About the Friends
Celebrating 51 Years of Community and Conservation
For over five decades, our community non-profit has been dedicated to the preservation and appreciation of trees. We are thrilled to have reached this milestone and grateful for the support of our members who have made this journey possible.
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​Our annual Summer Soiree is a cherished tradition where we come together to celebrate our accomplishments and express our gratitude to our dedicated members. This event is a wonderful opportunity to connect with fellow supporters, share our progress, and look ahead to future projects.
Supported by the generosity of local residents, our organization advocates for the restoration and maintenance of a vibrant and sustainable tree canopy. Through our efforts, we aim to enrich public parks, cemeteries, and streetscapes with the beauty and environmental benefits of healthy trees.
Thank you for being a part of our mission to grow a greener community!
Tree Planting & Maintenance
This year, we planted 21 new trees and began treatments on our Beech and Ash trees, which are facing threats from Beech Leaf Disease and Emerald Ash Borer. We manage the growth of new trees with organized watering during the hot summer months and regular pruning.
This photo shows a new Stewartia Tree planted at Tucks Point. Photo below is a close-up of the Stewartia flower.
What We Do
We are an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, supported by the generosity of local residents, and founded to plant and care for public trees in Manchester-by-the-Sea. We advocate for the restoration and maintenance of a healthy and beautiful tree canopy that brings beauty and environmental benefits to our public parks, cemeteries, and streetscapes.
Conifers, such as White Pines, enhance the winter landscape, while continuing to photosynthesize and absorb pollutants, when deciduous trees are leafless.
Historical drawing of an American Elm
on Central Street, next to the Trask House.
Our History
We were founded in 1973 by five visionary residents, Reverend Henry P. King, Josephine Harris, William Hatcher, George Rice, and Polly Townsend, who were dismayed to witness the devastating loss of Manchester's magnificent American Elms along our main streets. Funds were initially raised to treat the remaining Elms and to start planning for re-planting. Fifty years later, the Friends have planted over 1,200 new trees and we are currently the Town's primary source for funding and advocating for new trees in town.
Join the Cause
We welcome every resident to join, contribute, volunteer, or simply learn about why trees are so important and beneficial to our environment and well-being. From health benefits and climate change mitigation to storm water management and just plain awesome beauty, our trees need your support and care.
Love those trees!
Tree Pests & Diseases
Battling New and Common Tree Pests and Diseases
Many remember that in the 1970s, Manchester famously lost nearly all its Elm trees, most of which majestically lined Central and School Streets, from Dutch Elm Disease. In fact, the epidemic was the trigger for the creation of the Manchester Friends
of Trees in 1973.
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Local arborists and tree surgeons say there has been a surge of new and common pests and diseases that deserve public attention. Three significant threats—Beech Leaf Disease (BLD), Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) and Oak Shothole Leafminer, — have popped onto local radars and experts report these challenges may be amplified by climate change.
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Beech Leaf Disease (BLD)
Beach leaf disease is a foliar disease, meaning it affects the leaves of the tree, and it’s caused by a non-native nematode, which is a microscopic type of worm-like organism.
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Beech leaf disease (BLD) is a newly described disease, first identified in Ohio in 2012. The disease complex is associated with a foliar nematode species, Litylenchus crenatae. The disease causes damage to a tree’s leaves, leading to reduced vigor and can eventually lead to tree mortality.
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Currently, BLD has been found in 10 U.S. states and 1 Canadian Province. The first detection in Massachusetts was in June 2020 in the town of Plymouth (Plymouth County). Symptomatic trees have since been found in all Massachusetts Counties. As of July 2022, BLD had been confirmed in 83 communities in Massachusetts.
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​The DCR Forest Health Program is surveying beech trees across the state to determine the extent of the disease in Massachusetts.
Beech leaf disease can be identified by the distinctive leaf symptoms it causes. Early BLD symptoms will include dark stripes between the veins on leaves. When looking up at the tree canopy from underneath, you might notice dark green bands on the underside of the leaves.
As the disease progresses, leaves may become withered, curled, or develop a leathery texture.
Leaves heavily impacted by Beech Leaf Disease that have begun to curl. A heavily impacted tree may also appear to have a thinner canopy or have sections of branch dieback.
Beech Leaf Disease (BLD)
Beach leaf disease is a foliar disease, meaning it affects the leaves of the tree, and it’s caused by a non-native nematode, which is a microscopic type of worm-like organism.
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Beech leaf disease (BLD) is a newly described disease, first identified in Ohio in 2012. The disease complex is associated with a foliar nematode species, Litylenchus crenatae. The disease causes damage to a tree’s leaves, leading to reduced vigor and can eventually lead to tree mortality.
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Currently, BLD has been found in 10 U.S. states and 1 Canadian Province. The first detection in Massachusetts was in June 2020 in the town of Plymouth (Plymouth County). Symptomatic trees have since been found in all Massachusetts Counties. As of July 2022, BLD had been confirmed in 83 communities in Massachusetts.
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​The DCR Forest Health Program is surveying beech trees across the state to determine the extent of the disease in Massachusetts.
Emerald Ash Borer (EAB)
The emerald ash borer (EAB), an invasive wood-boring beetle from Asia, is responsible for the death and decline of tens of millions of ash trees in North America. EAB lays its eggs in the bark crevices of ash trees. The eggs hatch and the larvae burrow into the tree where they feed. This feeding is what damages the trees. We have detected EAB infestations in 36 States and the District of Columbia.
The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is a small, invasive beetle that is devastating to all ash tree species in MA. It is currently present in eleven MA counties and continues to spread.
EAB has been rapidly expanding and is now well established throughout Massachusetts. At this time, EAB has been detected in 11 Massachusetts Counties and confirmed in a total of 217 communities.
Oak Shothole Leafminer
The Oak Shothole Leafminer (Japanagromyza viridula) is a small fly that primarily affects oak trees in Massachusetts. This pest is known for creating distinctive, symmetrical holes in oak leaves. The damage is caused by both the adult flies and their larvae: adult females puncture the leaves for feeding and oviposition, while the larvae mine the leaf tissue. Although the holes and mines can be unsightly, they typically do not significantly impact the overall health of the tree​ (CFE at UMass Amherst)​​ (Extension Resource Catalog)​.
The life cycle of the oak shothole leafminer involves the larvae emerging from their mines and dropping to the soil to pupate. Adults typically appear in the spring and may reappear if there is a second flush of growth or development of water sprouts. The damage is usually noticed after the larvae have left the mines, making pesticide application ineffective for control​ (Extension Resource Catalog)​.
In addition to direct damage from the leafminer, oak trees affected by this pest can also become more susceptible to oak anthracnose, a fungal disease caused by Apiognomonia errabunda. This pathogen exploits the wounds created by the leafminer, leading to more extensive damage, especially during wet conditions early in the growing season.
