Satellite imagery obtained by Bellingcat lays bare the extent of tree-felling at a Washington DC golf course that President Trump is reportedly seeking to transform into a championship-level course, despite moves to protect the site by conservationists. The extent and circumstances surrounding the rapid changes prompted a judge to call an emergency hearing earlier this week, banning any further changes until later this month. Reports on Wednesday detailed that 430 trees were cut down at the East Potomac Golf Links which is owned by the Federal government and managed by the National Park Service (NPS). This is despite a judge reportedly stating earlier this year that no more than 10 trees at the course could be cut down without first notifying the court. NPR reported that officials notified the court just before 5pm on Friday Oct. 9 of plans to remove up to 529 trees in phases starting the next day on Saturday Oct. 10. That prompted US District Court Judge Ana Reyes to call an emergency hearing on Oct. 12. By that time, 430 trees had reportedly been cut down. Reyes is reported to have said she was “furious” with the Justice Department for the lack of time afforded the court and plaintiffs before the tree removal was carried out. She was also reported to have said that the government’s actions had cost it “all of its credibility with me in this case…”
Seattle, Washington, Times, October 15, 2026: This Instagram-favorite tree could face changes in warming PNW
Rounding a bend, a clearing in the trail gave way to a golden vista. Larches dotted the bowl below the peaks and crowned the ridgeline. “It’s so stunning,” hiker Gray Winne said, taking in the larches for the first time as they crunched along the frozen path. “They’re so … cool.” Winne and Tayla Weaver wandered along the lake on Monday, pausing in awe of the amber majesty of larches young and old. Hundreds of hikers — including babies bundled in dense layers, corgi toes squelching through the thawing mud — had flocked to see the brief golden magic of larches, an iconic Northwest tree. Washington is home to both Western and subalpine larches, coniferous trees that change color and drop their leaves in the fall. This year, the peak of larch season is winding down as they begin to shed their leaves. These trees have been shaped by fire and extreme cold over millennia — and human-caused climate warming could strain the specialized adaptations of these trees. But the past offers tools for the trees’ resilience. Fire is an important tool to help maintain larch on the land by aiding in its regeneration, said Spencer Vieira, a fire ecologist who studied the relationship between larch and fire at the University of Montana…
London, UK, Guardian, October 15, 2026: Bring a bottle: Viennese dog owners told to rinse pets’ urine from trees
A neighbourhood in Vienna has introduced guidelines for dog walking, including the use of bottled tap water to rinse away urine and protect vulnerable trees. Neubau, an up-and-coming, densely populated district dotted with cafes and galleries, rolled out the Schönes Gassi (nice dog walk) campaign this week. The project addresses the impact of the area’s 600 dogs on greenery, including about 250 trees planted over the past decade to help mitigate the effects of the climate crisis. Using the slogan Das Flascherl zum Sackerl (the bottle to go with the bag), the guidelines say animal urine corrodes tree bark, weakening its protective layer and potentially letting corrosive pathogens and fungi penetrate the trunk. “While marking territory is a form of communication for dogs, it causes stress for urban trees,” said Grätzllabor, a community group that takes its name from the Viennese slang for quarter or neighbourhood. “This results in rot and, in the worst case, compromised stability…”
Southern Living, October 15, 2026: 7 Low-Maintenance Trees That Make Your Yard Easier To Care For
Your yard is begging for a nice tree to lend shade and color to your existing landscape. However, before running out to your local nursery and grabbing the first sapling that catches your eye, it’s important to know how the tree will grow over the years. “In order to choose what trees to plant in your home, first consider your site’s conditions, advises Stephen McFarlane, Regional Landscape Manager at Sandals Resorts International. “Make sure the tree you’d like to plant can survive in your climate and ensure you have suitable soil conditions for it to prosper. Sun exposure, wind, and drainage are also important considerations in regards to proper site conditions. Once you’ve determined the function of your tree (i.e. do you want the tree to provide flowers or must it provide evergreen shade all year long), you should consider the maintenance…
The federal judge who halted work at the Washington golf course President Donald Trump plans to redevelop issued a sharply worded opinion Tuesday night arguing that officials raced to remove hundreds of trees because Trump wanted quick action on his project, not because the National Park Service suddenly decided to implement a years-old preservation plan. “The Court concludes, on this limited record, that government officials raced to undertake the [tree-management plan] because President Trump demands haste on his redesign, and not because of some newfound zeal to implement a small part of a seven-year-old” report, U.S. District Judge Ana C. Reyes wrote…
A growing number of invasive pests are threatening our oak, sycamore, maple, and ash trees, even edible favorites like avocado are at risk. When trees are under attack, the first signs of trouble are easy to miss which can be detrimental to a tree’s health. It is important to monitor your trees regularly for signs of stress and damage. By learning to look for early warning signs we can all help protect our trees and prevent the spread of invasive pests. Common Signs of Tree Pest Infestations: Discolored damaged leaves, or excessive leaf drop; Thinning canopies or branch dieback, often starting in the upper branches; Small holes in the bark for pest exit or entry points; Sawdust or powdery residue, collecting on bark, branches, or at the base of the tree: Oozing sap or dark stains, trees sometimes “bleed” where pests bore in; Evidence of pest damage should not be overlooked. Infestations can multiply quickly and spread to neighboring trees. Be on the lookout for these three invasive species and report any signs of infestation to your local County Agricultural Commissioner or UC Cooperative Extension Advisor…
Denver, Colorado, KDVR-TV, October 14, 2026: Is this toxic weed growing in your yard?
A tree with a heavenly name has a bad reputation, and now Arapahoe County wants to weed out a tree that could be killing your garden and landscaping. The “Tree of Heaven” is considered a List C noxious weed. That means the weed is widespread and well-established to the point that it is naturalized, but it secretes a chemical that kills surrounding vegetation, according to Arapahoe County. The weed is also hard to get rid of because it’s considered a short-lived, perennial deciduous tree, meaning it grows back yearly and sheds its leaves. If the tree is young enough, it can be pulled up from the ground. But more mature trees need chemical treatments. Arapahoe County suggests using “basal bark, cut-stump, or stem injection of triclopyr or glyphosate,” between October and July…
Winona, Minnesota, Post, October 14, 2026: Apple Tree Bandit
It was an ordinary midsummer night when the “crime” occurred. One of the two recently planted apple trees in the green space next to Wesley United Methodist Church disappeared. Ripped out of the ground. And we don’t know whodunit, or why. Crime being at an all-time normal, no profile has emerged. There are no usual suspects to round up. No fruit-arbor thieves on record in this town. This is a once-in-a-generation crime, leaving no trace. Even artificial intelligence is dumbfounded, leaving us only with natural intelligence. And that’s what worried me most! Winonans are known for not killing each other, which is a good thing. The bulk of our crimes consists of taking each other’s stuff off front porches, as in the much-heard cry, “Stop, thief! That’s my slide projector he’s running off with, and I have a show tomorrow night of my 1969 trip to the Grand Tetons…
A “furious” federal judge excoriated the Trump administration Monday morning for cutting down hundreds of trees at East Potomac Golf Links, the historic course eyed for redevelopment by President Donald Trump, telling government lawyers they had cost their credibility by ignoring her repeated warnings to give notice before work continued. Government lawyers told U.S. District Judge Ana C. Reyes at an emergency hearing that approximately 430 trees were removed Saturday and that another 299 are still targeted for removal. Reyes ordered the government to stop cutting down trees until at least 2 p.m. Tuesday, by when she hopes to hear testimony from another administration official involved in the tree removal. Reyes says she had been reluctant to issue a temporary restraining order in the case. But, she added, “I have no faith that the government isn’t going to cut them down unless there’s an order in place not to do so.” Violating her order “by two seconds” would prompt contempt proceedings, the judge said. “I am thoroughly unamused right now,” Reyes said as the hearing began. “I do not know how I could have made it any plainer. I did not want what happened to happen…”
If you’re not keeping an eye on smears of dried mud on your car, forest pest educators like Ginger Nickerson say now’s a good time to pick up the habit. Nickerson and other experts warn that spotted lanternflies could be hitching a ride into Vermont, where they pose a threat to trees and other plants. “They could lay their eggs on anything that you have outdoors, like your car, or if you’ve got bikes on the back of your car,” she said. “And then, when you come back to Vermont — or if you’re moving your child to Vermont to go to college — and you park your vehicle here, then (they) could hatch in the springtime.” What might look like a patch of dry mud could actually be the egg mass of a spotted lanternfly, she warned. Experts say species like spotted lanternfly and others can disrupt local ecosystems. And, spotted lanternflies are laying eggs around this time, leading up to hard frosts. When the insect feeds on a plant or tree, they excrete a sticky substance called honeydew. It can disrupt photosynthesis when it falls on leaves, and the insects can impact yields of grapevines, berries and roses. It might not kill most plants, but it is most likely to kill grapevines and black walnut trees…
Michigan has new champion American basswood, eastern cottonwood and sugar maple trees. Thanks to two programs that hunt for and catalog the state’s biggest trees, these specimens – which are potentially hundreds of years old – are now known to the public. The new champions include a giant sugar maple that stands in the middle of farming fields in Lapeer County, an impressive American basswood next to a driveway in Calhoun County and a huge eastern cottonwood near a road in Isabella County. An eastern cottonwood near a road in Isabella County is the new Michigan champion of that species. It has a girth of 219 inches. All three trees were submitted to ReLeaf Michigan’s 16th biennial Big Tree Hunt contest. Two of them were submitted to the Michigan Big Tree Register, which tracks the state’s largest trees, at the same time as the contest. ReLeaf submitted the third champion along with more than a dozen other potential champions and big trees discovered through the contest; four others were added to the register as notably large trees for their species…
