on floral and faunal communities.”

The Tree Care Industry Association Foundation in Londonderry, New Hampshire received the Frank E. Gamma, Sr. Arboriculture Education Fund grant. Kent Roosevelt High School Forestry and Landscape Management Program in Kent, Ohio won the Ohio Chapter ISA Education grant. 

“Our spring round of awards this year continues TREE Fund’s strong commitment to preserving our core research and education grant-making portfolio, while aggressively pursuing new lines to support and sustain our industry,” says TREE Fund President and CEO J. Eric Smith. 

Seven students also won scholarships ranging from $2,000 to $5,000.