Identification and Selection: Trees 201 Class Recap

This past Saturday, a large group - most of whom were Citizen Foresters - participated in Trees 201: Identification and Selection at our Brookland headquarters. While the class was geared towards Citizen Foresters, Project Organizers and those interested in learning the basics of Right Tree, Right Space when designing a tree planting, all were welcome. There were three components of the day's lesson: tree ID, tree selection, and a field walk, which mixed classroom instruction with hands-on fieldwork, preparing those in attendance for plantings of their own.

In preparation for the class, attendees were asked to develop a planting proposal for ten trees by the Brookland rail tracks, all while sticking to three criteria:  consider the neighbor's historic population of trees, incorporate trees already present at the site and plant at least 60% shade with no more than 40% small or ornamental trees. Overall, the proposals brought a variety of planting plans to the table and proved to be a valuable tool for participants to learn from each others' perspectives on tree planting.

Trees 201 participants on a tree walk around our Brookland neighborhood.

Following the classroom portion of the day, Urban Forestry Instructor Shawn Walker and Urban Forestry Manager Sara Turner led a tree walk around our Brookland neighborhood. This allowed the future tree planting designers to see some real examples of the proper and improper placement of trees in an urban environment.

If you missed Trees 201, check out our calendar for the latest listing of upcoming classes and events. For those interested in becoming a Citizen Forester, make sure to sign up for its qualifying class Stand Up For Trees on Saturday, August 27. By September we will be announcing our schedule for even more qualifying classes so that you can earn your Citizen Forester badge by the time we begin our fall Community Tree Planting season.