The Society of Municipal Arborists
Internship was an amazing opportunity for me last
summer. In central Missouri, jobs for a forestry stu-
dent (University of Missouri) can be somewhat limited
but also constricting financially for someone working
their way through school. The SMA Internship relieved
that stress for me last summer while working for the
City of Columbia.
Working under Natural Resource Manager Brett
O'Brien and City Forester Dave Dittmer, I saw two
sides of municipal forestry, and I learned immense-
ly from both. Brett manages forestry, horticulture,
and mowing for Columbia Parks and Rec, but more
importantly he manages a diverse group of people.
The importance of skillfully balancing schedules and
personalities of your employees is something I won't
soon forget. Dave is not only responsible for the
City's trees but manages trails as well. Under his
forestry crew I learned proper chainsaw use, heavy
equipment operation, and urban tree care. This
experience is something that cannot be learned in
the classroom and is becoming increasingly valu-
able when entering the job market as an urban
forester or arborist. I spent one day every week
with Columbia's utility forester to round out my SMA
experience. Under Michael Forck, I learned work
planning for vegetation around utilities using GIS.
As someone who is working toward a career in urban
forestry, last summer's experience could not have
Photos Courtesy Joseph Grey
"I saw two
sides of municipal
forestry, and I
learned immensely
from both."
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