Learning on the job
The eight-member youth crew working with the Willamalane on July 19. They spread out over Les Schwab Sports Park in Springfield, surveying trees around the park.
The students used an app called “Field Maps” to document the tree circumference, height, species, and health and report signs of invasive species, such as the emerald ash borer.
Eric Adams, director of Planning, Parks and Facilities at Willamalane, said Willamalane has been collaborating with NYC for the past decade. He said he’s been impressed with the level of professionalism shown by the crew members.
“Our teams have absolutely loved working with these crews,” Adams said. “We’ve been very impressed with how well they’ve been able to take a fairly complex survey inventory, learn it quickly, put it into effect on the ground, and really generate in real time for us a pretty comprehensive dataset over a dozen parks.”
Thessen said that during their first day surveying trees, the group only got to about 20 trees in a six-hour shift, but by the end of the five-week program, the team was surveying upward of 200 a day. Thessen also enjoyed uprooting invasive species like blackberries.
Thessen explained forestry as taking care of trees in forests, so urban forestry is caring for trees in urban areas.
Worthington echoed this idea. She said urban forestry and NYC’s program focus on planting, maintaining and improving trees and tree canopy in urban areas.
“During the ice storm, for example, we had tons of folks trying to prune trees and get out there and clean up the fuels and make sure that it wasn’t ripe for fire,” Worthington said, “When there’s a natural disaster or something like that, like we had in the winter, that’s definitely a focus. Then the rest of the time, it’s like really focused on planting and storm water drainage, things like that that would help our community.
“It just makes our urban environments more livable, more resilient to climate change, more resilient to fire and makes the community a better place to be.”
Pursuing an urban forestry career
Spencer Davis, 18, recently graduated from Eugene School District 4J. Davis has been participating in the youth crew for the past four summers. At first, it was the community he built that drew him back year after year, but now, he has decided to go all-in and pursue a career in urban forestry.
Davis joined NYC’s summer program after his freshman year, urged by a friend. He said he became close with his first crew and continues to keep in touch with them.
“We just became like this really tight-knit group,” Davis said. “I’m still close to everyone who was on that first crew. And then I came back the next year, just in hopes to make more like connections like that.”
Davis said he fell in love with the technical aspects of urban forestry, like determining species and documentation. Although he has been a part of the program for years, Davis said he’s still constantly learning. He mentioned NYC’s SEED method for “something educational every day,” so by the end of the session, every student learns at least 25 new skills or facts.
Outside of the youth summer program, NYC also has a 12-week Urban Community Forestry Program for young adults ages 19 to 26, which Davis will be joining in the fall. Although Davis just turned 18, he was an exception because of his history with NYC.
Worthington said while there are many of the same focuses between the two age groups, the young adult program is a more intensive version, particularly with machinery usage and training.
“The connections that they’re making with our partners with the city, with the state, with other nonprofits, they become a little bit more real,” Worthington said. “From the get-go, the training is quite a bit different. The first thing they do is get saw trained, and they get certified through the forest service.”
Davis is looking forward to the change, hoping to eventually become one of the crew leads in the young adult program.
Davis found the urban forestry industry very welcoming. His dream is to work with NYC someday.
“I love the community,” Davis said. “It’s a very open environment, and I love the interactions I have built with the permanent members of the staff.
“Northwest Youth Corps a great niche where it’s really open to anyone.”
NYC is currently recruiting for its young adult Urban and Community Forestry crews. For more information, visit www.nwyouthcorps.org.
Miranda Cyr reports on education for The Register-Guard. You can contact her at mcyr@registerguard.com or find her on Twitter @mirandabcyr.
