Casey Trees to host Open House to celebrate opening of headquarters, Arbor Day

April 12, 2011 The Advoc8te

Family-friendly activities, demonstrations, tree walks and building tours planned.

(Washington, D.C. – April 12, 2011) — Casey Trees will celebrate Arbor Day on Saturday, April 30 with the official opening of its new headquarters at 3030 12th Street NE in Brookland.

The Casey Trees Open House is scheduled from noon to 5:00 p.m. and will feature family-friendly activities, program spotlights and demonstrations, building tours and neighborhood tree walks. Attendees can come and go as they wish, view exhibits, participate in presentations, talk directly with Casey Trees staff and volunteers and provide comment.

"We are excited about the opportunity to welcome everyone to our new home,” Executive Director Mark Buscaino said. “We think of our new headquarters as the Nation’s Tree House, a place for all Washingtonians to learn about the importance of trees and the programs we offer to re-tree D.C.’s neighborhoods.”

Scheduled activities include:

Building Tours: 12:30, 1:00, 2:00, 2:30, 3:00, 3:30, 4:00

Presentations:
                Walking Papers: Mapping trees online with pen and paper      1:00, 3:00
                Rain gardens: Trees, plants and tips to consider                      3:00
                Green workplace exterior case study: Casey Trees                  4:15

Tree Walks: 2:15, 2:45, 3:15, 3:45, 4:15

Tree Id Crash Course: 2:00, 2:30, 3:30, 4:00, 4:30

Youth offerings include tree themed arts and crafts, face painting and a moon bounce. Door prizes will be given out to attendees throughout the afternoon and slow release watering bags and trunk guards will be available free of charge while supplies last. Light refreshments will be served.

Casey Trees is a 10-minute walk from the Brookland-CUA Metrorail station and is accessible by the D8 and H8/9 Metrobus routes. Complimentary street parking and bike valet will be available.

Advance registration is encouraged at www.ct.convio.net/calendar.

About the headquarters:
Casey Trees’ headquarters is located in the historic Brookland neighborhood and includes an administrative building and tree yard, marking the first time both are in the same location. The administrative building, half new, half renovated, is approximately 10,000 square feet. It was included as one of more than 150 projects in the Sustainable Sites Initiative™ (SITES™) Pilot Program and features three green roofs, a “cool roof” and bioretention planter capable of handling a four-inch rain event. The tree yard, a revamped redfield site, includes a rain garden boasting an elaborate mix of trees and plants mitigating stormwater from the site.