4. Follow Your Instincts
Do what you love and follow your instincts even
if people try to discourage you. When my col-
league and I were organizing the Urban Forests
& Political Ecologies Conference, we were met
with strong opposition from the very people we
thought would support us. There were subtle
indicators that we were elbowing our way onto
someone else's turf. At the conference we orga-
nized an urban environmental art exhibit as part
of the event; we'd never done anything like that
before, but we brought together a great group
of women and made it happen! From this we
secured a book contract with Routledge to publish
the edited volume, Urban Forests, Trees and
Greenspace: A Political Ecology Perspective, the
first text of its kind engaging with urban forestry
through a political ecology lens. In the years fol-
lowing, I had the opportunity to integrate many
of the transdisciplinary concepts from the UFPE
conference into the scientific programs of the
Canadian Urban Forest Conferences in my work
with Tree Canada, which has since been well
received. Had we listened to those who discour-
aged us, none of this would have materialized.
5. Have a Plan B
If you couldn't work where you are tomorrow, what would that look
like for you? Make a list of ten companies or organizations that inspire
you and stay on top of their activities. Make a list of your hobbies and
the things you love to do—if you could leave it all behind, what would
you do? Be a baker, a florist, a writer? It's important to think about
transitions, pathways, and extension services for continuing education.
Earlier in my life, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Creative
Writing quickly proved to be a career choice that first needed a
more solid source of income to support. I had always been inter-
ested in environmental sustainability and so I embarked on graduate
school, and my career shifted to urban forestry. My ingrained
voracious reading habits helped me as I spent the next several
years completing a Master of Forest Conservation and then a PhD
in Environmental Studies while pursuing professional develop-
ment opportunities, joining various networks, and contributing to
various boards as a Director. Now I actively try to bridge my creative
writing and arts background with my urban forestry career. >>
Urban Forests, Trees, and Greenspace is the first text
of its kind engaging with urban forestry through a
political ecology lens. Contributors include leading
authorities from North America and Europe from a range
of disciplines, including forestry, ecology, geography,
landscape design, municipal planning, environmental
policy, and environmental history.
I actively try to
bridge my creative
writing and arts
background
with my urban
forestry career.
www.urban-forestry.com 23
