Resources related to community and urban forestry and the role that arboreta and botanic gardens can play in community forestry. To contribute a resource to the Community Forestry database, please contact the ArbNet Coordinator at arbnet@mortonarb.org.
Arboretum Accreditation
- City Arboretum Toolkit: This toolkit is meant to guide you through the ArbNet accreditation process, the steps to create a new arboretum, or building your arboretum’s capacity to upgrade to a higher level of accreditation.
The Role of Arboreta & Public Gardens in Community & Urban Forestry
- BGCI Technical Review: The role of botanic gardens in urban greening and conserving urban biodiversity: Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), Report by Nicole Cavender, Paul Smith and Kate Marfleet on the contributions and potential role that botanic gardens and arboreta can play in community forestry.
- Intersecting urban forestry and botanical gardens to address big challenges for healthier trees, people, and cities: Journal article published in Plants, People, Planet (PPP) by Nicole Cavender and Gerry Donnelly on the role that botanical gardens and arboreta can play in addressing urban forestry problems and urban tree health.
- What's in an Arboretum?: International Society of Arboriculture article, published in the June 2019 Arborist News (pp. 55-60), written by ArbNet staff on the benefit of arboreta to communities.
- Finding Urban Trees For A Changing World: Exploring Public Garden Contributions to Urban Forestry: American Public Gardens Association (APGA) 2019 Conference Poster from Jehana Samaha and Cecil Konijendijk Van den Bosch (The Univeristy of British Columbia) that considers the role arborists play in community forestry.
- Community Forestry Coffee and Conversation Report: Results of polls taken at the APGA 2019 conference at an ArbNet hosted event where we asked questions about the attendees' involvement in community forestry.
Urban Tree Care & Management
- Chicago Region Trees Initiative (CRTI): CRTI website. CRTI is a partnership for coordinated action on key issues facing trees in the Chicagoland region with actionable goals for canopy cover, species and age diversity and management expertise.
-- Tree Preservation Ordinance Templates
-- Tree Advocacy Hub - Urban Forestry and Lanscape Resources (University of Massachusetts Amherst):
-- Landscape fact sheets (information on care/maintenance of trees, diseases, etc.)
-- Urban Forestry Today (resources such as videos, lectures and publications on urban forestry) - Urban Forestry Fundamentals series (New York State Urban Forestry Council):
-- Part 1: Concepts and Terms
-- Part 2: Think like an Urban Forester when Selecting Trees
-- Part 3: Roots Grow Like Plates, Not Mirrors. How to Protect Them.
-- Part 4: Watering - Urban Horticulture Institute Resources (Cornell University)
-- Plants Selection: Resources to help identify the right plants for the right site; includes Recommended Urban Trees (site assessment and tree selection for stress tolerance) and a Woody Plants Database (tool to help you choose the right tree, shrub or woody vine based on your site’s conditions)
-- Transplanting: Resources for successfully transplanting urban trees and woody plants
-- Community Forestry: Resources on building a healthy urban forest, conducting a community tree inventory, and working with plants and people
Benefits & Value of Community Trees
- The benefits of trees for livable and sustainable communities: Journal article published in PPP by Jessica Turner-Skoff and Nicole Cavender. A critical review of the benefits trees provide to communities and cities.
- Connecting Communities to Trees in Response to COVID-19: Poster displaying how healthy tree canopies can support healthy communities and how botanic gardens and arboreta can contribute.
- What's My Tree Worth? Tree Appraisal Case Studies: Case examples of tree appraisal - Purdue University
Education & Engagement
- How a Public Garden is Redefining Outreach in the Urban Forest: Powerpoint presentation from Tower Hill Botanic Garden that describes Worcester Tree Initiative Outreach Program, their successful outreach and partnership program to bring horticulture to Worcester, Massachusetts.
- Morris Arboretum's Urban Forestry Consultants: To bring in revenue, Morris Arboretum offers arboricultural services to the Philadelphia tri-state area.
Grants & Funding Opportunities
- Grants & Funding: ArbNet resource page listing
