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  1. Take Part in Chattanooga Tree History, Friday, September 09, 2011

    The first Citizen Forester workshop is kicking off at the Chattanooga Arboretum and Nature Center this Saturday at noon. There are still five spaces open for this workshop, so sign up now, and show up on Saturday! The workshops not only allow you to get hands on training in tree planting and care, but we will be making Chattanooga tree planting history this weekend by planting a dawn redwood, or Metasequoia.


    Photograph of a dawn redwood, Metasequoia, hosted by About-Garden.com

    The dawn redwood is one of only a few deciduous conifers. That means, it is a needle tree like most evergreens, but the dawn redwood is special because it actually loses its needles in the fall, and sprouts new needles in the spring. Dawn redwood is considered a “living fossil”. It dates from prehistoric times, and was thought to be extinct. However, it was discovered in China in 1941. Seeds were brought to North America, where it now grows again.

    Be a part of this historic tree planting as dawn redwoods are reintroduced to Chattanooga, or if you can’t make it this Saturday, be sure to check out the workshop schedule and sign up for a time and place that are convenient for you this fall.

    Posted by Dave Walker in Environment