I'm a Citizen Forester
Yesterday I attended a Tree People citizen forester workshop.
The Citizen Forester program teaches ordinary people the extraordinary skills of changing the urban landscape by planting and caring for trees. For more than 20 years this program has been a vibrant model of civic engagement, bringing people together to make our cities more livable. In many neighborhoods and business districts, Tree People trees are making Los Angeles a healthier place by shading people and homes, cooling pavement and adding beauty.
I was impressed with the attention to task driven details presented during the workshop. I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I see the internal workings of organizations all the time, so I'm generally skeptical until I see the levers and cogs with my own eyes.
I took the workshop for various reasons. The primary reason is because I often deal with everyday people who are interested in environmental issues. A recurring problem I see is that many people are cause driven rather than focused on stewardship- two very different things. Having a basis for an action is the first step, but meddling with the environment has to be a long term investment in order for it to be sustainable.
Speaking of sustainable, another issue I face all the time is the wholesale acceptance of organic=sustainable. Organic gardening or farming is about inputs, rather simple and verifiable sets of "ingredients". Sustainable is about outcomes which is much more nebulous. I'm veering off topic, but I will add that sustainable agriculture or greening has to deal with water conservation, top soil erosion and land ownership issues.
During the workshop I met a field deputy for a Los Angeles council member. She offered to connect me with someone at the mayor's office who I can talk to about public relations and forming key partnerships. I also met a professor from the department of urban studies and planning at Cal State University Northridge who is interested in technology and information transfer networks.
