>>> WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT URBAN FORESTRY?
WELL, FOR "CONNECTING POINT"'S BRIAN SULLIVAN, THE ANSWER WAS
NOTHING.
UNTIL HE ATTENDED A TREE STEWARD TRAINING EVENT PUT ON BY THE
MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND RECREATION.
FROM THERE, HE WENT TO ONE OF THE COUNTRY'S BEST TRAINING
GROUNDS FOR PEOPLE IN THAT FIELD TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE EDUCATION
PROCESS, IN PART ONE OF A TWO-PART SERIES ON URBAN
FORESTRY.
>> TREES ARE NATURE'S QUIET PROTECTORS, COMING IN ALL
SHAPES, SIZES, AND CANOPY COMPLEXIONS.
THEIR PRESENCE IS ALMOST TAKEN FOR GRANTED, BUT THAT DOESN'T
KNOWN THAT THEY'RE UNDERAPPRECIATED.
IN THE COMMONWEALTH EACH CITY AND TOWN IS MANDATED TO HAVE A
TREE WORD EN, WHOSE JOB IT IS TO OVERSEE THE KAIRKS MAINTENANCE
OR REMOVAL OF ALL PUBLIC SHADE TREES.
EACH YEAR THEY HOLD A TWO-DAY TREE STEWARD TRAINING EVENT,
WITH MANY OF THE TREE WARDENS IN ATTENDANCE.
THAT LED US HERE, TO PETERSHAM, THE LOCATION OF THE HARVARD
FOREST.
>> WE HOLD THIS EVENT AT HARVARD FOREST BECAUSE IT'S A BEAUTIFUL
SETTING, WE CAN BE AMONGST THE TREES.
FOR A LOT OF OUR ATTEND DEES AND I KNOW FOR ME IT FEELS LIKE A
RETREAT.
IT'S DESIGNED PRIMARILY FOR VOLUNTEERS AND TREE WARDENS,
ARBORISTS, AND ANYBODY INTERESTED IN LEARNING ABOUT
TREES.
AND WE TRY TO COVER THE BASICS, TREE I.D., PRUNING, WHY TREES
ARE IMPORTANT, AND GIVE ATTEND DEES SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, AND SOME
TOOLS TO GO WORK ON TREES OR ADVOCATE FOR TREES IN THEIR
COMMUNITIES.
>> ONE COMMON THREAD THAT TIED MANY OF THE DAY'S PRESENTERS
TOGETHER WAS THE EDUCATION THEY RECEIVED ALONG THE WAY TO THEIR
CURRENT POSITIONS.
MUCH OF IT ATTAINED AT IT A COLLEGE LOCATED ON THE CAMPUS OF
ONE OF THE STATE'S MOST WELL-KNOWN UNIVERSITIES.
JUST AS A DOCTOR GOES THROUGH MEDICAL SCHOOL OR A CHEF THROUGH
A CULINARY PROGRAM, MANY PEOPLE IN THE TREE INDUSTRY HAVE MADE
THEIR WAY THROUGH THIS CAMPUS, THE STOCKBRIDGE AGRICULTURAL
SCHOOL WHICH FEATURES A TWO-YEAR PROGRAM THAT BOASTS EXTREMELY
HIGH JOB PLACEMENT NUMBERS UPON PLETION.
JUST OUTSIDE OF THE PROFESSOR'S OFFICE IS A CHART OF THE
SEEMINGLY ENDLESS JOB POSSIBILITIES FOR ANYONE GOING
INTO THE FIELD OF ARBOR CULTURE.
OUTSIDE OF THE BUILDING HERE AT THE STOCK BRIDGE SCHOOL, ARE
DOZENS OF TREES, MANY OF THEM WITH IDENTIFICATION PLACARDS ON
THEM.
INSIDE THE CLASSROOMS ONE MIGHT EXPECT TO FIND AN OVERFLOW OF
STUDENTS, WHAT WITH THE JOB PLACEMENT BEING SO HIGH FOR
GRADUATES.
UNFORTUNATELY THAT'S NOT THE CASE.
BUT THE ENTHUSIASM THAT SHE AND HER COLLEAGUE BRING TO CLASS
EACH DAY IS PALPABLE, WHICH SEEMS TO HAVE RUBBED OFF ON MANY
OF THE STUDENTS.
>> WHAT I'M HOPING TO BRING TO THE CLASSROOM IS MY OWN
EXPERIENCES THROUGH THE INDUSTRY, HOW REWARDING THIS JOB
AND THIS CAREER IS, HOW MUCH THAT MY LIFE HAS CHANGED THROUGH
THE YEARS WHEN I MAY BE MOVED OR OTHER SITUATIONS HAPPENED, AND I
TOOK ARBOR CULTURE WITH ME.
YOU CAN TAKE THIS JOB WHEREVER YOU MOVE TO, WHAT EVER PART OF
THE WORLD.
RIGHT NOW IF YOU WANTED TO LIVE IN NEW ZEALAND, THAT'S A GREAT
PLACE TO BE A TREE CLIMBER, AND THEY PAY YOUR ROOM AND BOARD AND
RELOCATION.
IT'S A GREAT FEEL.
>> I WANTED TO BECOME -- I WOULDN'T HAVE BECOME AN
ARBORIST IF IT WEREN'T FOR MY LOVE OF THE OUTDOORS AND BEING
PHYSICALLY ACTIVE.
IT'S A GREAT WAY TO SPEND TIME WITH THE STUDENTS, AND I THINK
THEY REALLY APPRECIATE MY ENTHUSIASM, AND THAT JUST
BOUNCES OFF ME, AND I LOVE THEIR ENTHUSIASM AND WE HAVE A GREAT
TIME.
>> THE CLASSES INCLUDE INDOOR LECTURE AND OUTDOOR APPLICATION,
THE LATTER BEING A DRAW FOR MANY IF NOT ALL THE STUDENTS, SEVERAL
OF WHOM COME FROM AGRICULTURAL HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAMS.
FOR SOME IT'S FOCUSING ON THE BUSINESS END OF THINGS BY DOING
TREE RISK ASSESSMENTS.
FOR OTHERS IT'S LEARNING THE INTRICATE NATURE OF CLIMBING THE
TREES AND HAVING THE EQUIPMENT NECESSARY TO DO SO.
THE U. MASS CAMPUS IS IDEAL BECAUSE IT PREPARES STUDENTS WHO
ARE INTERESTED IN THE ENVIRONMENT THAT THEY'LL EN
COUNTER IN THE WORLD OF FORESTR- URBAN FOREST TRY.
A TERM THAT WAS FOREIGN TO ME BEFORE TAKING ON THIS PROJECT.
>> 89% OF OUR POPULATION IS LIVING IN CITIES, TOWNS THAT
HAVE STREET TREES, TREES BY YOUR SCHOOL, YOUR CHURCH, AND THOSE
ARE LIKE PUBLICLY OWNED TREES.
THAT'S KIND OF WHAT THE URBAN FOREST OR THE TREE WARDENS'
RESPONSIBILITY IS MAINTAINING THOSE TREES, AND THEY'LL HIRE
ARBORISTS WHO ARE THE FOLKS TRAINED IN TREE CARE.
THEY UNDERSTAND THE SCIENCE OF TREES, TREE BIOLOGIST, BUT
THERE'S ALSO A LITTLE BIT OF AN ART AESTHETIC SIDE OF PRUNING TO
MAKE THE TREE LOOK BETTER, BUT WE ALSO PRUNE THE TREES FOR
HEALTH AND SAFETY REASONS.
>> BECAUSE THERE'S SUCH A MYRIAD OF PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS FOR
GRADUATES TO ASPIRE TO, IT LEAVES THE JOB MARKET WIDE OPEN.
>> OUR STUDENTS HAVE AT LEAST 10, AND SOMETIMES MORE THAN
THAT, JOB OR CAREER OPPORTUNITIES THROUGHOUT NEW
ENGLAND, AND IF THEY'RE WILLING TO TRAVEL PRETTY MUCH THROUGHOUT
THE UNITED STATES AND AROUND THE WORLD.
OFTEN TIME STUDENTS OF THE TWO-YEAR PROGRAM MOVE ONTO THE
FOUR-YEAR DEGREE AT U. MASS.
FROM THERE THE HOPE IS THAT THE GRADUATES WILL TAKE THEIR DEGREE
AND THEIR LOVE OF THIS WORK AND IMPLEMENT IT WHEREVER THEY GO.
POSSIBLY THEIR COMMUNITIES BACK HOME.
>> URBAN FORESTRY IS THE ENTIRE SCAPE OF WHAT I WANT TO DO.
I LIVE OUT EAST, I LIVE IN A SMALLER TOWN SOUTH OF BOSTON, SO
ALL THE WORK I DO OR HIM INVOLVED WITH IS IN URBAN AREAS.
SO MITIGATING RISK WITH PRUNING PRACTICES, PROPER PRUNING
PRACTICES THAT I LEARN THROUGH THE STOCKBRIDGE SCHOOL OF
AGRICULTURE.
>> YOU CAN CATCH PART TWO OF BRIAN SULLIVAN'S LOOK AT URBAN
FORESTRY IN WEDNESDAY NIGHT'S "CONNECTING POINT."