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Partners in Community Forestry Conference

Chicago, IL

November 20-21, 2024

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Partners in Community Forestry

Partners in Community Forestry

2024 Conference Agenda

Key

  • General Session
  • Breakout Sessions
  • Breaks and Meals

  Wednesday, Nov 20, 2024

  • 4th Floor Registration Bays: 7:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
    Conference Check-In and Information
  • Exhibit Hall: 7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.
    Breakfast with Exhibitors
  • Grand Ballroom: 8:35 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.
    Land Acknowledgement
    8:45 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
    Welcome to Chicago!
    Dan Lambe, Arbor Day Foundation CEO
    9:00 a.m. – 9:05 a.m.
    Our Nation’s Urban Forests
    9:05 a.m. – 9:10 a.m.
    Welcome to Illinois!
    9:10 a.m. – 9:20 a.m.
    Chicago Welcome
  • 9:30 a.m. – 10:20 a.m.
    Breakout Sessions

  State Ballroom: Engaged Cities

  • Planning an Equitable Urban Forest
    Rachel Malarich, Esther Marguiles, Edith de Guzman; City of Los Angeles

    Summary: How do you create equitable urban forests in a fully built out city? Where and how do you expand canopy? How should you involve community voices in the design and decision making? The City of Los Angeles has been working with the University of Southern California’s Urban Trees Initiative and the Urban Forest Equity Collective since 2020 to answer these and other questions. Addressing tree canopy equity requires more than just planting trees. Join us to hear about the tools these teams have been creating and how you might use them in your city.


    Growing Shade Equity in the Desert
    Nicole Gillett; City of Tucson

    Summary: In the desert, trees offer vital benefits: safe passage for children, wildlife shelter, and life-saving shade. Tucson, among the fastest warming U.S. cities with only a 6% canopy cover, recognized the urgent need for action. Now four years into the Urban Forestry Program, we are dedicated to enhancing climate resilience and expanding tree coverage equitably. "Shade Equity in the Desert" delves into the practicalities of launching this initiative amid climate urgency and political imperatives, emphasizing its transformative potential on tree equity.


    Communities Thrive Where Trees Thrive
    Laurie Reid; City of Charlotte

    Summary: To help mitigate the inequities in tree canopy in underserved, disadvantaged communities, the City of Charlotte has implemented a Canopy Care Program. This program provides care for trees on private property to assist underserved neighbors to stay in their homes. This presentation will discuss the evolution of Charlotte’s Canopy Care Program from a $25,000 single neighborhood pilot project to a $600,000 IRA grant-funded project assisting Charlotte residents in multiple CJEST census blocks.

  Red Lacquer: Partnerships

  • Improving Schoolyard Air Quality with Vegetative Buffers
    Michelle Catania; Morton Arboretum

    Summary: Poor air quality along major transportation corridors negatively impacts people’s health. Blocking the source from vulnerable populations with a wall of trees is an impactful community-focused solution. The Morton Arboretum, EPA, & Environmental Law & Policy Center have been working to establish pilot sites in the Chicago area to install a wall of trees along school properties close to highways. Our focus is on improving the health & well-being of communities that have experienced historic environmental injustices while promoting the benefits of trees.


    Growing from Concrete: Green Spaces in Little Villages
    Luis Gutierrez; Latinos Progresando
    Joel Zavala; The Nature Conservancy

    Summary: This discussion will share how a local Chicago-based nonprofit located in Little Village, a historically Mexican, low-income immigrant neighborhood, partnered with a national group, The Nature Conservancy, to identify and grow green spaces within their neighborhood. We will discuss how to obtain community buy-in and support, how to leverage projects and resources, and why it is important that work in the community is led by those with similar lived experiences. This will cover an air monitoring program, a playground greenspace, and planting over 100 trees.


    Urban Trees and Public Health in Cleveland, Ohio
    Mike Piskur; Great Lake St. Lawrence Governors & Premiers
    Julie Milinovich; Cleveland Clinic

    Summary: The Conference of Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors & Premiers (GSGP), Cleveland Clinic, and the Cleveland Tree Coalition are partnering to promote the public health benefits of urban tree planting in the Great Lakes region. The team is planting trees in low-canopy neighborhoods in Cleveland and developing informational materials about the public health benefits of urban trees for community members, healthcare professionals, and policymakers.

  Empire Room: Workforce Development

  • Growing Access to Green Careers Through Workforce Programs
    Kayla Stuart; The Works
    Hannah Gregory; American Forests
    Mike Larrivee; The Works

    Summary: In 2023, The Works, Inc. launched an innovative pre-employment program, TreeCPR, to train Memphis residents for career pathways into native tree nursery, tree care, and urban wood utilization. This panel and panelists will broadly discuss how to form a program from scratch, overcome challenges associated with case management and job placement, train the trainers, and more. We will also cover how the program was successful through unique approaches to funding from American Forests and technical assistance through the Tree Equity Workforce Network.


    Washington, D.C. Youth Tree Ambassadors: Why, Where, and How
    Melinda Peters; Casey Trees
    Ray Barrera; Student Conservation Association

    Summary: Casey Trees and the Student Conservation Association joined forces through funding from the Arbor Day Foundation to recruit and train a small group of high school youth to become our Youth Tree Ambassadors. Through this youth workforce development program, we aimed to introduce urban forestry, environmental justice initiatives around trees in cities, community outreach, and hands-on green job opportunities that build soft and technical skills while learning behind the scenes how non-profit organizations work together to accomplish shared goals.


    Building a Workforce Development Rooted in Intersectionality
    Juanita Ibarra & Arlene Nuñez García; Canopy

    Summary: In this presentation, we will provide insight into Canopy’s approach to intersectional youth leadership programming, including the structure and goals of the Teen Urban Forester internship, as well as successes and challenges. In addition, participants will hear directly from Teen Urban Foresters about the program’s impact. Participants will come away from this program with an understanding of the critical role of youth leadership in effective community forestry and practical tips and tools to empower and engage youth in driving positive change.
  • Exhibit Hall: 10:20 a.m. – 10:50 a.m.
    Morning Break
  • 10:50 a.m. – 11:20 a.m.
    Breakout Sessions

  State Ballroom: Urban Forest Management

  • Implementing a Master Plan – 3 Years In
    Rachel Comte; Urban Canopy Works
    Rosalie Hendon; City of Columbus

    Summary: We hear so much about developing urban forest master plans. What happens after they are approved? Implementation can be overwhelming. Hear how Columbus, Ohio has implemented its first Urban Forestry Master Plan (UFMP) over three years: the wins, the challenges, and the lessons learned.


    A Framework for Urban Forests as Social-Ecological Systems
    Jess Vogt; DePaul University

    Summary: This session will describe a comprehensive framework for examining urban forests as social-ecological systems. First, why it is important to look at the totality of the social-ecological system in order to understand urban forest dynamics and management will be discussed. Then, a comprehensive framework will be outlined along with a database for organizing case studies in research and practice, using Chicago as an example. The framework would allow for generating applied management insights that go beyond panacea-like ‘best management practice.

  Red Lacquer: Volunteer Programs

  • Active Engagement – A Web of Opportunities for Volunteers
    Michael Dugan & Tom Ebeling; Openlands

    Summary: Learn about Openlands' strategy for engaging our community forestry volunteers, the 33-year-old TreeKeepers program. Our framework offers four pillars within our 'Web of Opportunity': Do, Learn, Lead, and Engage. Volunteers choose activities tailored to skills and interests, from stewardship events to leading their own initiatives, while emphasizing continuous learning. We will discuss keeping a trained volunteer force impactful, active, and relevant to modern urban forestry issues in Chicago.


    Tree Care Volunteer Programs with the University of Minnesota
    Sonja Tosteson; University of Minnesota

    Summary: Sonja will present the University of Minnesota's two state-wide urban and community forestry tree care volunteer programs, offering advice and insights into how other states or organizations may create their own. Both programs are made possible through funding from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the United States Forest Service.

  Empire Room: Research/Science

  • New Approach to Monitor the Life Cycle of Urban Street Trees
    Ayda Kianmehr; University of Southern California

    Summary: Urban tree canopy is essential for mitigating the effects of climate change, yet tree mortality impacts its associated benefits. This study in six neighborhoods near downtown Los Angeles predicts tree mortality throughout the century. Utilizing individual tree growth and lifespan, it forecasts nearly 50% canopy loss by 2050, with an annual 1% tree loss due to aging. This approach informs planting campaigns, aiding urban resilience in a warmer climate.


    The Canopy Report: How Americas Sees Trees
    Jeff Salem & Mike Kuhl; Arbor Day Foundation

    Summary: This presentation will showcase the interesting points from the Canopy Report and discuss ways the urban forestry audience can leverage the consumer sentiment found in the report, reinforcing and validating their important work to their stakeholders.
  • Grand Ballroom: 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 pm.
    Welcome to Chicago Pt. 2
    Bloomberg Associates
  • Exhibit Hall: 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
    Box Lunch Pickup
  • 12:30 a.m. – 4:30 pm.
    Field Experiences
    For Detailed Descriptions of the Field Experiences, Click Here
  • SPIN Chicago: 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
    344 N State St, Chicago, IL 60654
    Networking Reception

  Thursday, November 21

  • 4th Floor Registration Bays: 7:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
    Conference Check-In and Information
  • Exhibit Hall: 7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.
    Breakfast with Exhibitors
  • Grand Ballroom: 8:30 a.m. – 8:40 a.m.
    Partnering in the Urban Forest / Welcome Back to Chicago
    USDA Forest Service
    8:40 a.m. – 8:55 a.m.
    CommuniTree: A Regional Urban Forestry Collaborative
    Jennifer Birchfield; Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission
    Drew Hart; USFS
    Leo Sawyers; Student Conservation Association

    Summary: CommuniTree is a regional community forestry program that brings partners together to create a more diverse, healthy, and equitable urban forest. Serving one of the most industrialized areas of the country, CommuniTree engages with underserved communities to increase tree equity. Core CommuniTree partners, NIRPC, SCA, and USFS, will discuss the development of this growing and synergistic network based on the collective impact model. Partners will share tangible collaborative successes as well as lessons learned over the eight years of developing CommuniTree.
    8:55 a.m. – 9:10 a.m.
    Treesilience Shows Its Resilience!
    Jaylnn Webb; Imani Village
    Rebecca Hankins; Forest ReLeaf of Missouri

    Summary: Dying trees on private land pose risks to people and property, hindering new tree planting and appreciation for trees. Affordability is often a hurdle for tree removals and pruning. Treesilience, a growing national initiative, adopts a “remove 1, replace with 2” model to tackle these challenges. It supports tree removals, replacements, and mature tree pruning. Focus areas prioritize communities facing canopy threats to bolster urban forest resiliency. Learn about the impacts from Chicago participants, how to implement, and potential funding approaches.
    9:10 a.m. – 9:25 a.m.
    Taking Schoolyard Forests to Scale Across the USA
    Walter Passmore; CAL FIRE
    Shannon Gamson Danks & Alejandra Chiesa; Green Schoolyard America

    Summary: The California Schoolyard Forest System® is a statewide initiative to increase tree canopy on public school grounds to shade and protect PreK-12 students from extreme heat due to climate change. We will share insights and impacts from the first three years of this successful collaboration between two California government agencies and two nonprofit organizations. This will include a summary of actions, the effect of $150 million of grants, and goals for the future. We will also discuss efforts underway to expand this initiative to other states.
    9:25 a.m. – 9:35 a.m.
    Fine-Tuning Priorities and Tracking Impact with Technology
    Ian Hanou; PlanIT Geo

    Summary: The CEJST mapping tool has helped guide urban forestry projects by highlighting disadvantaged communities. This presentation will demonstrate how that tool can be the first step in fine-tuning planting priorities. Attendees will see how various data sets and tools can be weighted to form a prioritization map and how technology supports tracking information for reporting requirements, quantifying impacts, and data-informed storytelling.
    9:35 a.m. – 9:50 a.m.
    Trees First, Wood Next: Building a Roadmap for Urban Wood
    Daniel Torres; Urban Wood Network
    Jessica Sanders; Sacramento Tree Foundation

    Summary: We all know the problem: Millions of tons of viable wood from urban trees are dumped into landfills yearly instead of being transformed into high-value, carbon-trapping products. We also know the solution: Stronger partnerships across the board. However, this goal has proven elusive. In this presentation, participants will learn about a new path forward led by Urban Wood Network. They’ll walk away with an action plan for fulfilling the promise of this industry and its proven benefits of good jobs, carbon solutions, and positive social impacts.
    9:50 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
    IRA and a National-Level Reporting Tool
    David Sivyer; USFS
    Paul Cooper; Arbor Day Foundation

    Summary: Coming Soon
  • Exhibit Hall: 10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
    Morning Break
  • 10:30 a.m. – 11:20 a.m.
    Breakout Sessions

  State Ballroom: Environmental Justice

  • Fair Forests Consulting Presentation
    Dr. Christine Carmichael; Fair Forests Consulting

    Community Forests Corps: Youth Tree Care & Extreme Heat Data
    Samira Malone; Center for Regenerative Solutions

    Summary: Community Forest Corps advances solutions to tree protection challenges through a community-based, youth-powered system of ongoing tree care and maintenance, creating a practical, achievable step in demonstrating immediate and equitable urban forestry benefits. Learn how, through consortia of private sector players, community-based organizations, and city and county partnerships, CFC is activating rapid deployment, adaptive learnings, and eventually replication and scale-up of these community-centered systems nationwide.


    Culturally Relevant Tree and Community Engagement
    Joan Kato; GreenLatinos

    Summary: What are culturally relevant trees? Why are they important? To achieve our tree canopy, urban heating, and tree maintenance problems— we need to start by properly engaging communities to “meet them where they are” and excite them about urban forestry and conservation. Come learn about how to engage diverse communities.

  Red Lacquer: Trees + Tech

  • Track sponsored by PlanIT Geo
    Tree Care and Technology in Baltimore
    Marcus Tuah & Kajall Hylton; Baltimore Tree Trust

    Summary: As Baltimore’s principal tree planting organization, Baltimore Tree Trust (BTT) is dedicated to advancing tree care practices tailored to the specific needs of and challenges faced by trees in an urban landscape. Guided by the principle that tree care should never be an afterthought in urban forestry projects, we aim to provide an in-depth analysis of the skills, systems, and technologies that BTT uses year-round, and hope to emphasize that the impact of an urban forest is determined by the care we provide.


    Ready, Set, Goal: Setting Actionable Canopy Goals
    Alex Hancock & Alec Sabatini; PlanIT Geo

    Summary: Cities around the world use tree canopy goals to inspire and inform their urban forestry efforts. But how do you pick a canopy target that is both inspiring and practical? What comes after the goal has been set? This presentation will explore the canopy goal setting process, including utilizing urban tree canopy change analysis, accounting for growth and mortality factors, and weighing benefits against physical and financial limitations. We’ll then discuss how goals become action with planting plans, timelines, budgets, and resources.


    Mapping Urban Forest Equity in Austin: A Comparison of Tools
    Alison Baylis; Texas A&M Forest Service
    Paul Ries; Oregon State University

    Summary: Mapping tools have been developed to guide equity-based decision-making to bring the benefits of trees to the neighborhoods that need them the most. However, after comparing five tools in Austin, many differences were found in the functionalities, methodologies, data, and results of the tools. Where are the benefits of trees needed most? The answer depended on which mapping tool was used. In this presentation, we will share our findings and recommendations for urban forest practitioners utilizing mapping tools in their work toward urban forest equity.

  Empire Room: Natural Areas

  • Quantifying the Role of Urban Forests in Managing Stormwater
    Jeffrey Clark; Natural Areas Conservancy

    Summary: The presentation will highlight the role urban natural areas play in managing and capturing stormwater in urban systems. The session will identify what data are needed to model stormwater capture and what we can learn from these models. Additionally, multiple scenarios will be discussed to emphasize how improving the health of urban forests can increase stormwater retention benefits while lack of management can result in increased flooding.


    Collaborating for Sustainable Land Management
    Elizabeth Winlock; Olmstead Park Conservancy
    Jeremy Sandifer; Kentucky State University

    Summary: Brush management usually relies on laborious, herbicide-centric methods, demanding skilled land managers. Two organizations collaborated to compare goat browsing to traditional brush management techniques and employ drones for swift assessment to (a) provide the public and land managers with an evidence-based assessment of techniques and (b) demonstrate the capabilities of drone-based imagery to assess changes in vegetation composition efficiently. This collaboration fosters diversity in conservation, driving innovation in ecosystem management practices.


    National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council: Who, What, and the Next 10-Year Action Plan
  • 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
    Breakout Sessions

  State Ballroom: Urban Wood

  • Fallen Trees: The Rest of the Equity & Climate Equation
    Jeff Carrol; Urban Wood Economy
    James Williams: Center for Heirs Property in South Carolina

    Summary: Investment and momentum for equitable tree planting and care is at an all-time high in the U.S. However, there is untapped potential for our urban and community forestry sector to leverage and maximize this investment for even more significant economic and environmental impact. Now is the time to integrate urban and community wood markets that provide jobs, capture carbon, and reduce waste. Wood utilization (wood-sourced products) completes the tree planting/care life cycle and reinvests in community health and wealth.


    Camp Small: Closing the Loop of Community Forestry
    Shaun Preston; Baltimore City Forestry

    Summary: Baltimore City's urban wood utilization program, Camp Small, distributes valuable products created from the wood of city trees. Its sawmill and kiln operation supports a growing economy for makers sourcing local wood. The work done at Camp Small closes the loop on TreeBaltimore's community forestry programming. So now in Baltimore, the love of city trees can lead to the appreciation of a piece of furniture, but the appreciation of a piece of furniture can also lead to the love for city trees.

  Red Lacquer: Youth Engagement

  • It’s Giving…Green Vibes: Inspiring Eco Action in Gen Z
    Amelia DeVivo, Ashleigh Cibelli-Pettus & Britney Huynh; City of Austin

    Summary: The current climate crisis disproportionately affects youth, yet young people are rarely engaged as viable partners and key actors in building climate resilience by promoting green infrastructure. This presentation seeks to inform participants about how the City of Austin educates, trains, and uplifts young employees to become urban forest ambassadors who plan reforestation initiatives, promote urban forest health, and engage with local communities.


    Transforming Schoolyards into Educational Green Spaces
    Samantha Bradley, Lindsay Hoot & Graham Stephens; Texas Trees Foundation

    Summary: The presentation will cover the origins of the Cool Schools Program, including a brief summary of the Texas Trees Foundation and the program's establishment in Dallas. The focus will be on the key factors the program intends to address and the crucial role of schoolyards in achieving success. The conversation will highlight our ongoing efforts and the most effective strategies for engaging teachers, students, and communities in outdoor activities. We will also examine the future objectives of the Program and opportunities for participant involvement.

  Empire Room: International Urban Forestry

  • The Power of Conservation Enterprises in Developing Cities
    Mpambira Kambewa; USFS-IP AME/Malawi
    Liza Paqueo; USDA/US Forest Service International Programs

    Summary: Conservation enterprises in developing cities represent innovative approaches to promoting green spaces while fostering sustainable economic development. These initiatives aim to harness the potential of natural resources in a way that benefits both economic growth and biodiversity conservation efforts. By empowering marginalized communities to responsibly manage and benefit from their natural resources, these initiatives contribute to a more resilient and prosperous future for both people and nature.


    Successfully Revitalizing Urban Trees in Croatia
    Jim Grob; Herbafarm Magnolija

    Summary: Croatia is home to many large historic urban trees. Over 30 years, a novel and cost-effective method was developed to permit root system revitalization by creating zones with air porosity and water holding coupled with organic nutrition and microbiome inoculation, which promotes rapid root growth.
  • Grand Ballroom: 12:00 p.m. – 1:10 p.m.
    Lunch
  • 1:10 p.m. – 1:50 p.m.
    Breakout Sessions

  State Ballroom: Community Engagement

  • Putting Equitable Engagement into Action
    Alexis Gomez; American Forests
    Tawsha Trahan; Unlimited Potential
    Carly Weidman; Keep Indianapolis Beautiful

    Summary: Community-driven action is critical to position residents as the drivers of change in their neighborhood, especially in frontline and historically marginalized communities. In this session, local practitioners from Indianapolis, IN and Phoenix, AZ will present their experiences implementing equitable engagement best practices. Audience participants from municipalities and organizations will learn strategies to equitably engage residents, including becoming more familiar with the Community Action Guide, a resource to support equitable engagement efforts.


    Community-Led Strategies for Expanding Urban Tree Canopy
    Meg Morgan; Groundwork USA

    Summary: To mitigate the impacts of climate change, the Groundwork network is expanding the tree canopy in environmental justice neighborhoods by centering community engagement and tree equity. In this session, we will discuss some of the tactics Groundwork Trusts are using to engage residents in local urban forestry efforts, including case studies from within the Groundwork network, focusing on how to develop equity-focused tree-planting projects, build trust with community members, and steward the urban tree canopy.


    Building a Sustainable Canopy: ABQ NeighborWoods
    Ray Hendrix; Tree New Mexico

    Summary: Albuquerque’s last major tree planting effort occurred in the 1930s, leaving many trees now at maturity age; also, roughly 60% of ABQ’s trees are below 6" in diameter, meaning younger trees are failing to reach maturity. To address this, the ABQ NeighborWoods Program aims to increase the tree canopy by planting 100 trees and giving away 100 more, one neighborhood at a time. The program focuses on three key means to ensure that trees will reach maturity: community buy-in, proper tree placement and planting, and post-planting education and monitoring.

  Red Lacquer: Trees + Tech

  • Track sponsored by PlanIT Geo
    Branching Out: Integrating AI into Community Forestry
    Josh Behoumek; Davey Resource Group

    Summary: Discover how AI transforms arboriculture and urban forestry, enhancing tree health monitoring, species identification, and maintenance practices. Learn about drone technology, machine learning models for climate resilience, and AI's role in creating sustainable urban green spaces. This presentation offers a glimpse into the future of more intelligent, greener cities through innovative AI applications.


    Evaluating Your Program: Methods, Insights, and New Protocols
    Chris Peiffer; PlanIT Geo

    Summary: An audit or evaluation of your community forestry program gives perspective on whether current policies, plans, and operations are building toward the desired future urban forest. This presentation will draw on the experience of 20+ audits completed across the US to demonstrate the utility of these processes, share common strengths and program gaps, and discuss how audit results lead to impactful changes. Lessons learned from past evaluations will also be applied to the SFI U&CF Standard for communities to measure and strengthen their programs.


    Modeling Solutions for Extreme Heat and Air Quality
    Mei Visco, Daniel Fleischer & Ivan Heitmann; Hyphae Design Lab

    Summary: Hyphae Design Lab uses an innovative, research-backed design approach to address challenges caused by urban heat and air quality on human health and ecosystems. The presenters will delve into the evidence-based methods that utilize modeling in the design process, share insights gained from this technical approach, and highlight key lessons from their work.

  Empire Room: Food Forests

  • Connections, Cuisines, and Canopies
    Natalie Burgos; Chicago Region Trees Initiative

    Summary: Initially aiming to host 8 local workshops to introduce food forests as a way to mitigate the local food desert. WaukGrow has grown beyond Waukegan, leading to the planting of 6 food forest sites totaling 132 trees with more being planned. Beyond providing fresh food, the sites also bring a new appreciation of food and connection to over 290 community members and 23 partners. Alongside The Plant Clinic, a series of free virtual plant care trainings has also been created for anyone to access to knowledge on how to best care for food forests.


    Cultivating Community: The Growth of D.C.’s Food Forests
    Alexander Grieve; DDOT

    Summary: Alex’s talk on D.C.'s food forests will highlight an important connection between urban forestry and the community. He’ll highlight school and park partnerships that foster stewardship and education, showing how community input shapes these green spaces into productive, educational, and recreational areas, enhancing urban life.


    Accessing Fruit: Using Food Forests to Create Community
    Stathis Pauls; Michigan State University Extension Detroit
    Partnership for Food, Learning, and Innovation

    Summary: Edible forests produce food where most crops are perennial woody plants. These plants are generally shrubs and trees that yield fruits and nuts. Perennial crops go dormant in the winter and do not need to be replanted in the spring. Perennial plants have many benefits - edible forests are more resilient to climate change, sequester carbon in soil, capture stormwater, and reduce flooding. When plants reach maturity, the yields are abundant, nutrient-dense sources of protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats.
  • 2:00 p.m. – 2:35 p.m.
    Breakout Sessions

  State Ballroom: Research/Science

  • Evidence-Based Design for Urban Forestry
    Bucknum; Hyphae Design Labs

    Summary: One of the hidden challenges associated with urban heat island and air quality is that they are an everything problem: mortality and morbidity, mental health and stress, housing, food systems, equity, economic development, etc. Addressing urban heat island and air quality in design requires a process that is holistic in scope, interdisciplinary in focus, and innovative in approach. Brent will delve into Hyphae's iterative process, share insights gained, and highlight key lessons from their work that can be applied to urban forestry across the country.

  Red Lacquer: Tree Maintenance

  • Beyond Planting: Working with Partners to Care for New Trees
    Marisa Wilson; Philadelphia Parks & Recreation

    Summary: Centering tree maintenance, community care, and economic opportunity, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, Philadelphia Commerce Department, and community partners worked together to plant street trees on commercial corridors that had low tree canopy and showed the commitment to ongoing care by training and paying community members to provide two years of establishment care. This panel discussion will dive into how we brought this program to life, centering the community partnerships that made it a reality.

  Empire Room: Workforce Development

  • From Apprentice to Arborist: A Panel Discussion
    Katie Fleming; Openlands

    Summary: The Openlands Arborist Registered Apprenticeship (ARA) is an innovative workforce development program and is the first of its kind in Illinois. Arborist Apprentices work at Openlands for one year and are then "matched" with a secondary employer partner to complete the 3-year program. This presentation will include a panel of apprentices who can share their experience in the ARA program, discuss the importance of training and education in their careers, and offer insights from a unique perspective on workforce development in urban forestry.
  • 2:45 p.m. – 3:25 p.m.
    Breakout Sessions

  State Ballroom: Environmental Justice - Lightning Round

  • Tree Ambassador Community Organizing Programs
    Cristina Basurto & Carlos Campero; City Plants

    Summary: The Tree Ambassador – Promotor Forestal Program is a grassroots community organizing program designed to amplify community expertise and foster place-based stewardship of our shared urban forest in historically and systemically disinvested neighborhoods in Los Angeles. This program provides on-the-ground, community-centered support to residents in low-canopy and urban heat-vulnerable regions of the city by paying residents directly to organize for a greener and more equitable future.


    Tree Equity Handbook
    Ian Leahy; American Forests

    Summary: This presentation will introduce a free new Tree Equity handbook with interactive features and downloadable forms to guide practitioners through each step in building equity-oriented urban forestry programs from the ground up. The handbook includes program and needs assessment, building an inclusive coalition, and data-driven strategic planning.


    Prioritizing and Funding Community Tree Plantings
    Lauren Davis & Rebecca Pobst; Friends of Grand Rapids Parks

    Summary: Using data from TreeEquityScore.org and the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CJEST), we have identified neighborhoods to prioritize community-based planting events. We use census data that includes age, health risk index, income, and canopy cover. Using this data and preliminary site selections, we can present planting projects to community leaders, residents, and local businesses for support and participation. Using this data and the projected benefits of the tree canopy, the future impact of the planting can be shared today.


    Community Forestry Can Further Equality
    Beck Swab; Holden Arboretum

    Summary: While progress has been made in integrating environmental justice into community forestry, improvements can still be made. To better address the needs of underserved and vulnerable populations when making community forestry decisions, we can integrate the sociological concept of the human hierarchy of needs and the First Nations concept of cultural perpetuity. This framework will help arborists accomplish successful and enduring tree-related activities, achieve environmental justice goals, and further a sustainable society.


    Tree Spacing Guidelines as a Barrier to Tree Equity
    Laura Messier; University of California

    Summary: Focusing on a high- and low-income neighborhood in Los Angeles, this study looks at how seemingly value-neutral tree spacing guidelines hinder equity goals. Adoption of less restrictive standards, as found elsewhere in California, can close the gap in the maximum quantity of trees achievable in each neighborhood. Yet, additional modifications, such as widened parkways, are needed to support large-stature shade trees equitably. Development patterns that differ by neighborhood socioeconomic status leave less space for future green infrastructure.

  Red Lacquer: i-Tree

  • Fostering the Forest for All: Growing Further with i-Tree
    Alexis Ellis; USFS Northern Research Station
    Robert Seemann; USFS

    Summary: For nearly two decades, i-Tree has been a primary portal for assessing and understanding the benefits of trees, putting the latest US Forest Service science into the hands of practitioners nationwide. This presentation will spotlight a selection of their stories: work to advocate for tree cover equity, work to protect the wildland/urban interface, work to inspire the next generation, and work to get it all funded. Hear how i-Tree tools are supporting the trees and the communities we care for.


    Bringing the Receipts: Using i-tree to Capture Your Impact
    Jason Henning; Davey Tree Expert Company

    Summary: Reporting on your work can be challenging and time-consuming, but it is necessary to demonstrate your effectiveness to funders and your community. i-Tree offers new tools and new data that can capture the impact of your projects in as little as ten minutes. With i-Tree, you can estimate return on investment for funders, understand the monetary value of your tree resources, and establish benchmarks to ensure delivery of tree benefits to your community. Join us to see how i-Tree can provide the evidence you need to support your community forestry efforts.

  Empire Room: Research / Science

  • Tolerant Greenspaces: Designing Urban Nature-Based Solutions
    Sara Barron; University of British Columbia

    Summary: Young adults are a missing middle in urban forestry and health research. Our research used a novel appraisal framework focusing on fostering social ties and supporting mental health among young adults via urban green space provision. The work was informed by a literature review and Australian case studies, resulting in a framework that can inform planning and policy improvements to include the voices of our young people.


    MythBusters: Telling the Truth About Trees to Stakeholders
    Audrey Sellepack; The Davey Institute
    Dana Karcher; Davey Resource Group

    Summary: It isn’t easy being a tree in the city. With poor soil, competition, and pest and human-inflicted damage, it’s no wonder that trees are guaranteed shorter lives in our communities. Communicating the science and facts about trees can help lengthen their lives. This presentation brings together a scientist to help understand the myths and a seasoned storyteller to share how to communicate the science to benefit the trees and the community.

  Grand Ballroom: Policy

  • Policy Listening Session
    Sustainable Urban Forestry Coalition
  • Exhibit Hall: 3:25 p.m. – 3:50 p.m.
    Afternoon Break
  • Grand Ballroom: 3:50 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
    The Future of Urban Forestry
    3:50 p.m. – 4:20 p.m.
    Engaging Communities by Visualizing Tree-Based Cooling
    Linda Powers Tomasso; Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

    Public adoption of urban tree planting and climate-health-nature implementation goals can be accelerated through the use of dynamic visualization models and design prototyping to present to and solicit feedback from locally impacted communities. At Harvard, we have developed tangible state-of-the-art visualization tools that allow community residents to review tree-planting proposals and create partnerships for climate adaptation strategies. In this session, we present digital tools and feedback we learned from actual design charrettes in Springfield, MA.
    4:20 p.m. – 4:40 p.m.
    Branching Into the Future: Urban Forestry’s Tech Evolution
    Nadina Galle; The Nature of Our Cities

    Summary: Dr. Nadina Galle envisions a future where nature and technology forge thriving, sustainable cities. Drawing from her book, 'The Nature of Our Cities,' she introduces the innovators driving this shift, showcasing technology's supporting role in urban forestry with a 'nature first, technology second' approach. Highlighting examples like AI-powered laser mapping, augmented reality, and advanced sensors, she offers strategies to address climate change, mental health, and urban resilience, emphasizing the vital connection between people and nature.
    4:40 p.m. – 4:50 p.m.
    Closing Session
    Dan Lambe; Arbor Day Foundation

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