Hello! I am an emerging urban environmental scientist interested in urban forest governance, green equity, community knowledge and perceptions of the urban environment, and urban forests as social-ecological systems. Having stumbled into urban forestry as a field of study, I've very quickly felt at home with its unique blend of both the natural and social sciences.
This poster was shared virtually at the 2020 ISA Conference. Look for the published paper in Urba... more This poster was shared virtually at the 2020 ISA Conference. Look for the published paper in Urban Forestry & Urban Greening!
Abstract In the United States, urban forests represent 35% of all urban land cover, and deliver b... more Abstract In the United States, urban forests represent 35% of all urban land cover, and deliver benefits to nearly two-thirds of the population. As global urban populations continue to rise, however, redevelopment is continually reported as a major factor in reduced canopy cover. While urban trees provide us with measurable benefits when adequately maintained, their costs when not cared for remains poorly understood. In order to safeguard the benefits that urban forests provide, municipalities have begun to introduce ordinances with the intention to protect and manage trees within their community. The aim of this study was to better understand the condition and survival outcomes of residential trees intended to be preserved through a municipal tree preservation ordinance. The results of this study found that a comprehensive tree preservation ordinance can successfully protect tree and soil health during and after residential development occurs. This is evident through an overall preservation rate of nearly 75%, having found no correlation between proximity to newly developed foundation and observed tree condition or mortality, and the discovery of healthy soil compaction levels within tree protection areas and the critical root zones of preserved trees. Collaborative research as demonstrated by this project can help both academics and professionals gain a better understanding of how to best manage their own urban forests.
Preservation of existing trees is one of the few tools available to communities seeking to mainta... more Preservation of existing trees is one of the few tools available to communities seeking to maintain or increase tree canopy coverage. This study compared the knowledge and activities of builders in an urban locale with a strict tree preservation ordinance and rigorous enforcement against a rural locale with no tree preservation ordinance. Overall, there were more similarities than differences between the two groups though some of those differences are very important. Urban builders and rural builders scored a very similar average of correct responses on questions testing their knowledge: 63% and 65%, respectively. The major difference between urban and rural appears to be in activities as dictated by ordinance. Urban builders were more likely to consult tree preservation experts and use tree fence to create tree protection zones. The successful tree preservation outcomes in the urban community are likely a direct result of ordinance requirements and enforcement by the City Forester,...
In the United States, urban forests represent 35% of all urban land cover, and deliver benefits t... more In the United States, urban forests represent 35% of all urban land cover, and deliver benefits to nearly two-thirds of the population. As global urban populations continue to rise, however, redevelopment is continually reported as a major factor in reduced canopy cover. While urban trees provide us with measurable benefits when adequately maintained, their costs when not cared for remains poorly understood. In order to safeguard the benefits that urban forests provide, municipalities have begun to introduce ordinances with the intention to protect and manage trees within their community. The aim of this study was to better understand the condition and survival outcomes of residential trees intended to be preserved through a municipal tree preservation ordinance. The results of this study found that a comprehensive tree preservation ordinance can successfully protect tree and soil health during and after residential development occurs. This is evident through an overall preservation rate of nearly 75%, having found no correlation between proximity to newly developed foundation and observed tree condition or mortality, and the discovery of healthy soil compaction levels within tree protection areas and the critical root zones of preserved trees. Collaborative research as demonstrated by this project can help both academics and professionals gain a better understanding of how to best manage their own urban forests.
In this paper, we examine the mechanisms of volunteering at tree-planting events conducted as par... more In this paper, we examine the mechanisms of volunteering at tree-planting events conducted as part of a new, multi-organizational tree-planting effort in northwest Indiana called CommuniTree. A broad literature exists on general volunteerism as well as environmental volunteering, urban forestry volunteering, and even tree-planting volunteering. Yet, the motivations, environmental attitudes, and personal efficacy of urban forestry volunteers in particular are not fully understood, nor are the outcomes and implications of volunteer participation in neighborhood greening programs. A 22-question (34 individual items), self-report survey was administered in-person at CommuniTree tree-planting events in 2017 through 2019, obtaining 114 responses. CommuniTree volunteers who responded to our survey are mostly white, male, full-time students of college age (18-24), who came to the tree planting by way of their university professor or a friend or family member telling them about it. Volunteers who completed our survey were motivated by intrinsic factors including a desire to help the community and a desire to help the environment, as well as extrinsic factors such as to complete community service hours, receive school-related extra credit, or as required through their employer’s partnership with CommuniTree. Additionally, volunteers report high rates of pro-environmental behavior, a high-level understanding of environmental issues, and high personal efficacy. Here, we frame our results in terms of the Volunteer Process Model’s three phases of volunteerism, and thereby consider the antecedents or prior conditions, experiences, and consequences or outcomes of volunteering in the context of respondent motivations, attitudes, knowledge, personal efficacy, and self-reported benefits and drawbacks of trees.
This poster was shared virtually at the 2020 ISA Conference. Look for the published paper in Urba... more This poster was shared virtually at the 2020 ISA Conference. Look for the published paper in Urban Forestry & Urban Greening!
Abstract In the United States, urban forests represent 35% of all urban land cover, and deliver b... more Abstract In the United States, urban forests represent 35% of all urban land cover, and deliver benefits to nearly two-thirds of the population. As global urban populations continue to rise, however, redevelopment is continually reported as a major factor in reduced canopy cover. While urban trees provide us with measurable benefits when adequately maintained, their costs when not cared for remains poorly understood. In order to safeguard the benefits that urban forests provide, municipalities have begun to introduce ordinances with the intention to protect and manage trees within their community. The aim of this study was to better understand the condition and survival outcomes of residential trees intended to be preserved through a municipal tree preservation ordinance. The results of this study found that a comprehensive tree preservation ordinance can successfully protect tree and soil health during and after residential development occurs. This is evident through an overall preservation rate of nearly 75%, having found no correlation between proximity to newly developed foundation and observed tree condition or mortality, and the discovery of healthy soil compaction levels within tree protection areas and the critical root zones of preserved trees. Collaborative research as demonstrated by this project can help both academics and professionals gain a better understanding of how to best manage their own urban forests.
Preservation of existing trees is one of the few tools available to communities seeking to mainta... more Preservation of existing trees is one of the few tools available to communities seeking to maintain or increase tree canopy coverage. This study compared the knowledge and activities of builders in an urban locale with a strict tree preservation ordinance and rigorous enforcement against a rural locale with no tree preservation ordinance. Overall, there were more similarities than differences between the two groups though some of those differences are very important. Urban builders and rural builders scored a very similar average of correct responses on questions testing their knowledge: 63% and 65%, respectively. The major difference between urban and rural appears to be in activities as dictated by ordinance. Urban builders were more likely to consult tree preservation experts and use tree fence to create tree protection zones. The successful tree preservation outcomes in the urban community are likely a direct result of ordinance requirements and enforcement by the City Forester,...
In the United States, urban forests represent 35% of all urban land cover, and deliver benefits t... more In the United States, urban forests represent 35% of all urban land cover, and deliver benefits to nearly two-thirds of the population. As global urban populations continue to rise, however, redevelopment is continually reported as a major factor in reduced canopy cover. While urban trees provide us with measurable benefits when adequately maintained, their costs when not cared for remains poorly understood. In order to safeguard the benefits that urban forests provide, municipalities have begun to introduce ordinances with the intention to protect and manage trees within their community. The aim of this study was to better understand the condition and survival outcomes of residential trees intended to be preserved through a municipal tree preservation ordinance. The results of this study found that a comprehensive tree preservation ordinance can successfully protect tree and soil health during and after residential development occurs. This is evident through an overall preservation rate of nearly 75%, having found no correlation between proximity to newly developed foundation and observed tree condition or mortality, and the discovery of healthy soil compaction levels within tree protection areas and the critical root zones of preserved trees. Collaborative research as demonstrated by this project can help both academics and professionals gain a better understanding of how to best manage their own urban forests.
In this paper, we examine the mechanisms of volunteering at tree-planting events conducted as par... more In this paper, we examine the mechanisms of volunteering at tree-planting events conducted as part of a new, multi-organizational tree-planting effort in northwest Indiana called CommuniTree. A broad literature exists on general volunteerism as well as environmental volunteering, urban forestry volunteering, and even tree-planting volunteering. Yet, the motivations, environmental attitudes, and personal efficacy of urban forestry volunteers in particular are not fully understood, nor are the outcomes and implications of volunteer participation in neighborhood greening programs. A 22-question (34 individual items), self-report survey was administered in-person at CommuniTree tree-planting events in 2017 through 2019, obtaining 114 responses. CommuniTree volunteers who responded to our survey are mostly white, male, full-time students of college age (18-24), who came to the tree planting by way of their university professor or a friend or family member telling them about it. Volunteers who completed our survey were motivated by intrinsic factors including a desire to help the community and a desire to help the environment, as well as extrinsic factors such as to complete community service hours, receive school-related extra credit, or as required through their employer’s partnership with CommuniTree. Additionally, volunteers report high rates of pro-environmental behavior, a high-level understanding of environmental issues, and high personal efficacy. Here, we frame our results in terms of the Volunteer Process Model’s three phases of volunteerism, and thereby consider the antecedents or prior conditions, experiences, and consequences or outcomes of volunteering in the context of respondent motivations, attitudes, knowledge, personal efficacy, and self-reported benefits and drawbacks of trees.
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