Honored to have Madison Arbor Day photo used for the Alabama Urban Forestry Assoc. flyer

2017 Beautification Award Banquet and Presentations

We would like to once again thank all of our nominees for their hard work and dedication to Keeping Madison Beautiful".  Thank you Mayor Finley showing your support for this program and presenting the awards to all our deserving winners.  We would also like to thank the Madison Best Western Plus for once again providing a great venue for the awards banquet.

2017 Beautification Award Nomination Form

2017 Beautification Award Nomination Form

2017 Beautification Award Judging Announced

2017 Beautification Judging Standards

The City of Madison Beautification and Tree Board (MBTB) has released revised Judging Guidelines along with the application deadline and judging date.

Board Vice President for Beautification,  Amber Braman leads this year's Beautification Award program. Braman and the MBTB  revised the judging criteria this year to communicate more effectively what constitutes an "Award Winning" property in the City of Madison.

Because of the changes, existing property owners should review the revised judging criteria for 2017.

This year there has been a lot of work put towards the continued improvements of our judging standards, with an emphasis on judging of Commercial properties separately from Residential.

The improvements on the 2017 Beautification Award Judging Standard were to better define and add to what we are looking for in commercial and residential properties. 

Judges will also be able to give better constructive feedback in order to help guide applicants to improve on existing landscapes and to work towards achieving excellence scoring. 

 All properties should continue to exemplify the beauty of our community by showing prideful effort and enhancing their landscape to have an overall inviting curb appeal through colorful, healthy annuals and perennials. Any weeds or diseased plants should be addressed prior to the day of judging. Properties should be diligent in removing all dead plants and trees that may have suffered from last year’s drought.  

The Board also recognizes that there are areas under road construction. We would like to encourage properties on those routes to apply despite the construction.

Excellence scoring is achieved by having ‘yes’ answered to all of the conditions itemized in the standards which will reward a perfect score of 100. Any standards judged with a ‘no’ will not receive partial points deduction as in years prior; rather, 1 or 2 points deducted per question. Passing scores range from 95-100 points. Honor Roll recipients are properties receiving a 95 or better for five consecutive years.  A Failing score is  94 or fewer points. All properties should read the updated standards and evaluate how to best plan for their replacement spring plantings.

  

Applicants may find our updated Judging Standards at http://www.keepmadisonbeautiful.org/. Applicants are welcome to contact the Beautification Board with questions regarding the new standards at keepmadisonbeautiful@gmail.com. Deadline for application submission is May 4th. Application fee is $25. 

 All applications and fees must be postmarked by May 4th to be eligible for judging.

If paying by check, please mail application payments to:

Madison Beautification & Tree Board

100 Hughes Road

Madison, AL 35758

The scheduled date for property judging is set for May 18th, rain or shine.

Following the judging, the Madison Beautification and Tree Board will  host the 2017 Awards Banquet for properties scoring 95 or better on the 22nd of  June. A location has not been fixed, but each property receiving a Beautification award will be allowed two complimentary tickets to the event. 

Our goal is to release the new Beautification signs, to help distinguish the City of Madison from the surrounding cities, at this Awards Banquet.

2017 Madison Beautification and Tree Board Calendar

2017 Madison Arbor Day Poster Contest Awardees

2017 Madison Beautification Award Judging Standards

Biography of Madison City’s Arbor Week Seminar Presenters

Dr. Art Chappelka is an Alumni Professor in the School of Forestry & Wildlife Sciences at Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA. He received his Ph.D. in plant pathology from Virginia Tech in 1986. Since 1987, Dr. Chappelka has been on the faculty within the School. Dr. Chappelka has authored or co-authored over 100 peer-reviewed journal articles, edited 1 book, 3 special editions of peer reviewed journals and 12 book chapters. He is a reviewer for several international journals, and has contributed to numerous national peer-review panels. Dr. Chappelka has participated in research grants totaling @ $5 million.  His primary interests are in air pollution and global climate effects to terrestrial ecosystems; and urban forestry/ecology. He has taught classes at the undergraduate and graduate levels in urban forestry, introduction to renewable natural resources, natural resource policy, chemical climate change effects to forested ecosystems, and technology and culture. Dr. Chappelka is past Chair of the Auburn City Tree Commission and Current Chair of the AU Tree Preservation Committee.

Tim Albritton is a State Staff Forester for the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Auburn, AL. He received his Associates Degree in Forest Technology from Patrick Henry State Junior College and a Bachelor of Science in Forest Resources from Auburn University Albritton began his forestry career with the Alabama Forestry Commission from 1986 where he worked for 18 years. He is a registered forester with the Alabama State Board of Registration for Foresters, and a member of the Society of American Foresters. He is a supporter and promoter of the Alabama Treasure Forest Program. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Alabama Treasure Forest Association and involved in the Elmore County chapter. He is a 13-year member of the Alabama Forestry Council and serves as an advisor to the Bradley/Murphy Forestry and Natural Resources Trust. In 2016 became the new Board Member with the State Board of Registration for Foresters.

2017 Arbor Day Program