This morning, a man was killed in Mount Pleasant after a tree branch fell on him while he was walking in the 3200 block of Adams Mill Road NW. more ›

Ah, jizz berries, the curse of many a District autumn. Yes, it's once again about that time when the city's pedestrians find themselves pinching their noses in a desperate battle against the scent of feces and vomit, then frantically scraping the disgusting ginkgo produce from the soles of their shoes. more ›

As we noted yesterday, it was the District's trees which took the brunt of Hurricane Irene's force over the weekend -- in fact, the city has announced that they've collected more than 267 tons of tree debris in the days since the storm. more ›

The District's tree canopy has always been something of a point of pride for the city, but as this weekend's tropical storm proved, trees can and do come down in extreme weather. more ›

As if the District's trees didn't have a rough enough go of it, what with the incredibly hot summer we've been having -- now, the city's ash trees are apparently under threat from Emerald Ash Borers, an invasive beetle which feasts on ash trees everywhere it spreads. more ›

Have you noticed light poles around the District now offering an environmentally conscious tilt? That's the idea behind the Urban Forest Project, which has arrived in the District with "a forest of thoughtful images." more ›

If you're an American history buff, you'll want to check out this video by the Nationals Archives, which details historians' efforts to try and figure out what President Richard Nixon and his chief of staff H.R. "Bob" Haldeman were talking about during an 18 1/2-minute gap in a recording made shortly after five men were arrested for breaking into the Watergate complex in 1972. more ›

The arrival of warmer spring weather means one thing: it's time to spray for the jizz berries. (Or poop berries, or vomit berries, whatever you prefer.) That's right, the ginkgos are once again threatening to rise up and fill our nasal passages with nothing but disgusting scents all summer and fall. more ›

A few weeks ago we learned about a tree kerfuffle where uppity Watergate residents whined about the plan to plant sycamore trees, as it would ruin their views and destroy their property values. Now, we have an update following a February 3rd meeting of the National Capital Planning Commission. It's a bit unsatisfying. more ›

Oh Watergate residents. In today's privileged people complaining about ridiculous things story, we give you this: Watergate residents are petitioning the National Park Service to cut down trees along the Potomac. Because the trees ruin their views from their condos. And decrease their property values. And they live in the Watergate, don't you know. more ›

It's that time of the year: Thanksgiving is over, you've likely already started shopping for gifts, time to buy a Christmas tree. After all, the Obamas already received theirs. more ›

I was taken aback while reading this short interview with Mark Buscaino, the executive director of Casey Trees, a nonprofit that plants and protects trees around the District. When asked if Washington needed more trees, Buscaino said that "by 2035, we need to be planting about 8,600 trees per year." more ›

Yesterday afternoon, a massive thunderstorm tore through Alexandria like Superman through a phone book -- the damage was so extensive, that the Mayor of Alexandria told reporters last night, without hyperbole, that the Del Ray area of town looked like a "war zone." DCist staff photographer Meaghan Gay, a resident of Alexandria, documented the area in the immediate aftermath; a large number of Virginia homes are still without power this afternoon. more ›

Fallen trees throughout the region caused a good deal of damage to homes and vehicles yesterday, as one of the more powerful thunderstorms in years stomped its way through the District. Tipster Dave sent us the above photograph of a home on the 3500 block of Cumberland Street NW. According to Dave, the residents of the home are apparently on vacation -- two dogs were in the home when the tree fell, but they were okay. (I'd say that the residents picked a good time to go on vacation, but coming back to that? Ugh.) Other readers have sent us images of cars who lost their battle against the flying limbs. So what's your block look like this morning, commentariat? If you snapped an image of some damage caused by a tree or downed power lines on your way to work this morning, drop us a line. more ›

We're not the only ones suffering from the record heat -- many trees, including those that have been recently planted around the city, are suffering from a lack of water. For advice, DCist turned to Casey Trees, which is our go-to source for all things arbor. According to Casey, trees need about 25 gallons of water a week to live healthy, oxygen-creating lives. Casey recommends applying water slowly, so that the roots of the tree can absorb it. Even with thunderstorms scheduled to roll into the area over the next few days, the heat wave has dried up the soil and your favorite shade-providers still could use a drink. Living in an apartment building and hose-less? Check with your building's maintenance staff to see if they wouldn't mind sparing a little water for your leafy neighbors. After all, without trees, it'd be even hotter around here. more ›

There's a stretch of sidewalk on Rhode Island Ave., between 9th and 7th streets NW, that has long been difficult to navigate. The root system belonging to a series of large trees planted there has, over the years, led to major cracks in the concrete that continued to be pushed upward, causing something like an obstacle course to form. There'd be several feet of flat sidewalk, and then, bam, you needed to climb up a foot or two of twisted tree root, broken slabs and maybe even a layer of hastily applied blacktop over that. It was difficult enough to manage for the able-bodied; forget about it if you have trouble walking or, even worse, get around in a wheelchair. more ›

Powerful winds blowing through the D.C. area since last night are wreaking havoc on the city's trees and power lines. The District Department of Transportation says it has been working to respond to almost 80 reports of downed trees or branches blocking city streets, sidewalks and alleyways since the winds began on Thursday. Some trees have also fallen on top of vehicles and buildings. Here's just a small sampling of the kinds of calls D.C.'s tree crews are dealing with today: more ›

DDOT just sent out these images via Twitter, of an absolutely enormous tree that's come down across the 400 block of Allison Street NW, roots and all. more ›

DCist reader Damian Bednarz sends in this image, from Woodley Place and Cathedral Drive in Woodley Park, of a once mighty tree felled by the unforgiving weight of 20 inches of frozen water. Downed trees are just one more hazard we need to be mindful of as we wait out the rest of this potentially historic storm. more ›

We've already mentioned the rate at which power outages are sweeping through the region, but some impressively large numbers are starting to trickle in. The Post's Breaking News Blog reports over 150,000 reported outages in the metro area -- 89,094 Pepco, 71,000 Dominion, and 30,356 BGE customers have been without or continue to be without power over the last twelve hours or so. If your power goes out, here are the numbers to call and report outages: more ›

The Post had a brief story about it this morning, but it's worth reiterating that the District Department of the Environment and outstanding local non-profit Casey Trees have announced a new program that offers D.C. residents $50 if they'll plant a tree on their property. Autumn is the best time to plant trees, so follow this link to learn more about the program and download the rebate form. Participants must pledge to water and care for the tree for at least two years, and you can also request a free “Ooze Tube” watering bag to make watering the tree that much easier. The rebates are available up until May 31, 2009. Casey Trees is also offering tons of info on where, when and how to plant your tree. Contact them at 202.833.4010 or friends(at)caseytrees.org. more ›

With springtime comes anticipation of blooming gardens and leafy green trees. The federal government doesn't have quite the same excitement, we would guess, based on their recent slashing of the U.S. National Arboretum's budget, as the Washington Post reported this weekend. The $2 million eliminated from next year's budget could drastically cut public programming, research on rare and new species of plants, and permanently stall much needed expansion projects. more ›