City Trees

In February 2018, I attended the Municipal Forestry Institute (MFI) in Litchfield, Connecticut. This weeklong experience provides urban forestry practitioners the opportunity to master the leadership and management tools of program administration, coalition building, strategic thinking, program planning, and public relations. These skills will help me and other urban for- estry professionals advance our mission of con- necting people with trees. More importantly, this course brings together urban forestry profes- sionals from large cities, small towns, state and federal programs, and non-governmental organi- zations from across the country and beyond. This coalescing of gifted and innovative practitioners permits idea sharing and development unparal- leled by any other program I'm familiar with. It was an honor to participate in the program; I owe great gratitude to the Trees Virginia Council for sponsoring my attendance; to leaders in the City of Roanoke for supporting my professional devel- opment; and to SMA for organizing the event. The group of instructors had a total of 268 years of combined experience in the urban forestry field. While this number was surprising at the beginning, the wealth of wisdom became quickly apparent. All of the participants were split into peer learn- ing groups (PLGs) and had the opportunity to col- laborate throughout the week. This, plus other group activities, allowed all of the participants to share and learn from each other. I've recon- nected with several of my peers from across the country since the end of the MFI week, and these relationships have already proven valuable. Leaders Making Leaders On Wednesday evening of MFI, everyone gathered in the chapel near the center of Wisdom House, the former convent that hosted MFI this year. Dr. David Nowak talked about his life in urban for- estry, including achievements in research and his work with i-Tree—probably the most influential tool in urban forestry. He explained to the crowd the ways in which he refined his craft over a 30-year career. He said that in that time he found great value in learning by listening, remaining patient and passionate, and planning the future he wanted to see. These insights have stuck in my mind. I also took away wisdom from John McNeil, the Managing Principal of McNeil Urban Forestry, who said that "effective leaders do not wait to be fol- lowed." Fairfax County, Virginia Urban Forestry 2018: Lessons from My Colleagues Jamie King at MFI 2018. Photo by Owen Croy 26 CityTREES By Jamie King, City Tree Inspector, City of Roanoke, Virginia

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