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/346592
&OR THOSE WHO DONT KNOW THE -UNICIPAL &ORESTRY )NSTITUTE IS A WEEKLONG LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT hMINISCHOOLv SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR URBAN AND COMMUNITY FORESTRY PROFESSIONALS -Y CLASS CONSISTED OF FOLK FROM ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY ALL WITH DIFFERENT FORESTRY ROLES WHO ALL HAD THE SAME BASIC PAS SION TO CREATE THE BEST URBAN FOREST TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE THEY SERVE !T -&) WE NOT ONLY LEARNED HOW TO BE GOOD LEADERS WE LEARNED HOW TO BE PROFESSIONALS HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE PUBLIC AND THE MEDIA AND WITH OURSELVES HOW TO DEVELOP AND NURTURE IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIPS HOW TO HONE OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING SKILLS AND ULTIMATELY HOW TO BE BETTER AT WHAT WE ALREADY DO BEST ) MADE AMAZING CONNECTIONS WITH PEOPLE THAT ) KNOW WILL BE IN MY LIFE AND CAREER FOR A VERY LONG TIME ! HIGHLIGHT FOR ME WAS WORKING WITH MY PEER LEARNING GROUP 0,' %ACH DAY WE WERE TASKED WITH A PROBLEM OR MINIPROJECT TO WORK ON WITH OUR 0,' SO WE WOULD BREAK OUT INTO OUR GROUPS DISCUSS THE ISSUE COMPARE PROGRAMS AND EXPERIENCES AND WORK ON A SOLUTION /NE PERSON WAS TIMEKEEPER ANOTHER WAS NOTE TAKER AND A THIRD WOULD REPORT OUT TO THE ENTIRE CLASS %VERY PERSON IN MY GROUP WAS AN ABSOLUTE MARVEL (EARING ABOUT WHAT THEY DO AND HOW THEY APPROACH THEIR INDIVIDUAL CHALLENGES WAS HUMBLING AND INSPIRING ALL AT ONCE ) FOUND MYSELF WORRYING ABOUT LETTING MY 0,' DOWN IF ) MISSED SOMETHING IN THE NOTES OR LET US RUN OVER OUR TIME BUT THE MOST NERVE WRACKING PART CAME WITH MY TURN TO REPORT OUT ALSO KNOWN AS THE DREADED ONCAM ERA INTERVIEW -Y GROUP HELPED PREPARE ME WE DID ALL WE COULD AND THEN THERE ) WAS IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA >iiÊvÌÊÀ}>ÞÊÃÌÕ`i`ÊÕÃVÊi`ÕV>ÌÊLÕÌÊvÕ`ÊiÀÊÜ>ÞÊ ÌÊvÀiÃÌÀÞÊ>`ÊÌiÊÕÀL>ÊvÀiÃÌÀÞ° *`iÀÃ>Ê«iÃÊ*ÕÃÊ«`iÀÃ>®Êv}ÕÀi`Ê«ÀiÌÞÊÊ >ii½ÃÊÃÕiÀÊLÃÊ`ÕÀ}ÊVi}i°Ê*ÌÊvÊ«`iÀÃ>Ê«iÊ «iÊViÃÊLÞÊ>ÛiÊ*Üi]Ê1-ÊÀiÃÌÊ-iÀÛViÊ BEING ASKED THE SILLIEST QUESTIONS ABOUT A FICTIONAL SCENARIO HAVING TO DO WITH AIR POLLUTION FROM A NEARBY INDUSTRIAL BUILDING 7HEN IT WAS OVER ) REALLY THOUGHT ) HAD COMPLETELY CRASHED AND BURNED %VERYTHING WE HAD TALKED ABOUT HAD FLOWN OUT OF MY HEAD AND WAS ON ITS WAY TO &LORIDA SO TO SPEAK ) THOUGHT ) HAD REALLY LET OUR GROUP DOWN BUT IT WASNT EVEN CLOSE TO AS BAD AS ) THOUGHT AND 0,' WAS WITH ME ALL THE WAY 4HEY WERE SO SUPPORTIVE AND ENCOURAGING AND )LL NEVER FORGET THAT -OVING FORWARD ) PLAN TO INCORPORATE THE KNOWLEDGE ) GAINED FROM -&) INTO EVERYTHING ) DO BOTH ON THE JOB AND IN MY LIFE )M STILL VERY MUCH RIDING THE h-&) (IGHv AND ) FIND THAT MY APPROACH TO CHALLENGES NO MATTER HOW BIG OR SMALL IS ALMOST FROM A :EN POINT OF VIEW ) FIND MYSELF REACHING BACK TO WHAT WE LEARNED AND REALLY THINKING ABOUT THE BEST WAY TO WORK THINGS OUT AND WHAT )M FINDING IS THAT ) CAN DO MORE )M APPLYING LEADER SHIP TECHNIQUES AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS TO MY EVERY DAY AND THINGS SEEM TO BE FALLING INTO PLACE WHICH SUCH AN ABSOLUTE EASE THAT ) WONDER WHY ) NEVER APPROACHED THINGS LIKE THIS BEFORE )M VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE SUPPORT OF MY BOSS AND MY AGENCY AS WELL AS THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF THE .93 5RBAN &ORESTRY #OUNCIL AND THE .93 $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL #ONSERVATION )M GLAD FOR THE OPPORTU NITY TO ATTEND -&) AND CANT WAIT TO SEE WHERE ) GO NEXT AND HOW ) CAN DO MORE ! VERSION OF THIS ARTICLE FIRST APPEARED ON THE .EW 9ORK 3TATE 5RBAN &ORESTRY #OUNCIL BLOG 4!+).' 2//4 NYSUFCTAKINGROOTWORDPRESSCOM ÜÜÜ°ÕÀL>vÀiÃÌÀÞ°V