*** Please also check out our Community of Practice for Schoolyard Forests series here: www.greenschoolyards.org/forest-forum ***
SCHOOLYARD FOREST DESIGN LECTURE SERIES
Lecture 12 - December 5, 2024
The Schoolyard Forest Design Lecture Series, hosted by Green Schoolyards America, provides technical, design-focused guidance for creating and stewarding high-quality green schoolyards and schoolyard forests. Sessions feature presentations by subject-area experts including Green Schoolyards America staff, along with time for audience Q&A. All webinars are free and recorded.
On December 5th, 2024, speakers dove into the latest urban forestry research on tree care and its significance to tree survival, growth and health, as well as ensuring community involvement and long-term benefits. They also shared important stewardship tasks over a tree’s life cycle from newly planted young to older mature trees.
GUEST SPEAKERS
- Lara Roman, PhD, Research Ecologist, USDA Forest Service
- Rachel Pringle, MA, Vice President, Green Schoolyards America
MEETING HOSTS (GSA)
Lauren McKenna, MLA and Allison Torres
WEBINAR TIMING
0:00 Welcome, introduction, and updates by Lauren McKenna
3:59 Speaker introduction by Lauren McKenna
7:12 Presentation by Lara Roman
31:58 Presentation by Rachel Pringle
44:36 Questions and discussion
RESOURCES
- Schoolyard Forest Design Lecture Series: greenschoolyards.org/schoolyard-forest-design-lecture-series
- Schoolyard Forest System® Library: www.greenschoolyards.org/forest-resource-library
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Links from Lara Roman:
- Urban tree mortality: a primer on demographic approaches (2016): research.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/50688
- Beyond the Golden Shovel: recommendations for a successful urban tree planting initiative (2024):
research.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/67782
- Tree monitoring and mortality studies and guides (US Forest Service): research.fs.usda.gov/psw/projects/monitoring
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Link from Rachel Pringle:
- “How to Care for Schoolyard Forests” (Part 1 and Part 2): greenschoolyards.org/stewardship
Sampling of external resources featured in “How to Care for Schoolyard Forests”:
- Special on Indigenous Land Stewardship (PBS): www.pbs.org/video/indigenous-land-stewardship-ap7s1s/
- Standards and Specifications for Purchasing, Planting, and Maintaining Trees (California ReLeaf, CAL FIRE): californiareleaf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Tree-planting-guidelines_final.pdf
- Healthy Trees, Healthy Birds / Árboles Sanos, Aves Sanas (Golden Gate Audubon Society): www.greenschoolyards.org/s/Golden-Gate-Audubon_Healthy_Trees_brochure.pdf (English) and www.greenschoolyards.org/s/Golden-Gate-Audubon_Healthy_Trees_brochure_Spanish.pdf (Spanish)
- Educator resources for schoolyard forests: www.greenschoolyards.org/educator-resources-forests
- See lecture #7 on stewardship part 1 and stewardship tasks with students: www.greenschoolyards.org/schoolyard-forest-design-lecture-series
- Urban Wood Reuse program (Washington, DC): urban-wood-reuse-dcgis.hub.arcgis.com/
- Tree Health: Survey Your Trees (Green Schoolyards America): www.greenschoolyards.org/s/08_10-Tree-Health-Survey.pdf
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SPEAKER LINKS and Q&A
www.greenschoolyards.org/schoolyard-forest-design-lecture-series
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FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT GREENING SCHOOL GROUNDS AND CREATING LIVING SCHOOLYARDS, PLEASE SEE:
Green Schoolyards America
- www.greenschoolyards.org/
Green Schoolyards America collaborates with school districts and public agencies to create Living Schoolyard Initiatives that transform asphalt-covered school grounds into park-like green spaces that improve children’s well-being, learning, and play while contributing to the ecological health and resilience of our cities. We are working to change the norm for school ground design, use, and management so that all children will have access to the natural world in the places they already visit on a daily basis.
Our programs support the living school ground movement, build relationships that help it succeed, and work to embed this perspective in our existing institutions and policy and regulatory frameworks.