I had heard of the Municipal Forestry Institute (MFI)
in passing over the last couple of years (and some of
the people I worked with and looked up to most were
alumni), but I wasn't really sure what it was all about.
I am new to the field of community forestry, and I am
not a forester or arborist, so the old thoughts of this
not being for me were very present. Thankfully, my
desire to grow and learn more about our multi-fac-
eted field was more powerful than any doubts. I
applied to MFI and was delighted to be accepted.
I can honestly say there were times during the week
that I was out of my comfort zone. There were times
I thought my lack of experience directly working with
trees and credentials would invalidate my input, but
I was wrong. I discovered that my experience in the
social sciences, advocacy, community outreach, and
education added a different perspective to conver-
sations. And, just as I was learning so much from
those who worked to directly care for and manage
our municipal forests, I think they too were learning
from me. And it is here that the power of MFI lies:
developing healthy and vibrant social ecosystems.
Looking back through my notes and journal entries
for the week, I am reminded that this week away
from the day-to-day allowed me to focus on where I
am and where I want to be. MFI, the teaching cadre,
and my cohort inspired me to be bold, to connect,
and to commit to a growth mindset for the entirety
of my journey. Importantly, it also taught me that I
have so much more to learn and that learning from
the experience of others within my field of work is
a way to synergistically catalyze the work we are
doing that contributes to the health and well-being
of not only our communities but the planet as a
whole. I am still drawing upon this inspiration many
weeks out and am viewing my personal journey with
a renewed sense of adventure and passion.
Ashley Kite-Rowland
This week away from the
day-to-day allowed me
to focus on where I am
and where I want to be.
22 CityTREES
At left is Maddy McPhee from the
Washington, D.C. DDOT Urban Forestry
Division and at right is Alex Hancock from
PlanIT Geo. Photo by Leslie Berckes
