38 CityTREES
observations and practical questions just as much as
urban foresters need research findings," he says.
Kesterson says that when he started working for the
City of Berkeley, he had to earn the green light to exper-
iment from his boss and management team. "I was
an untested person; my bosses didn't yet know how
I would operate," he says. "But over time, they saw
how I methodically gather information from the latest
research, make plans grounded in science, get commu-
nity input and investment, and learn from mistakes."
Along the way, Kesterson learned the importance of
matching new planting to a desire from the commu-
nity. Instead of waiting for folks to ask for new trees,
he drew up draft plans for many major parks that
could use a few more trees. "In the event a mature
park tree needs to be removed, before we even have
to announce the bad news, we have this awesome
fix on deck." This approach gives a positive place
for the public to redirect their natural grief around
losing a beloved tree, and Kesterson and team get
more trees planted with strong community support.
Successful innovations like this helped build man-
agerial confidence in Kesterson, granting him the
freedom not to strive for perfection, which is not
achievable anyway. "Pursuit of perfection gets in the
way of trying new things and of being open to the
rich learning that can come from failures," Kesterson
says. "This is why the '80% Good' approach is some-
thing I really believe in, at least for growing trees."
As readers can glean, Kesterson is an early adopter of
research findings and of novel tree stock that's early
in the production stages. He says that urban forestry
is elevated when information is flowing back and forth
between researchers and practitioners, between growers
and practitioners, and between tree trial researchers
and nurseries. "The scientists and growers are viewing
things up close, but urban foresters have the wide-
angle view," he says. "We're all on the same team!"
The green row in its completed form in April of 2024. Volunteers planted the small to medium
native plants, including the Catalina cherry (Prunus ilicifolia subsp. lyonii) in the foreground.
