Active Grants

Compounding the Impact: Train-the Trainer Urban Forestry Education

This project will advance the field of green infrastructure and sustainable urban ecosystem development through train-the-trainer education. The University of Georgia will train Extension Agents throughout the southeast and provide them with an educational module to use in their counties.

Urban Forest Management and Public Works: Improving Communications and Building Capacity

The American Public Works Assn. will bridge the communication gap between public works and urban forestry professionals through a series of urban forestry management reports targeting public works managers. Reports will comprise information from existing research and up to three case studies of exemplary urban forestry programs.

Assessing the Effectiveness of Green Infrastructure Developed in Residential Subdivisions

Current goals for green infrastructure (open space) in new suburban developments are to provide active and passive recreational areas, to serve as stormwater quality enhancements and wildlife habitat, and as a buffer to the hard surfaces of urban areas. However, given the lack of post-occupancy evaluations, the link between those goals and current open space and forest conservation codes are tenuous at best.

The Forest in Our Backyard

The Soundprint Media Center, Inc. proposes to disseminate information about urban and community forests to the general public and to practitioners in the field through a three-prong professional media project. This project, The Forest in Our Backyard, will produce and distribute five half-hour public radio documentaries, a half-hour public broadcasting instructional television program, and an accompanying website.

The Return of American Elms to America's Main Street: A National Teachable Moment for the Value of Urban Trees

This national media and information campaign will ensure that the planting of 85 disease-resistant American elms in front of the White House in 2005 becomes a A teachable moment @ for urban forestry. The decimation of this deeply loved and versatile urban tree profoundly affected America.

CTMI: Community Tree Management Institute.

CTMI: Community Tree Management Institute is a unique project aiming to develop a series of advanced educational sessions, specifically tailored to the needs of municipal tree managers that do not have an urban forestry background. CTMI will have a resource booklet and training exercises addressing each aspect of urban forestry, involve web-based courses, assess the project's usefulness in terms of awareness and capacity building for municipal workers, and disseminate project results nationwide.

Urban Trees and Municipal Value: Communicating What a Park System is Worth to a City

A critical component of the urban forest consists of city parkland. Studies by the Trust for Public Land and others have documented the importance of urban and community park systems and identified key aspects of excellence. Yet many cities, unaware of the economic benefit of forests and parks, regularly underfund their parks' maintenance.

Leadership from the Grassroots Up

To elevate the visibility of the Urban and Community Forestry program in California, California ReLeaf proposes to strengthen and grow the California ReLeaf Network of community-based tree organizations and build greater public awareness of the need for a sustainable urban forest.