Story and photos by Joe Benassini, Urban Forestry Manager, City of Sacramento, California
Urban canopy in Ipanema, a neighborhood in the southern part of Rio
Exchange Program. I was hosted by Parks and Gardens Foundation Director of Arboriculture Flavio Pereira Telles along with his colleagues and family. I had previously hosted Flavio in the City of Sacramento, and this second half of the exchange allowed me to witness firsthand some of the practices, problems, and opportunities in Rio's urban forestry program that we had discussed during his visit.
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Rio's forestry program differs from the model that we most often see in the U.S. and Canada in that tree planting and replacement is separated from routine tree maintenance by the department or agency under which it is managed.
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n late fall of 2011 I had the good fortune to visit the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil—nicknamed "the marvelous city"—through SMA's Municipal Arborist
Mature street and park tree care, including pruning and removal, is performed by the solid waste department, responsible for solid waste management citywide, includ- ing cleanliness and general maintenance of all municipal streets, parks and gardens. Conversely, the Parks and Garden Foundation is responsible for administration, project planning and design, forestation and conserva- tion of over two thousand public plazas and squares, urban and natural parks, and streetscapes. The Parks and Gardens Foundation is housed under the Secretariat of the Environment.
Flavio had prepared an ambitious schedule for my visit, and from the moment I stepped out of customs we were on the go. First up was a visit to Quinta da Boa Vista ("pleasant view"), a park of great historical importance
City Trees
