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GreenCorps member starts tree inventory

Staff photo by Clay Schuldt Shane Omersa, a GreenCorps member working with the New Ulm Tree Advisory Commission, is working on a tree inventory in New Ulm.

NEW ULM — The City of New Ulm has a new Minnesota GreenCorps member in its ranks. Three months ago Shane Omersa took on the Urban Forestry position with the City of New Ulm.

“I am working under the Tree Advisory committee,” Omersa said. “I am working on a variety of things related to trees.” Specifically he is helping create an inventory of New Ulm’s trees in public parks and along streets. Omersa will also be developing recommendation for tree maintenance, tree planting, disease control and educating the public.

Omersa was placed in New Ulm by GreenCorps in September. GreenCorps is an AmeriCorps program coordinated by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), which places members in organization around the state to spend 11 months addressing environmental issues in a community.

New Ulm enter into the program last year. Nathan Fuerst served for 11 months in the community in the Heart of New Ulm’s Safe Routes to School/Community Walkability & Bicycling position. The New Ulm City Council agreed to continue and expand New Ulm’s involvement with GreenCorp in March. In addition to a new Safe Routes position the city applied for and accepted a grant for an Urban Forestry position, which brought Omersa to New Ulm. His position is fully funded through the GreenCorps grant. The city is only responsible for supplying supervision, a work station and a vehicle.

Omersa graduated from the University of Minnesota Duluth last spring and applied to the GreenCorps soon after. The Minnesota GreenCorps program paired him up with the city of New Ulm and he will work on forestry issues for an 11 month period. At this time he is in the early stages of the tree inventory.

“What I am looking for is the tree species, identifying them, looking at their size and also what condition they are in,” Omersa said. “By the end of my time here I am going to write up an assessment of what has been found.”

This assessment will be used by the city to make decisions on which trees to plant and where to plant them. The inventory could also help with management of emerald ash borer, burr oak blight, gypsy moth or other tree diseases.

“The idea of the inventory is you have this map, this idea of the trees and what they are like so when you start getting word of something coming around you can better manage tree removal,” Omersa said.

Education is another component of Urban Forestry position. Omersa will be involved with Arbor Day programing, classroom visits and promoting the tree inventory. In order to complete the inventory Omersa will be seeking citizens volunteers to assist with the identification and cataloguing trees. Special training for volunteers will begin in the spring.

Until then Omersa is conducting the inventory by himself. The process is slow, especially in the winter. Without leaves identifying species is a bit more challenging, but he enjoys the work. Omersa said the most impressive specimens he has encountered so far are the oak trees in South Park which are quite massive and some of the oldest trees in the area. The cottonwood trees are also of interest. Omersa said he has not seen many cottonwoods near his hometown of Gilbert, Minnesota.

Omersa is continuing his education as well. In addition to on the job training he is taking quarterly courses with MPCA in St. Paul. One of the fascinating things he has learned since taking the position is the amount of work necessary to plant a tree.

“There is actually a lot to consider with these thing,” Omersa said. “What’s around the tree? What desired characteristics do you want? Do you want this to provide shade, do you want a windbreak, or do you just want a nice tree in your yard? And then, what other trees are next to it? Think about bio-diversity all while balancing the budget. It’s quite something how much thought can go into planting a tree.”

Anyone interested in learning more about Urban Forestry or the tree inventory can contact Omersa at (507)-359-8341. His office is located at Recreation Center at 122 S. Garden Street.

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