Progress 10/01/11 to 09/30/16
Outputs
Target Audience:The audiences reached this reporting period included tree wardens and deputy tree wardens in Connecticut and community forest volunteers. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The Tree Warden School and workshops provided training opportunities. In addition, the Meskwaka Tree Project was a training opportunity. Robert Ricard will present the results of a longitudinal study (1991-2016) of tree warden and deputy tree warden's attitudes and performance at the November, 2016, Society of American Foresters National Convention. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Two copies of the Tree Warden Manual, fourth edition, were distributed to each of the 169 Connecticut cities and towns. The manual was also distributed and used for reading assignments at the Tree Warden School. All towns are notified every year of the next Tree Warden School. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
In the final year of the project we conducted the 18th Annual Tree Warden School with a total 31 people attending. (The cap for the school is set at 30 to maximize the learning environment.) Of these 31 people, 8 were Tree Wardens, 6 were municipal employees or civilians who were likely to be appointed to serve as tree warden or deputy tree warden in their municipality, 3 were private commercial licensed arborists, and the remaining attendees were municipal highway employees, community forestry volunteers, town engineers, and others. Three one-day field workshops were held for tree wardens, deputy tree wardens, and others with a total attendance of 196. Subjects included notable historic trees, trees and storms, and tree law. A fourth edition of the Tree Wardens' Manual was produced by UConn Extension in cooperation with the Tree Wardens' Association of Connecticut, Inc. The Meskwaka Tree Project was closed this last of five years after 25 years of operation. In summary, during the five year project period five Tree Warden Schools were held with a total attendance of 149 tree wardens, deputy tree wardens, and others. Four Meskwaka Tree Project educational programs were held with a total attendance of 101 community volunteers and others.
Publications
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Ricard, R., Govoni, J., Connecticut Tree Warden's Manual, 4th Edition, February, 2016.
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Progress 10/01/14 to 09/30/15
Outputs
Target Audience:Tree wardens, deputy tree wardens, municipal engineers, community forestry volunteers, and plannning and zoning boards. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?RREA programs are integrated and networkded extensively with critical partners to deliver targeted education programs primarily to municipal tree wardens, community volunteers and elected and appointed officials. Project results were also disseminated through 5 annualy tree warden organizational meetings. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
University of Connecticut RREA programs (through UConn Extension) are designed, implemented, and evaluated to help better conserve, replace, and manage municipal trees and community forests to improve quality of life and ensure the environmental, economic, and social sustainability of Connecticut cities, towns, and villages. In 1991, and based on a state-wide needs assessment survey, UConn Extension developed voluntary outreach education programs to educate and motivate tree wardens. In 2013, the Connecticut Assembly revised the state tree warden law requiring tree wardens and deputy tree wardens to be qualified. The voluntary program became the program of choice ensuring compliance with this state law. During this reporting period 31 tree wardens, deputy tree wardens, municipal engineers, and others participated in the 17th annual Tree Warden School. Since 1998, 439 key municipal people responsible for community forestry activities have passed the final course exam and continue to obtain required continuation education credits to maintain certification. 491 tree wardens total attended certification workshops. In addition, 1,337 contacts were made through direct engagement with urban forestry stakeholders through one-on-one sessions, two tree warden workshops, one annual state-wide urban forestry conference, and 29 public presentations to community forestry groups, conservation commissions, planning and zoning boards, and select boards.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Ricard, R. "New Tree Warden Laws in Connecticut." Society of American Foresters National Convention, Salt Lake City, November 2014.
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Progress 10/01/13 to 09/30/14
Outputs
Target Audience: Tree wardens, deputy tree wardens, municipal engineers, community forestry volunteers, and planning and zoning boards Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? RREA programs are integrated and networked extensively with critical partners to deliver targeted education programs primarily to municipal tree wardens, community volunteers and elected and appointed officials. Projectresults werealsodisseminated through tree warden organizational meetings held 5 times annually. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Programs will be repeated.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Conducted the 16th annual Tree Warden School. Thirty-one tree wardens, deputy tree wardens, municipal engineers, and others participated in this six session training.Since 1998 418 key municipal people responsible for community forestry activities have passed the final course exam and continue to obtain the required continuation education credits to maintain certification. In total, 566tree wardens have attended our certification workshops. One-thousand, seven-hundred contacts were made through direct engagement with urban forestry stakeholders through one-on-one sessions, two tree warden workshops, one annual state-wide urban forestry conference, and 36 public presentations to community forestry groups, conservation commissions, planning and zoning boards, and select boards.
Publications
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Progress 10/01/12 to 09/30/13
Outputs
Target Audience: Tree wardens, deputy tree wardens, opinion leaders such as chief elected munuicipal officals, cummunity forestry volunteers Changes/Problems: No major changes/problems are anticipated. The Extension Educator responsilities continue to change to incorporate new programmatic activities. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? The results have been disseminated through treee warden organizational meetings held 5 times annually. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? The programs will be repeated.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
20 tree wardens, deputy tree wardens, municipal engineers, chief elected officials, and others participated in the 15th annual Tree Warden School. Since 377 key municipal people responsible for community forestry activities have passed the final course exam and continue to obtain required continuation education credits to maintain certification. 401 tree wardens total attended certification workshops. 15 community urban forestry volunteers participated in the annual Meskwaka Tree Project educational program designed to educate and motivate community leaders design and implement community-based public tree management programs. To date (since 1992) 456 volunteers have participated in this program. 1,310 contacts were made through direct engagement with urban forestry stakeholders through one-on-one sessions, two tree warden workshops, one annual state-wide urban forestry conference, and 36 public presentations to community forestry groups, conservation commissions, planning and zoning boards, and select boards
Publications
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Progress 10/01/11 to 09/30/12
Outputs
OUTPUTS: TREE WARDENS: For nearly a century Connecticut state law has mandated that each city and town appoint a Tree Warden and that this public official is then responsible for all municipal trees. However, Connecticut state law does not specify what skills and knowledge Tree Wardens must posses. To protect both the public and the urban forest resource, Tree Wardens need knowledge of tree biology, tree care, hazard tree assessment, public participation, tree law, and meeting management. As a result of this need, an annual Tree Warden School and Certification Program were created to provide Tree Wardens with a voluntary educational opportunity to acquire this knowledge. The Extension Educator formed the "Tree Wardens' Association of Connecticut, Inc." in 1992 to help facilitate outreach education targeting tree wardens and associates. Since then workshops are conducted annually in cooperation between the organization and Cooperative Extension. Outreach efforts include, but not limited to, two workshops annually, one conference, participation as a partner in one other state conference and direct and indirect contact with tree wardens and their deputy tree wardens, and network partners (i.e., chief elected officials, park supervisors and commissioners, road personnel, planning and zoning directors and commissioners, and others.) Tree wardens improve their skills in: tree biology, urban forest soils, insects and disease, urban planning, tree law, tree risk assessment, OSHA and ANSI Standards, inter and intra-organizational relationships, and other subjects. Tree wardens engage new knowledge and skills in mitigating public tree risk and urban reforestation. COMMUNITY FORESTRY VOLUNTEERS: Connecticut is the fifth most densely populated state yet retains fifty-nine percent forest coverage. This extreme population density causes factors that not only shorten the lives of municipal trees (along streets, in parks, around schools, for example) but also creates hazardous ones. In spite of being a wealthy state, Connecticut municipalities typically do not adequately fund municipal forestry/tree care operations thereby undermining the health of public and jeopardizing public safety. Therefore, citizen engagement in municipal forest management is essential to support public tree care and management. Volunteers who receive quality and timely community forestry education and training are able to augment community forestry efforts. The Meskwaka Tree Project is one of the more important facets of the urban and community forestry initiative in Connecticut and was created to provide such necessary urban and community forestry educational opportunities and programmatic support. Targeted participants include, but are not exclusive to, tree wardens, garden club members, Master Gardeners, conservation commissioners, planning and zoning commissioners, community organizers, students, and others. PARTICIPANTS: Partners/Collaborators: Tree Wardens' Association of Connecticut, Inc.; Connecticut Urban Forest Council, Inc.; Connecticut Department of Energy and the Environment, Division of Forestry; USDA Forest Service, Cooperative Forestry; Connecticut College Arboretum; Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station; Connecticut Tree Protective Association TARGET AUDIENCES: Tree wardens, deputy tree wardens, opinion leaders such as chief elected officals in municipalities, and community forestry volunteers. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
TREE WARDENS: 1. Number of qualified tree wardens appointed/reappointed by municipalities (Change in action outcome)= 101 2. Number of newly certified (newly qualified) tree wardens = 13 3. Number of recertified (continuing education) tree wardens (every three years) = 49 COMMUNITY FORESTRY VOLUNTEERS: 1. Municipal Shade Tree Ordinances developed and/or revised = 3 2. Number of newly trained urban forestry volunteers = 17
Publications
- Pagliughi, E., J. Kuzovkina, R.M.. Ricard. 2012. Master Gardener perceptions and preferences of a novel horticultural product, DIY Living Structures kits. HortTechnology 22(4): 446-451.
- Westa, S., R.M. Ricard and P. Stahl. 2012. Education Needs of Land Use Decision-makers in Rural Southern New England: A Longitudinal Study. Practicing Planner 9(1): [on-line]
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