Catonsville Tree Canopy Project

06/18/2026

How can you distinguish between pine, fir, and spruce trees? The best way to tell is to look at the needles.

Like deciduous trees, conifers can be identified by their "leaves." The "leaves" of conifers are of course their needles. On true pine trees, the needles are arranged and attached to the branches in clusters of two (red pine group), three (yellow pine group), or five (white pine group) needles per cluster. Spruce and fir trees have their needles attached individually to the branches.

To tell spruce and fir trees apart, it helps to know that spruce needles are sharply pointed, square and easy to roll between your fingers. Fir needles, on the other hand, are softer, flat and cannot be rolled between your fingers. Spruce needles are attached to small, stalk-like woody projections. When needles are shed, these projections remain. As a result, the branches of spruce trees feel rough. Fir branches lack these projections, and thus have smooth bark. The color and length of needles are not reliable means of identification; these can vary from tree to tree, depending on cultural conditions and the planting site.

More info: https://www.extension.iastate.edu/news/2005/nov/061401.htm

Image text:
PINE, SPRUCE, AND FIR: HOW DO YOU TELL THEM APART?
Pine:
Needles attached in clusters of 2, 3, or 5
Spruce:
Needles attached individually
Needles are sharply pointed, square and easy to roll between your fingers
Needles are attached to small, stalk-like woody projections that remain when needles shed
Fir:
Needles attached individually
Needles are softer, flat and cannot be rolled between your fingers

06/18/2026

06/18/2026

Plant more trees!

06/18/2026

06/14/2026

https://positivebloom.com/this-is-the-invasive-insect-targeting-pennsylvania-oak-trees-at-an-alarming-rate/

This invasive insect is attacking Pennsylvania oak trees at an alarming rate, threatening leaves, branches, and long-term tree health if left unchecked.

06/14/2026

https://positivebloom.com/this-underrated-pennsylvania-native-shrub-creates-a-natural-tick-barrier-along-your-fence/

This underrated Pennsylvania native shrub can help create a natural tick barrier along your fence while adding beauty and wildlife value.

06/12/2026

https://fb.watch/HHyOnNUnx5/?

06/11/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/1CGNoZF2gM/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Pennsylvania just planted its millionth urban tree, and the number is almost too big to picture. One million trees in cities — Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, and the smaller boroughs in between — pushed into sidewalk cuts, vacant lots, schoolyards, and the narrow strips between row house porches and the street. In a state famous for steel and coal, the new industrial output is shade.
The program started because Pennsylvania's cities were baking. Urban heat islands in Philly's Kensington neighborhood or Pittsburgh's Hill District were running ten to fifteen degrees hotter than the surrounding countryside. Row houses with flat roofs and no tree cover turned into solar collectors. Air conditioning bills crushed low-income families. Stormwater had nowhere to go except basement apartments.
The urban canopy program didn't just plant trees. It planted the right trees — native oaks, maples, blackgum, and sycamores selected for their root structure, canopy spread, and tolerance to urban stress. Each tree gets a cage, mulch, and a maintenance schedule. The survival rate is high because the state treats this as infrastructure, not decoration.
The results are in the photo. That young oak in its cage, surrounded by coneflower and goldenrod on a Pittsburgh street, is already dropping the temperature on the sidewalk below it. Birds are perching. Stormwater is hitting leaves instead of pavement. And somewhere in the million-tree count, a kid is walking to school under a canopy that didn't exist five years ago.

05/29/2026

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mark-ray-3504659_yes-trees-are-whole-ecosystems-and-food-activity-7465874184070533120-um_R?utm_medium=ios_app&rcm=ACoAABmV-JsBRLKSWsdBx3F-QR6Ke6MjamH7CO4&utm_source=social_share_video_v2&utm_campaign=facebook

Yes, trees are whole ecosystems and food chains within themselves. The diversity of caterpillars are all threads in a food web that includes both native and migrating birds among other creatures. For migrants, these trees are the well-stocked convenient stores along the superhighways of their migrat...

05/17/2026

Every child born in Wales gets a tree.
Not a joke — a policy.

The Welsh government plants a native broadleaf tree for every birth or adoption. The scheme is called "Plant!" — which means "children" in Welsh.

Started in 2008, inspired by a schoolgirl who wanted kids to own their environment. Six new woodlands so far. Tens of thousands of trees — oak, ash, birch, cherry — planted for the next generation.

A country investing in both its children and its forests. 🌱🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿