City Trees

which were "controller," "persuader," "analyzer" and "stabi- lizer." Discovering that I fell into the "controller-persuader" category represented an "a-ha" moment for me. Sessions included ones about leading by managing change; leading strategically with people, succession planning and mento- ring; working effectively with volunteers and partnerships; turning plans into policy; and using the i-Tree suite of tools. We had breakout sessions with small groups, exploring dif- ferent ideas and then presenting our conclusions to our fellow MFI members. Delivering our findings was in and of itself character building. Not everyone there was a natural speaker, and some had to strive to deliver their group's message. Concepts from reading done before MFI— such as assembling a "bus" that would move your urban for- estry efforts forward, and making sure the right people were on the bus and in the right seats—were crucial. One amusing project was a skit put on by the teaching cadre that showed an ineffectual town tree board in action, after which student groups had to make recommendations in front of a faux city council about how to remedy the situation. One aspect of MFI that encouraged me was an emphasis on diversity and inclusion. In addition to diversity among the attendees, coursework focused attention on the issue. A brain- storming session in a small group, for example, focused on diversity, inclusivity and implicit bias in urban forestry. With a group that was itself diverse, we explored issues of race and gender orientation, probing the importance of having differing voices and ideas at all levels. We discussed the rela- tionship between low canopy and low income, seeking ways to increase the personal connections to trees among residents. We discussed the topical importance of pronouns in the work we do today, exploring how the use of "they/them" could make an employee more productive. How could we person- ally move from mere good intentions to offer structural paths that would make our field more inclusive? What made this exercise effective was the requirement that group members come up with a plan to teach the topic to other groups. MFI opened my eyes to issues of leadership within the world of urban forestry. We did get an opportunity to explore the Gulf's sugar white sands, but more important was the oppor- tunity to explore the possibilities of our chosen profession. I'll never look at a bus the same way again! I would like to thank SavATree and my manager/mentor Mike Galvin for supporting me in pursuing this goal, the NYSUFC for making it possible for me to attend MFI, and the MFI teaching cadre for pouring so much heart into the education of our class of 2020. >> 14 CityTREES SMA President Darren Green (right) supervises the of sand live oak (Quercus geminata). Photo by Owen (l to r) Maegan Blanset is a geospatial analyst for is a forestry field specialist for the City of Miami Schwartz is an urban forester for the District of Columbia of Transportation Urban Forestry Division. Photo Sunrise at Gulf Shores State Park. Photo by Paul Ries

• Cover