O
ne adage I want to share after finish-
ing the US Forest Service Inaugural International
Urban Forestry Seminar is: look more closely, think
more deeply. This was something that one of the present-
ers said to us on our first day in Chicago and it stuck with
me throughout our journey.
Over the course of two weeks (4-17 June 2017), our
delegation of 19 participants representing 16 countries
had the unique opportunity to learn about programs in
Chicago and New York City, as well as from one anoth-
er. Participants included natural resource profession-
als, municipal government officials, community leaders,
activists, Foreign Service nationals, and NGO manag-
ers who are engaged in urban forestry and community
outreach. The countries represented included: Armenia,
Bhutan, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Georgia,
Jamaica, Jordan, Malawi, Mexico, Morocco, Palestine,
Philippines, Tanzania, Uganda, and I had the privilege of
representing Canada.
Given my eclectic academic and professional background,
my view of urban forest management, research, and
planning has largely focused on Canadian needs and
perspectives. The experience of this two-week seminar
broadened my understanding of international viewpoints
and directions with every site we visited by sharing out-
looks on the challenges facing communities and greens-
paces in urban environments. Although many of the sites
overlapped themes, this only served to emphasize the
complex integration of urban issues. The themes we dealt
with at specific sites over the two weeks included:
Look More Closely, Think More
Experiences from the 2017 US Forest Service International Urban Forestry
By
20 CityTREES
