City Trees is a premier publication focused on urban + community forestry. In each issue, you’ll learn how to best manage the trees in your community and more!
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/1519614
MFI shows you how to be a leader, to have a voice in this industry. I enjoyed the pre-Institute activities like learning about my own level of introversion or extroversion and other personal traits. I liked the concept of finding your own personal "Board of Directors" that includes people who can mentor you, connect you to others, listen when you have hard times, help you avoid burnout, encourage you, and help you problem solve—and model how you can then offer those things to others in your network. I enjoyed the hypothetical negotiation scenario that had us working in our Peer Learning Groups to resolve a space conflict between trees, bike lanes, and bio-retention areas—and the colleagues or residents who feel strongly about each one. One of us represented the city arborist, another was from a tree planting nonprofit, another from the state Department of Transportation, etc. I really liked how that exercise showed me what it's like to be in the shoes of the other stakeholders, and how we could effectively communicate to find common ground. I went into the exercise with the agenda of my "character," but that agenda softened as I learned about everyone else's position and needs. We ended up with a work- able compromise that everyone felt good about. I also really liked the Communicate Your Vision activity; it gave me more confidence to come back and express my ideas. I made a lot of new connec- tions at MFI and in the evenings have been reaching out to people I met there so we can keep in touch. In our Peer Learning Group, we had people all from different sectors, from university arborist to city forester to nonprofit tree planting manager (like myself) to state coordinators to the private sector. It was a real revelation to learn how the work land- scape looks for people wearing these different hats. It helped me better understand and empathize. To anyone considering going, I'd say, be willing to listen and to change. You may come in with one expectation and go out with a completely different idea. MFI was not what I thought it was going be to like, but it was better than anything I imagined! —Frank Terrance, Living Roadways Manager for Baton Rouge Green ucfsociety.org 15 It was a real revelation to learn how the work landscape looks for people from all the different sectors. It helped me better understand and empathize.