Tuesday, October 18, 10:00 am – 12:30 pm – Tree Preservation from the Top
Mark you calendar for Thursday, October 18, for the second personal tour of the first wheelchair accessible tree house in Massachusetts, with arborist Carl Brodeur, founder, co-owner, and President of Arborcare with Ropes ‘n Saddles, Inc. This Ecological Landscaping Association field trip will begin at 10 am at 38 Narrows Road in Assonet, Massachusetts. Until recently, the joy associated with climbing a tree and seeing the world from a tree house was out of reach for children with mobility impairments. That changed in 2008 when the Institute for Developmental Disabilities, Inc. opened the first universally-accessible tree house in Massachusetts on its beautiful 45-acre campus. Children of all ages and ability levels now have the opportunity to visit a beautiful tree house, far away from the limitations of an earthbound perspective. This storybook-like structure is used for classes, music therapy, and recreation. Tree preservation is a key component of many landscape projects, but was the critical component of this project. Carl will take us behind the scenes and describe the tree preservation in the grove from the beginning of the project to the ongoing preservation today, The presentation will cover the protection of the root zone during construction, soil monitoring for a healthy biological environment for the roots, as well as the monitoring and care since the building of the Tree House. This site sits on the shore of Assonet Bay and is also the habitat for some interesting and endangered species, particularly the Northern Diamondback Terrapin, which uses this area as a nesting ground. Register online at www.ecolandscaping.org. $20 for ELA members, $25 for nonmembers. You may call 617-436-5838 for more information. This program is a repeat of one scheduled this past August, which was sold out, so reserve now.
