Rebecca Nisley is a science writer and editor for the USDA Forest Service’s Northern Research Station. We know that trees provide ecosystem benefits even in cities. The oxygen, cooling shade, and carbon storage are commonly understood, but did you know that trees also remove air pollution? Trees do this by catching small particles of soot and dirt on [read more]
Blog submitted by Sarah C. Gracey, urban forestry coordinator with the Kentucky Division of Forestry (KDF). Kentucky's successful urban and community forestry project “Increasing Rural Community Wealth and Environmental Health in SW VA and SE KY Coal Counties” was funded as a USDA Forest Service State & Private Forestry organization competitive grant in 2011. In partnership with the [read more]
Blog submitted by Julie Coop, Urban and Community Forestry Coordinator with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. The Greening the Gateway Cities program (GGC) is a multi-agency partnership designed to reduce household heating and cooling energy use by increasing tree canopy cover in urban areas. Supporting groups include the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA), the Department [read more]
Blog submitted by Daisy Masela Talatau, Urban & Community Forestry Program Coordinator. Talatau works for the Forestry Division at American Samoa Community College's Land Grant Community and Natural Resources. American Samoa's urban and community forestry projects help sustain green spaces; stabilize and beautify urban, village and coastal areas; promote soil conservation; control invasive species; and preserve indigenous trees and forest resources as sources of food, [read more]
Blog submitted by Jan Ames Santerre. Project Canopy is about people. The program educates people about the benefits trees provide, and how trees make people's lives better. Project Canopy connects people who have a particular expertise to people who need that expertise. It helps build bridges with town and city governments, and it knows how to [read more]
Blog submitted by Rosamaría Quiles In 1998, El Programa de Educación Comunal de Entrega y Servicio (PECES,Inc.) created the Support Center for the Development of Community Enterprises and Employment. The mission of the Center is to facilitate the capacitation of citizens in technical business knowledge for the development of community enterprises and job search. Through an [read more]
Blog submitted by Paul Johnson. The Texas A&M Forest Service (TFS)'s bilingual education initiative continues to expand throughout the state. In 2014, TFS held the 5th Annual Bilingual Tree Worker Training in San Antonio, the 3rd annual Spanish language tree school at the Texas Tree Conference, and outreach in both English and Spanish to 1,500 [read more]
While rainstorms can rejuvenate a forest, they can also transform an urban road into a highway for pollutants. Stormwater runoff occurs when precipitation lands on surfaces like parking lots or other areas that can’t absorb it. When the water drains into nearby streams and rivers, it carries with it dirt and nutrients such as phosphorous. [read more]
As everyone reads this article on their respective computer screens, it’s hard to escape the sense that Americans are less connected to the outdoors. Not only does this have negative consequences for our personal health, it can have impacts on our local environment if we aren’t careful. For instance, water quality suffers from issues like [read more]
By Leslie Robertson NASF Photo Fellow I spent today going around Harrisburg and wrapping up the week in the office. Ellen Roane, an urban forester, was my companion for the morning and early afternoon. As we revisited sites that had been planted a few years ago, she explained the great things and the challenges that [read more]
