Local trees are increasingly appreciated for all of the good things they do for our communities, like reducing our stress levels, capturing air pollutants, alleviating flooding or providing habitat to our nonhuman cohabitants.
Given the importance of these forests, the DNR Urban Forestry program helps support local communities with technical assistance, funding, training, networking and research related to local trees.
For two urban forestry interns from Southern University, this summer provided an opportunity not only to learn more about the urban forestry industry but also to contribute to assessment projects better to understand the breadth and condition of those local resources.
From ground-truthing LiDAR-derived canopy models to collecting street tree data, the interns made meaningful contributions to ongoing urban forestry studies.
Additionally, they designed their own project using the i-Tree Eco protocol. They established small plots across Milwaukee Public Schools properties. In each plot, they collected data on trees and ground conditions, ultimately leading to estimates on the number, diversity, health condition and ecosystem benefits of the trees on MPS properties.
In between fieldwork, they also learned about other important topics in urban forestry, such as nursery production, insect and disease pressures, proper pruning and urban wood utilization.
You can learn more about Wisconsin’s Urban Forests by visiting https://lnkd.in/gcZV4hFG
